This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Ben Herold and Dale Mezzacappa The Notebook and NewsWorks received another honor from the Education Writers Association: first prize in EWA’s National Awards for Education Reporting for their coverage of Philadelphia school closings in 2013.
This marks the second year in a row that the Notebook/NewsWorks partnership garnered a first prize in the competition and the fourth straight year that EWA has honored the Notebook. The awards were presented this weekend at the association’s national seminar in Nashville, Tenn.
The coverage of school closings, which won in the category of a single-topic news or feature for a medium newsroom, was led by NewsWorks reporter Benjamin Herold (now at Education Week). The project team included Notebook editors Dale Mezzacappa and Paul Socolar and Michelle Schmitt of Maneto Mapping and Analysis, with videography by Kimberly Paynter and web graphics by Todd Vachon, both of NewsWorks.
The contest judges wrote, “The work of Benjamin Herold and his colleagues in this series asks – and answers – all the right questions about Philadelphia’s school closures.” The judges noted that the coverage may have played a role in reversing District plans to close some schools.
The Notebook and NewsWorks have maintained a reporting partnership since 2011 to enhance their education coverage of Philadelphia.