Parikh Worldwide Media, which publishes News India Times, Desi Talk and Gujarat Times, received two Ippies awards at an event held on June 5 at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism here. “An American Dream,” by Ela Dutt, managing editor of News India Times and Desi Talk, won second place for Best Immigrant Story; while the front page for Desi Talk issue dated June 14, 2013, designed by Shashikant Warik, won second place for Best Print Design.
“An American Dream,” the cover story for News India Times dated Feb. 4, 2013, is a detailed analysis of the how the Dream Act, with its many political twists, is viewed among one of the fastest growing immigrant groups – Indians.
“Desi Talk is a clean, tightly-formatted tabloid newspaper. The cover is packed with stories, headlines, photos, and teasers (as well as ads), but it’s all handled exceptionally well with clean graphics and a smart use of color. Desi Talk’s design is reminiscent of the best tabloid dailies, with a solid grid and consistent typography,” Center for Community and Ethnic Media (CCEM), which presents the awards, said.
Awarded each year, the Ippies are the only journalism awards in New York City to honor reporting in English and in languages other than English by the ethnic and community press. Originally awarded by the Independent Press Association of New York, they are now given annually by CCEM at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. The Ippies are considered a benchmark of journalistic excellence and are a coveted prize for the publishers, editors, and reporters in New York City’s ethnic and community press, the CUNY website says. Since 2002, the awards program has served as a vehicle not only to honor outstanding work, but to promote coalition building within this media sector, and to draw mainstream and progressive media attention to the people responsible for bringing community perspectives to our attention.
Nearly 200 people attended the event on June 5 to celebrate the thriving community and ethnic media in the New York City area. More than 25 Ippies awards were distributed to honorees in this community of more than 300 media outlets, a press release issued by CUNY said.
Also honored, with a Lifetime Achievement Award, was Edward Lewis, who co-founded Essence Communications Inc., one of the country’s largest African-American multimedia organizations. The company was acquired by Time Inc. in 2005.
“The Ippies is one of my favorite events each year. The work that is celebrated here serves as a powerful reminder of the vibrancy of this media sector,” said Sarah Bartlett, dean of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Garry Pierre-Pierre, executive director of CCEM, in welcoming the attendees, noted that CCEM will be doing more this year to highlight the role of this sector. The center plans an annual “State of the Ethnic Media” survey, and will continue to offer training sessions and workshops as well as sponsor roundtables and other events with NYC politicians and other newsmakers. The Center also publishes Voices of NY, an online outlet which curates stories from the community and ethnic media and publishes original reporting on topics of interest about communities, ethnic groups, immigration, labor and other issues.
The cocktail and dinner reception was abuzz with local journalists who write and broadcast in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Bengali, Korean, Russian and other languages. Numerous representatives of English language community-based outlets were in attendance as well. Guests sampled Spanish tapas, Afghan kebabs, and Pad Thai before the awards ceremony.
Keynote speaker at the event was Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, filmmaker and the founder of Define American, a campaign that seeks to elevate the conversation around immigration.
This year, more than 150 submissions were received from nearly 50 different outlets for work published or broadcast in 2013. Entries in 10 categories for excellence in journalism – from Best Overall Design of an Online Publication to Best Investigative/In-Depth Story to Best Photograph – were reviewed by an independent panel of judges, who awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes. No prize was awarded this year for Best Editorial/Commentary.