Chris Herlinger, international correspondent for Global Sisters Report, accepts an award from the Religion News Association on behalf of GSR staff for the series "Hope Amid Turmoil" at an April 20 ceremony at the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. (GSR photo/Olivia Bardo)
by GSR Staff
Global Sisters Report and National Catholic Reporter have been honored by the Religion News Association for reporting in 2023.
In awards announced April 20, during the association's annual meeting held in Pittsburgh, GSR staffers Chris Herlinger, Doreen Ajiambo and Rhina Guidos, along with GSR freelancers Patrick Egwu, Thomas Scaria and Tawanda Karombo won third place in the Renner Award for Excellence in Enterprise and Serial Religion Reporting for the series "Hope Amid Turmoil: Sisters in Conflict Areas."
Brian Roewe, NCR's environment correspondent, won third place for magazine/nondaily newspaper religion reporting.
In addition, NCR senior correspondent Heidi Schlumpf was named a finalist in the analysis and commentary categories.
The judges said of the yearlong "Hope Amid Turmoil" series, which focused on the ministries and witness of sisters in countries riven by conflict: "The breadth of these stories about Catholic women religious serving in different communities around the world takes this series far beyond the focus of a single religious tradition to highlight the range of issues facing people of faith and the way they live that faith through service. The choice of stories, the writing and the photography make for a complete package of superb journalism."
Of Roewe's environmental reporting, the judges said: "This sweeping portfolio of stories follows the Catholic Church's continuing call to action on climate change. As NCR's environmental correspondent, Brian Roewe takes us to school on how to cover a beat. This entry includes stories on the recent United Nations global climate summit, the politics behind the fight over using a company's faith-influenced environmental record to judge its investment appeal, and Honduras' problematic 'Dry Corridor,' now a migration catalyst for citizens fleeing the agriculturally ravaged land."
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Founded in 1949, the U.S.-based Religion News Association is the premier professional association for journalists reporting on religion in American news media. The awards showcase religion journalism excellence in the news media among 13 categories of print, online, multiple media, broadcast and book entries.
The annual awards attract entries from both secular and nonsecular publications that include National Public Radio, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, CNN, The Christian Science Monitor, Sojourners and Religion News Service.
The Religion News Association awards are the latest honors for GSR. The "Hope Amid Turmoil" series was recently awarded highest honors in the Religion Communicators Council's 2024 DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards.
Contributions to the series by Chris Herlinger, GSR's international correspondent, won Best in Class in the "Periodicals" category during the council's recent convention, held April 4-6 in Louisville, Kentucky.
In addition, a story by Doreen Ajiambo, GSR's Africa/Middle East correspondent, has been longlisted in the One World Media Awards.
Ajiambo's 2023 story, "Sisters foster healing for survivors and perpetrators of Sierra Leone's civil war," was also part of GSR's "Hope Amid Turmoil" series.
Ajiambo's story was one of 540 entries from 117 countries vying for the award, and is among 10 publications included in the longlist print category, including international publications such as The Guardian, Reuters and The Economist. The finalists will be named May 8.
The longlisted entries are available to view on One World Media's website. The awards ceremony will take place June 19 at Curzon Soho, London, and will be livestreamed.
The Religion News Association awards were announced at the 75th Anniversary RNA Conference banquet at the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
