Immigration attorney Jessica Rodriguez Bell poses for a portrait with one of her clients, a mid-20s man who emigrated illegally from Mexico, at the mobile home park where he lives in northeast Columbus. (Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch)
Athens, Ohio – Joshua A. Bickel from The Columbus Dispatch and Jessica Phelps from the Newark Advocate have been chosen Ohio News Photographers of the Year for 2017 by the Ohio News Photographers Association.
This is the fourth straight year that Phelps has won the small market POY title.
This is the first large market title for Bickel. He previously won in the small market division while at ThisWeek Newspapers for his work in 2013.
Finishing second in large market division was Kyle Robertson from The Columbus Dispatch and finishing second in the small market division was Lorrie Cecil from ThisWeek Newspapers.
Will Robertson, catcher for the Robertson Construction, comforts the relief pitcher after he let a series of runs in and losing their lead over Licking Memorial Hospital in the final game of the Shrine Tournament. (Jessica Phelps/Newark Advocate)
The James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award was awarded to Erin Clark, from Ohio University for her entry “The Story of Torch,” a documentary essay on a small Southeastern Ohio town. Clark also won the Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year award
Liz Moughon from Ohio University won Best of Show in the contest for her feature picture story entry “Micheshia.” Alexandria Skowronski from Ohio University won the Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship.
Fifty four visual journalists from across the state submitted 749 entries in the 67th annual news photography contest judged over the last two days at Ohio University. Judging the competition were: Former Pictures of the Year International Photographer of the Year Nancy Andrews, Sarah Ann Jump currently working as a staff photographer at The (Jasper, IN) Herald and Ohio University graduate Patrick Tehan who recently retired from the San Jose Mercury News.
Judging multimedia and online entries remotely were: News, Sports and Team videos: Jessie Wardarski, multimedia journalist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Feature videos: Jarrad Henderso, multimedia producer, USA Today.
Kyle Robertson from The Columbus Dispatch was named Clip Photographer of the Year from points accumulated in the Association’s Monthly Clip Contest. Jeremy Wadsworth from The Blade placed second and Barbara Perenic from The Columbus Dispatch won third place.