The Algonquin Times has won the OCNA award for ‘Best College/University Newspaper Website’
Algonquin College received the award taking on the Durham College Chronicle and Waterloo University Imprint. Centennial College and Humber College received honourable mentions.
Julie McCann, journalism program co-ordinator and a faculty adviser for the Times, spoke about the award.
“The award was particularly exciting, I was very proud for the students first off, and secondly I was proud of the incoming staff for the Times as it is website exclusive, so winning something like the best website award was really nice.”
Algonquin was also awarded an honourable mention in the General Excellence Awards and Jessica Alberga, a spring 2020 graduate of the Algonquin journalism program at the college, took first place in student feature writing.
“The long nights: editing, transcribing, interviewing, discussing; as a group we each played integral roles in making The Algonquin Times happen. Getting awarded for the best online newspaper presence is the result of that hard work dedication and passion.” Alberga said.
The award-winning feature was on Michael O’Byrne, a former CTV Ottawa anchor. The feature talked about his status as the longest running news anchor in Ottawa history, and the fact that he is an Algonquin journalism graduate. O’Byrne retired last year on Dec. 18, after 38 years of anchoring the news.
Centennial College in Toronto was the second and third runner up for the student feature writing’ awards.
Amarra Shakira Mohamed and Margaryta Ignatenko represented the college, with Angela McInnes and Emma Fairgrieve representing Fawshawe College in London, Ont., for the honourable mentions.
Asked about teaching Alberga, McCann said: “We love all our writers, and Jessica is such a strong journalist, in this case she went above and beyond, probably why she won the award.”