SOUTH PORTLAND — Larry Gilbert Jr., audience engagement editor for the Sun Journal, was named the Maine Press Association’s “Unsung Hero” Saturday during the association’s annual conference.
Larry Gilbert Jr. Contributed photo
MPA also awarded its General Excellence Award to the Maine Sunday Telegram for its Sunday edition, and to Portland Press Herald for its daily edition during the association’s annual conference Saturday.
In making the award presentation to Gilbert, Web Editor Carl Natale said Gilbert is “someone who is connected to the community and ensures the newspaper reflects that community. He is someone who never quits looking for news,” and that Gilbert “understands the new media landscape and how the newspaper can best fit in.”
In her nomination letter, Executive Editor Judith Meyer noted Gilbert was hired in 2014 and “he’s been on the job nearly every minute since. No kidding. It’s almost as if he never stops working.”
Gilbert, a Lewiston native, “knows every street and nearly everybody in this town,” Meyer said, and during his nightly jogs through the city he picks up tips along the way, including “a store opening, neighborhood vandalism, a new restaurant, a pile of nips in an alley behind a convenience store, and brings those details back to the newsroom,” where they often result in stories.
Meyer remembers one night when Gilbert, out on his daily run, “called the office asking about an accident he happened upon. He sent photos, a video and set the scene for the reporter before anyone else could even leave the office.”
Gilbert’s dedication to the Sun Journal and his commitment to journalism, Meyer said, “is what makes our newsroom hum and brings life to our reporting.”
Prior to his work at the Sun Journal, Gilbert had worked in television and media production for 15 years, designing on-air graphics and populating news on social media long before it became commonplace in the market. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a bachelor’s degree in communication.
Gilbert leads the Sun Journal’s social media outreach and keeps a keen eye on what readers are paying attention to. But while Natale praised Gilbert’s attention to digital analytics and journalism trends, he said Gilbert’s contributions to journalism are not just about numbers.
“He’s got solid news judgment. We rely on him to find the stories that really connect with the community,” Natale said, “and Larry Gilbert is the hero who makes all that possible.”
The Sun Media Group of newspapers brought home nearly 40 awards, including 12 first place awards for the Sun Journal for its photography, illustration, design, digital presence and writing.
Chief Photographer Russ Dillingham won a first-place award for feature photo, an image depicting motocross rider Corey Morris of Leeds leaping into the air during an event at Hemond’s Motocross in Minot. Photographer Daryn Slover won a first-place award for news video, for his poignant interview with Maxim McFarland, who was in the hospital recovering after a near-drowning. He and his little brother, Valerio, had fallen into the Androscoggin River and the younger child died.
Staff writer Andrew Rice won a first-place award for environmental reporting for his story about Lake Auburn and the clash over development there. Staff writer Lindsay Tice won first-place for her business story focusing on the salary, benefits and bonus awarded to outgoing Central Maine Healthcare CEO Peter Chalke. Staff writer Mark Laflamme won first-place in local column writing for two Street Talk pieces, one about the attack on the owner of Speaker’s Variety and the second, titled “River rescue: Trying like hell for a happy ending.”
And the staff picked up a first-place award for its Christmas Eve feature, “The Power of Faith.”
Jack Hibert won a first-place award for his illustration of a robocall “monster” that appeared on a cover of the Perspective section, and the staff was named the first-place winner for its specialty page design, featuring Roselle Coury, Maine’s first female broadcaster, on the cover of a B-Plus section. Staff also won a first-place award for front page design for the front page of a Sunday paper featuring a business story by staff writer Kathryn Skelton about Ricker Orchards.
Staff also won a first-place award for Sports page design, displaying a feature about hockey phenom Greg Moore, “Living a dream.”
The staff won first place for its special online project of the Great Falls Balloon Festival, and Managing Editor/days Mark Mogensen won first place for his feature headline about bugs: Swat’s in store for you this summer?
The Sun Journal also won 27 second- and third-place awards, including second- and third-place awards for its coverage of the Valerio McFarland drowning and second place for a news video about the bogus Craigslist ad that prompted dozens of people to loot property owned by George Stanley, of Greene.
In addition to the Sun Journal, Sun Media Group’s Advertiser Democrat won two third-place writing awards and Franklin Journal staff writer Dee Menear won the Critic’s Award for her review, “World class dining at Foster CTE.”
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