Neighbors in Coney Island fear a casino will change the quality of life.
Senior Rhiannon Rashidi is the winner of the Society of Professional Journalists, Northeast Region, 2023 collegiate Mark of Excellence Award for News Videography. The City College of New York (CCNY)) student’s report, Coney Island Residents Oppose Casino, was posted on Harlem View and explored the grassroots effort by Coney Island residents to block a license for a casino in their neighborhood.
Also this year, Junior Othniel Cassie Jr. was a finalist in the Arts/Entertainment/Fashion journalism category for his story Jah Fiinesse Goes Lyrical. He was bookended by students from Harvard University who won first place and came in as a finalist. Astra Montanez, who graduated in June 2023, was a finalist in the General News Reporting category for her story, New Wave of Asylum Seekers Needs Bilingual Education. Astra now studies at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. The winner was a Harvard University student and the other finalist was a Columbia University student.
This is the fourth year that Harlem View and CCNY students have dominated the best news videography category in The Mark of Excellence Awards to win the prestigious honor. CCNY journalism students have also done well in other categories in previous SPJ regional contests.
In 2023 Gary Hilborn won for the Best Feature video for his story about a non-profit group that helps LGBTQ+ Harlem residents. Maricela Niola won for the Best News Video for her story about Brooklyn street vendors recovering from the pandemic. Harlem View Managing Editor Susan Thorson and Assistant Managing Editor Jennifer Garcia were finalists in the best Online Independent Publication category.
In the 2022 contest Anthony Ruiz won for the Best News Video with “Special Delivery from Atlantic Terminal Squad.” Ruiz, who graduated in January 2022, reported and produced the video in the fall of 2021. He told a compelling story about volunteers who collect, pack and deliver bags of food to residents in Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal Houses.
City College dominated the online video category in 2021. In addition to Ruiz, three of the finalists were CCNY students and HarlemView contributors. Samantha Alvarez was a finalist for her report, Fire In The Bronx. Flora Lennihan was a finalist for her story, Balkan Folk Dancing Brightens Pandemic Life, and Kainoa Presbitero was a finalist for Two City College Students Choose To Return to Campus. In addition to the video winners, MeiJun Lei was a finalist in the General News Reporting category for her story about fear in the Asian community.
In 2021, HarlemView’s then Managing Editor Susan Thorson won the Best Online Video for her story about the free fridge movement in New York. Samir Dominguez won for Best Online Feature and Sajina Shrestha was a finalist in that category.
