Wilbur Awards recognize secular media for religion coverage

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - The Dallas Morning News and religion editor Bruce Tomaso won the newspaper's seventh consecutive award for top religion section from the Religion Communicators Council.

The Dallas Morning News won the newspaper's seventh consecutive award for top religion section

The Boston Globe was named best major market newspaper for the third time. Honored this year was writer Michael Paulson's series, "Closing parishes."

Reporters, writers, producers and photographers received 2005 Wilbur Awards from the Religion Communicators Council on April 9 in ceremonies at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

The Wilbur Awards recognize outstanding secular media work featuring religious issues, themes and values. The awards are named for Marvin C. Wilbur, a pioneer in the field of religion public relations.

RCC is an international interfaith association of religion communicators working in print, electronic communication, marketing and public relations. Based in New York, it has 600 members.

Other 2005 award recipients included:

National magazine: Life Magazine, Frank McCourt, writer; Robert Sullivan editor, "Where We Pray."
Comic strip: "Frazz," Jef Mallet, artist, United Media, New York.
Photography: The Des Moines Register, David Peterson, photographer, "Young men answer call to be priests."
Book: To the Mountain, by Stewart Burns, HarperCollins, publisher.
TV drama: "Man of Faith" from the series "Jack and Bobby," Berlanti/Liddell and Shoe Money Productions with Warner Brothers Television.
National TV news: "Father Joe: Slum Priest" from "Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly," Thirteen/WNET Television, New York; Phil Jones, correspondent; Bob Abernethy, host; Arnold Labaton, executive producer; Phil O'Connor, producer.
National TV documentary: "Seeking Salvation," Vision TV, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Travesty Productions; Phillip Daniels, director and producer; S. Wyeth Clarkson, producer; Lawrence Hill, writer.
Radio: "Beyond the God Gap" segment of "Speaking of Faith," American Public Media, St. Paul, Minn.; Marge Ostrouskho, managing producer; Krista Tippett, host.
Film documentary: "America's Heart & Soul," Blacklight Films and Walt Disney Pictures; Louis Schwartzberg, producer and director; Vincent Ueber, associate producer.
Film comedy: "Raising Helen," Beacon Pictures and Touchstone Pictures; Gary Marshall, director; Ashok Amritraj, producer.

A complete list of the Wilbur Award winners is posted at www.religioncommunicators.org/wilbur/2005winners.html.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

Questions or comments: webmaster@inareaumc.org