Metro Weekly Recognized for Excellence in Journalism
Political editor Chris Geidner and co-publisher Sean Bugg receive NLGJA awards
Two of Metro Weekly’s own racked up Excellence in Journalism awards from the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association last week.
The NLGJA, which seeks to recognize excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBT community, awarded Metro Weekly’s former senior political editor Chris Geidner the Sarah Pettit LGBT Journalist of the Year Award. For the second year in a row, co-publisher Sean Bugg was awarded second place for excellence in opinion writing.
”Reporting on LGBT issues, accurately and in a way that can be understood, is an essential part of today’s national political discussion,” said Geidner. ”It truly is a great feeling to know that the organization of my peers has judged my work to be ‘the go-to voice for important news stories in Washington, D.C.,’ and I am so grateful to [Editor-in-Chief] Randy Shulman and Sean Bugg for giving that coverage the attention it deserves.”
For Bugg, the feeling was much the same.
”I’m always honored to be recognized by the NLGJA because they’re my peers. That makes it a special award,” Bugg said. ”Opinion writing brings a different set of challenges as a journalist and knowing I’m getting the message out and people are responding to it makes me know I’m doing my job.”
Bugg said that he and Shulman share in their vision for outstanding writing and have always sought out the best writers for the magazine.
”It’s important to have good journalism skills,” Bugg added, ”but excellent writing is the foundation of everything in journalism now.”
Geidner’s first-place award for Excellence in News Writing was for his reporting relating to the Department of Justice no longer defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Bugg submitted a body of work for consideration to win the second-place Excellence in Opinion Writing award.
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