Ocala Star-Banner wins five awards in annual state journalism contest

Staff report
·1 min read

The Ocala Star-Banner won five awards in the Florida Society of News Editors' annual contest. The awards, for work published during 2022, were handed out Thursday during the society's annual convention, which this year is being held in Sarasota.

The Star-Banner competes in Division C, for news organizations whose websites have fewer than 1 million average monthly unique visitors.

Staff writer Austin Miller and photographer Doug Engle won second place in the breaking news category for their coverage of the tornado that hit Ocala in March 2022.

Day 1 tornado coverage: Strong storm, possible tornado rocks SW Marion; buildings and vehicles damaged off SR 200 in Ocala

Day 2 tornado coverage: Marion County storm was EF-1 tornado with 110 mph winds causing over $12 million in damage

Engle won third place awards in three categories:

+ Sports photography, for his coverage of Marion County high school sports

+ Photo story, for his work documenting how the Thomas family was coping after a devastating house fire

+ Feature video, for his portrayal of a woman who once was homeless and now helps those in need.

Engle also tied for third place in feature photography for a collection of work.

One of Doug Engle's award-winning photos was taken at the Oct. 14, 2022 football game between North Marion High School and West Port.
One of Doug Engle's award-winning photos was taken at the Oct. 14, 2022 football game between North Marion High School and West Port.

The Star-Banner is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida, made up of 20 news operations across the state. The network won 78 total awards, including 30 for first place.

jross@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: 5 awards for the Star-Banner from the Florida Society of News Editors