Honors System

On Tuesday, October 5, the Florida Press Club announced the winners of its annual Excellence in Journalism Awards. New Times and its writers won six awards in competition with other weekly newspapers throughout the state.

The work of staff writer Jim DeFede topped two categories. DeFede earned a first place in feature writing for "It Took a Thief," a profile of burglar Walter Shaw; "The Ugly American," which chronicled the overseas arrest and incarceration of a Miamian who brokered sex tours to Thailand; and "Death and Profits," an in-depth investigation of for-profit hospice care, specifically North Miami Beach resident Hugh A. Westbrook's mammoth VITAS Healthcare Corporation. DeFede's series about the travails of ex-commissioner Joe Gersten took a first place award for best continuing coverage of a story.

Second place in the continuing-coverage category went to staff writer Steven Almond for his glimpses into the eccentricities and intrigues that plague the tiny, exclusive municipality of Indian Creek Village.

For general excellence in film criticism, staff writer Todd Anthony was recognized with a first place.

In addition, the paper as a whole was awarded a first place for the 1993 "Best of Miami" special issue. New Times also received second place honors in a special category: General Excellence in Hurricane Andrew coverage. The paper's posthurricane "Worst Wind" issue, along with the edition containing the winning entries from the "Andrew and Me" hurricane writing contest, were submitted.