The Daily Catch

Daily Catch Brings Home Six Top Journalism Awards in Prestigious 2022 New York Press Association Contest


The most prestigious award to The Daily Catch was a first prize in the most competitive category, feature writing. It went to rookie reporter Victor Feldman.

The Daily Catch has won six awards in the New York Press Association (NYPA) Better Newspaper 2022 journalism contest, with two awards going to rookie reporter Victor Feldman. 

The paper also scored a virtual sweep in the prestigious feature-writing category for the small paper division and won first place statewide across all newspapers of all sizes for headline writing. Other honors were given to The Daily Catch for beat reporting and for a news-feature series on the Dutchess County Fair.

This is the first year The Daily Catch, founded in 2021, has been eligible to compete.

“We are thrilled with these results,” said Daily Catch founder and editor Emily Sachar. “We don’t do this work to win prizes, but the validation of our peers, especially given how young we are, is incredibly exciting.”

Sachar noted that Feldman’s wins also show that The Daily Catch is proving to be fertile ground for young journalists. “A core leg of our mission is the nurturing and training of cub reporters,” Sachar said. “Victor’s performance is evidence that we are achieving this crucial goal, which is so central to the future of our field.”

In most categories, the paper competed in Division 1 for small papers that typically have under 6,000 circulation. The Daily Catch’s circulation is 3,700 today. Even in the smallest division, however, the paper faced fierce competition against newspapers three times its staff size with quadruple its budget. 

The Daily Catch’s rookie reporter, Victor Feldman, won two awards in the 2022 New York Press Association contest.

The contest was judged by the Colorado Press Association.

Feature Writing

The Daily Catch won three of four prizes awarded for feature writing, the category judges said was “the most competitive category in the contest.”

Feldman won first prize in the category for his story about farmer Chuck Mead. The story, “Back to the Future: Chuck Mead Can’t Seem to Retire” traced Mead’s life in Red Hook and the contributions he has made to farming and to the Red Hook community.

“EXCELLENT,” praised the judges, adding emphasis. “Just an excellent feature article that draws you in, places you in the orchard. Such a sense of place.”

Sachar received two prizes in the feature writing category. Second prize went for Sachar’s feature on Bonnie Feller Warwick, Red Hook’s “Modern-Day Witch,” a wool dyer Sachar discovered at the Dutchess County Fair. “Such a talented writer,” the judges wrote in making the prize. “I feel like I’m at the fair. Great story with an interesting ‘folk art’ vibe. Photos add to the story, too.”

Sachar’s second feature-writing award, an honorable mention, was for a piece about Richard Prouse, a former Broadway set designer applying his talents to the Rhinebeck Sinterklaas event.

Education Beat Coverage

Feldman also took a second-place award statewide for his coverage of the Red Hook-Rhinebeck education beat, with judges noting his strong coverage of the 2022 Red Hook bond issue proposals and his coverage of the candidacy of a Moms for Liberty candidate in Rhinebeck. The paper was also commended for hosting a candidates’ forum that drew dozens of Red Hook residents ahead of the 2022 Red Hook School Board election. And the judges cited Feldman for his coverage of the Pre-K lottery in the Red Hook public schools. His story, No Room for Riley, was singled out.

“[Feldman] shines in enterprise reporting of school issues by showing how district policies and decisions affect parents and students,” the judges wrote.”The pre-K lottery story was exceptional in breaking down the cost in understandable ways and showing why local journalism matters. The newspaper’s community forum for candidates and dogged reporting kept future and elected officials accountable.”

The Daily Catch also won first prize among all newspapers in the state for headline writing.

News-Feature Category

Sachar was cited in another highly competitive category, news-feature series, for her coverage of the 2022 Dutchess County Fair. For six days, Sachar set up a makeshift office at one of the fair pavilions, authoring stories on several Red Hook kids who competed in hog and cow showmanship. Another piece in Sachar’s package of fair stories told the tale of a former Rhinebeck man who operates a popular food concession.

“This writing is spectacularly smooth just like soft serve ice cream at the Fair,” the judges wrote of the fair entries, which took third prize. “Full of personality. Every one of the entries was enjoyable to read. The bright and cheery photos helped. I can smell and feel the fair.”

Headline Writing

The Daily Catch won first prize statewide for headline writing. The judges wrote: “Really nicely done. Good wordplay, high energy and engaging.”

In all, 154 newspapers submitted 2,657 entries to the 2022 Better Newspaper Contest. 

The Highlands Current of Philipstown and the Times Union of Albany shared top honors, with both named “2022 Newspaper of the Year,” a distinction awarded to the paper dominating the association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest. This is the first year two papers have tied for the award. Christine Bockelmann, chairman of the board of The Highlands Current, is an informal adviser to The Daily Catch and, years ago before she joined The New York Times, was Sachar’s editor at Newsday.

14 responses to “Daily Catch Brings Home Six Top Journalism Awards in Prestigious 2022 New York Press Association Contest”

  1. John Rossi says:

    Congratulations to The Daily Catch and particularly Mr. Feldman. Thank you all for keeping the Fourth Estate alive in Red Hook and Rhinebeck!

  2. Jill Lundquist says:

    Congratulations to all at the Daily Catch! Well done and well deserved!

  3. Linda Legendre says:

    It was hard to move here from another state and have no access to local news. I tell everyone I know about your wonderful articles on such a wide range of subjects. Right now my daughter and I are appreciating the info about camp availabilities for the summer. Your news is a great addition and keeps me informed about what’s going on right around me. Thank you

  4. Ruth Oxenberg says:

    Bravo! So impressive!

  5. Jean Golden says:

    This is such exciting news! And so well deserved. Your readers follow you for exactly the reasons the judges cited in their comments. You make us feel like we are right in the middle of whatever you are reporting on. And your political reporting really helps us make good judgements when we get in that voting booth. Thanks for all that you do! And a special congrats to young Victor Feldman! What a great career you have ahead of you!

  6. Ann Patty says:

    Big Congratulations!

  7. Mat Zucker says:

    Amazing – congratulations to Victor, Emily, Walter + everyone who puts in the effort, creativity, craft and support for The Daily Catch. So glad all the work—right down to the headlines (!)— is recognized.

  8. Karen Kaczmar says:

    Kudos to you, Emily and Victor. What a fine job you’ve done and continue to do. The excellence of your output belies your limited resources. C’mon, everybody, let’s support our Daily Catch not just with readership but with cash. Become a Member now!

    • Emily Sachar, Editor says:

      Ca$sh for The Cat$ch :). We love you and all our readers and the recognition is incredibly gratifying. Thanks, Karen and all you lovelies out there!

  9. Sheila Silver says:

    Congratulations to the Daily Catch!! With only a tiny team you are making a huge contribution to the community and your hard work and skill are being acknowledged with these awards. Special congratulations to Victor whose talent for writing and reporting is growing by leaps and bounds and special congratulations to Emily for having the vision and energy to start and grow this newspaper and to mentor Victor. It’s all pretty impressive and I hope you raise lots of money. Local journalism matters and the not-for-profit model keeps everyone honest!!!

    • Emily Sachar, Editor says:

      Thanks so much, Sheila, for the support. Mentoring my cub, Victor (young journalists are called cubs), has been one of the great joys of my professional life. While I know he has ambitions outside the Hudson Valley, his contributions so soon after his college graduation have been a huge lift to our early efforts at The Daily Catch. People often say that The Catch punches above its weight; that’s in large measure down to Victor. With care, Victor’s First Professional Momma Bear

  10. BONNIE WARWICK says:

    Hi Emily,
    Congratulations on all of your articles. It was so great to be interviewed by you last year, and for your interest in what we demo at the fair. Your passion and enthusiasm is genuine and really reflects in your stories. Thank you for making the public aware of one of the many things we do as part of the Dutchess County Sheep and Wool growers.
    Warmly,
    Bonnie Feller Warwick

  11. Nathaniel Wice says:

    Way to go ! Proud supporters of Daily Catch

  12. Tom Cathcart says:

    Congratulations to all! Well deserved!!

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