TCPalm wins 8 FSNE awards for best journalism published in 2023

TCPalm won eight awards in the Florida Society of News Editors ' annual contest recognizing the best journalism published in 2023, which were presented Thursday at the 2024 Florida Media Conference in Orlando.

Among TCPalm's awards, five were for first place, one was for second place and two were for third place.

FSNE first place awards

• Breaking news reporting: The staff won for its coverage of the MLK Day mass shooting in Fort Pierce .
• Editorials: Laurence Reisman , Blake Fontenay and Ed Killer won for editorials about the St. Lucie County sheriff , an FDLE investigation , the SFWMD board , a Brightline train station and IRSC's secretive president .
• Community leadership: Laurence Reisman won for "Never Give Up," a five-part series that chronicled a mother's 20-month fight to get her mentally disabled daughter back. Homeland Security had taken her based on unfounded accusations, and Catholic Charities had hidden her from her mother.
• Columns: Blake Fontenay won for a collection of five columns about the new Port St. Lucie city manager , Sen. Gayle Harrell's transgender daughter , St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson's appointment , Fort Pierce's image , and a Navy veteran adopting an overlooked shelter dog .
• Features video: Crystal Vander Weit won for telling the story of an 81-year-old widow who took up surfing .

FSNE second place awards

• Enterprise: The staff won for using a radar gun to clock Brightline train speeds .

FSNE third place awards

• Enterprise: Laurence Reisman won for "Never Give Up," a five-part series that chronicled a mother's 20-month fight to get her mentally disabled daughter back. Homeland Security had taken her based on unfounded accusations, and Catholic Charities had hidden her from her mother.
• Spot news photography: Crystal Vander Weit won for telling the story of a spear fisherman who died .

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: TCPalm wins 8 FSNE awards for best journalism published in 2023