Dan's Papers Wins 8 NY Press Association Awards

Dan’s Papers took home eight awards at the New York Press Association 2024 Better Newspaper Contest, which was held March 20 and 21, 2025 at The Saratoga Hilton in Saratoga Springs.

In total, Dan’s won four first place awards and four second place awards out of more than 2,000 entries that 132 publications from across the state submitted in the contest.

“Well-researched, in-depth investigative reporting on a variety of environmental issues that directly affect readers,” the judges wrote Dan’s first place award was for coverage of the environment. The stories in this package were “South Fork Wind: Trip Takes Riders Out to the Nation’s First Commercial Wind Farm,” by Managing Editor Michael Malaszczyk, “FIMP Work Gets Underway in Montauk as Wild Weather Causes More Erosion,” by Editor-in-Chief Timothy Bolger, and “Sand Wars: Has a State Agency Stacked the Deck to Prevent More Sand Mines?” by reporter Alec Rich.

Additionally, Dan’s Papers – the only weekly publication that covers the entire East End – placed in the top five single flag newspapers in New York State in the contest, coming in fifth place. Overall, Schneps Media, the publisher of Dan’s, Long Island Press, amNewYork and dozens of other publications, won second best group or chain newspapers, finishing with a total of 10 first place awards, 14 second place awards and 13 third place awards.

Stephanie Bitis, Dan’s vice president of sales, and Daniel Boccard, chief of staff to Schneps Media CEO Joshua Schneps, won the first place in for Special Sections/Niche Publications-Newsprint for their work on Dan’s Papers annual Summer Preview.

Dan’s also won the first-place prize for Best Large Space Ad. Sophia Lee, account coordinator for Schneps Media Events, won the first place award for Best House Ad/Ad Campaign.

Oliver Peterson, managing editor for danspapers.com, won the second-place award in the Best Feature category for his story “‘Montauk Is Strange’ Book Goes Deep into Camp Hero Lore & History.”

Sales and Operations Manager Brienne Doskoez won second place for Best Media Kit/Sales Collateral. Bitis and Behind the Hedges Editor-in-Chief Taylor K. Vecsey won second place for Best Real Estate/Home Section.

And account managers Steve Daniel and Kathy Camarata won second place for Classified Advertising.