Press Release

As a sign of acknowledgement of the outstanding contributions made by Shalom Tidings to the evangelizing mission of the Church by informing, inspiring and educating readers and connecting them to the faith, the magazine has won laurels in eight categories of the prestigious Catholic Press Awards. These awards are presented each year by the Catholic Media Association, an association of publishers and communication professionals in Catholic media.

Shalom Tidings has bagged the first prize for Best Layout of an Article/Column in scholarly, prayer and spirituality magazines and print newsletters. It was the layout of the article ‘Kiss of Love’ in its September-October 2020 issue that bagged the first prize. 

The cover page layout of the above-mentioned article won accolades for its bold use of color and knockout graphics revealing the photo of a young boy. The generous use of margin, ragged justification, and large photos contributed to a modern, clean appearance that earned accolades. 

The same issue of the magazine also won the second prize in the Best Promotional House Ad category. The ad’s judicious interplay of colors, eye-catching design, easy-to-read text and bold call to action attracted readers.

Shalom Tidings came second in the Best Reporting on Vocations category for the article ‘It’s a Miracle’ by Fr Chris Da Sousa in its September-October 2020 issue. It is a fantastic story that is well told. The magazine also won second place for Best Illustration with Graphic Design or Art. It was the Ad on Mission Africa titled ‘The Story Of a Continent Whose Heart Beats For God’ that fetched the award. What makes it outstanding is its simplicity with the right amount of text in the right place to enable the reader to quickly find the necessary information. Rich colors and the overlay of the continent enhance the visual appeal.

In the ‘Best Reporting On The Celebration Of a Sacrament’category, the articles ‘Best Christmas Ever (Nov./Dec 2020) by Sean Booth; ‘The Greatest Lesson (Nov./Dec. 2020) by Joan Harniman and ‘Tipping Point (May/June 2020) by Jon Cotter shared the second prize. With the right choice of words and strong imagery, Booth narrates how men of another faith and a prostitute accepted his invitation to attend Midnight Mass. 

When it came to the Magazine of the Year category, Shalom Tidings secured the third position among professional and special interest magazines, including those related to clergy, prayer and spirituality. Accessible language accompanied by strong visuals and design, the manner in which tough questions are addressed and the invitation to readers to develop a stronger relationship with God helped the magazine come third.

The article ‘Heed the Warning’ in the January-February 2020 issue of the magazine earned an honourable mention for the Best Use of Typography. Fr Joseph Gill’s Q&A in the Jan.-Feb, March-April, July-August, September-October and November-December issues also found an honourable mention in Best Regular Column on Spiritual Life.

The Awards program offers the opportunity for individuals with various skill sets to submit their best work for critical review. Participants choose categories organized by different media that feature writing, design, production and editing skills, and submit in sub-categories separated by intent such as news, feature stories and so forth.

 The Catholic Press Awards accepts works completed by its members in the previous year. The association announces the winners at its Catholic Media Conference in June and publishes them in the Awards issue of The Catholic Journalist as well as on its website: https://www.catholicpress.org/page/CatholicPressAwards.