Newsday, newsday.com win 63 PCLI awards

Newsday and newsday.com staffers received 63 awards in the Press Club of Long Island's 2013 Media Awards competition at the organization's annual dinner at Woodbury Country Club on Wednesday.

Among the top awards won were outstanding Long Island journalist, which went to longtime Newsday writer Bob Keeler, and the Robert W. Greene PCLI Public Service Award, which went to Keith Herbert and Jennifer Maloney for "16 Deadly Miles," a series documenting the dangers of Hempstead Turnpike.

The competition recognized journalists' work in 89 categories.

Press club officials said that Keeler was selected for his "achievement as a reporter, editor and editorial writer over his long career," adding that the award is "PCLI's highest honor to an individual."

The Newsday staff won first-place awards for its breaking news coverage of the Manorville fire, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, its LIPA series and editorial writing. The Newsday.com staff won for best website and the best science/technology video. In addition, the following Newsday staffers and contributors captured first prizes:

Lisa Du, Maura McDermott, Keiko Morris and Joe Ryan for business reporting; Sandra Peddie for education; David Criblez for entertainment; Ted Phillips, Paul LaRocco, Joye Brown, Yancey Roy and Randi Marshall for government/politics; Beth Whitehouse for home and garden writing and lifestyle writing; Maura McDermott for real estate; Delthia Ricks for science/technology; Robert Cassidy, Chris Ware, Arnold Miller, Peggy Bustamante and John L. Williams Jr. for sports feature; Chris Ware for arts video; Valerie Kellogg for real estate video; Randee Daddona for feature photography; Rod Eyer for illustration; John Paraskevas for news photography; Thomas Ferrara for nonlocal photography; Jennifer Berger, Valerie Kellogg and Beth Whitehouse for their blog work; and T.C. McCarthy and Brittany Wait for best use of social media by an organization.

In addition, News 12 Long Island captured seven first-place awards.

The Press Club of Long Island is a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.