A New York Amsterdam News’ series on the under-reported impacts of gun violence is being celebrated with the announcement of the Newswomen’s Club of New York winners this week.
Investigative reporter Shannon Chaffers has won the Martha Coman Front Page Award for Best New Journalist for her reporting on the exceptional challenges that gun violence survivors face with returning to work. Her stories are featured in the four-part series, Hidden Costs: The Financial Toll of Gun Violence, a part of the Amsterdam News’ multi-year project, Beyond the Barrel of the Gun.
“I’m tremendously excited about this recognition of Shannon’s amazing work by the Newswomen’s Club of New York,” said Damaso Reyes, executive editor of the Amsterdam News and founding editor of the newspaper’s investigative unit, The Blacklight. “She’s a talented young journalist and we are lucky to have her on our Blacklight team.”
The 102-year-old journalism organization’s Front Page Award winners include reporters at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, among others. The longtime women’s journalism organization provides training and networking opportunities for women journalists reporting in New York City.
“Shannon’s work is an excellent example of the mission of the Amsterdam News’ reporting this year, and many years before: to dig deeper into issues that matter to our communities and show the real consequences of our current systems,” said Amsterdam News Publisher Elinor Tatum, who in November became the first Black woman to win Editor & Publisher Publisher of the Year award. Chaffers’s award is among the 30 awards the New York Amsterdam News won in 2024 for its exceptional journalism.
The Newswomen’s Club of New York has a longstanding history of honoring investigative journalists since the award began in 1937. One of the most prominent members of the club was investigative journalist Nellie Bly, who produced investigative stories on women factory workers and, most famously, undercover in the women’s asylum on Blackwell’s Island.
The 87th annual gala to honor winners will be held in New York on Feb. 4, 2025.
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Interested in Amsterdam News’ investigative work? You can find more of The Blacklight’s reporting on big issues impacting Black New Yorkers at amsterdamnews.com/blacklight. For tips, reach us at blacklight@amsterdamnews.com.