We always knew Manya Brachear was a rising star among religion reporters, but now we have proof, courtesy of the American Academy of Religion.
Brachear is the lead winner of the AAR’s annual journalism contest. Also taking home a plaque is our own Jeff MacDonald, although he entered for work published in the Christian Science Monitor.
Other winners include Lee Lawrence of The Christian Science Monitor; Mohamad Bazzi, former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday; Yaroslav Trofimov of The Wall Street Journal; William McKenzie of The Dallas Morning News; Adam Parker of The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.); Brad A. Greenberg of The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles; and Robert Sibley of the Ottawa Citizen.
From the AAR press release:
Brachear submitted articles on the Jewish New Year and interpretations of the story of Abraham; the potential political challenges for Barack Obama as a member of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ; debate over a revised edition of the Reform Jewish prayer book; a Catholic man’s pilgrimage to 365 churches in 365 days; and megachurch Willow Creek Community Church and its business model for surveying member satisfaction. “Newsy, ambitious, diverse. And it almost called the biggest issue (so far) of the Democratic presidential primaries with an early profile of Trinity UCC,” said a judge. “A well-written and well-researched entry,” added another judge.
