Frederick’s Child received six awards for publication excellence from the 2021 Parenting Media Association’s (PMA) annual conference held in St. Petersburg, Florida, Nov. 14-16.
Find out which stories and designs won in the categories below.
Profile
Editor Michael Vyskocil earned a gold award for his feature story on the founders of Frederick’s Child, Donna and Roger Strong.
“A Legacy for Frederick County Parents,” in the magazine’s June/July 2021 issue provided a look back at history of the publication in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
Non-Traditional Story Form
A roundup of nearby baseball games in Frederick County, “Take Kids Out to the Ballgame,” in the magazine’s April/May 2020 issue, garnered contributing writer Jennifer Marino Walters a gold award for her inclusion of essential family-friendly details such as tickets, discounts, activities and whether each stadium has nursing facilities.
General Feature Writing
Contributing writer Katie Beecher received a bronze award for her story, “Socially Distant and Socially Awkward,” in the October/November 2020 issue of Frederick’s Child, which judges dubbed “particularly insightful” for its breakdown of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the social development of children.
“This article covers the bases on navigating playdates, understanding differing levels of risk and using tech resources like Zoom to connect children socially with family and friends,” judges note.
Front Cover: Use of Stock Photo
Art director Sherley Taliaferro was recognized with a gold award for her use of stock photography on the February/March 2021 cover.
Judges commended her combination of bold colors and movement, as well as her portrayal of depth with layers of text.
“Simplicity can be difficult to achieve, and these are all good results of that hard work,” judges note of this cover and the other winners in this category.
Calendar of Events
Art director Rachel Levitan earned a gold award for her design of the magazine’s “Top 30 Family Events for June and July.” The two-page spread was praised for being attractive, with imaginative typography and design which offered a fun and inviting look into the magazine’s 30th anniversary June/July 2021 special edition that was both bold and tasteful.
Overall Design
The art department took home a gold award for its overall design of the magazine. Judges note especially the “Editor’s Picks” section being consistently well-designed, standing features being well-labeled with good use of underlying templates and feature stories being presented with a variety of approaches that “still maintain a consistent look and feel.”
The Parenting Media Association is a national trade association of regional parenting media companies with magazines, websites and events across America and around the globe to Australia.
