Mercy’s The Impact Awarded 2022 Best College Newspaper by NY Press Association

The Impact, Mercy College’s student-run newspaper, received top honors by the New York Press Association (NYPA) at the 2022 Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were presented at NYPA’s annual spring convention. This is the first time in history The Impact earns the title of Best College Newspaper in New York State. It was also the first time in the history of the NYPA there was a tie for the top spot. The Impact tied with The Ithacan, Ithaca College’s student newspaper, who has won the title for the past 20 years.   

Michael Perrota, newspaper advisor, associate professor and chair of Mercy’s Communication and the Arts Department, was elated to receive the phone call informing him of the award.    

“To win the Most Outstanding Publication award is beyond gratifying,” said Perrota, who has been the newspaper’s advisor since fall 2004. “This is an achievement for every staff member I’ve ever had that helped build the publication we have today.” 

NYPA’s Better Newspaper Contest groups papers of similar size and compares them against one another in categories such as news, photography and advertising. To receive top honors, each publication must accumulate awards in various categories. The Impact won four writing awards, including best news story and best column and a second-place award for its website, TheImpactnews.com. 

Maleek Munroe '24 won first place in the best news story category for his story about how a Mercy College graduate and former soccer player rushed into a burning apartment to save a child. According to the judges, “the writer did an excellent job of putting humans into a fire story.”  

James Tiedermann ‘22 won first place for a column about a World War II veteran, Gunther Tiedemann. NYPA judges said, “Interesting, well-written look back at a World War II veteran with the same family name – some research, perspective and emotion weaves a fun read.” 

Nicole Alarcon Soares ’23 and Stephanie Lankhorst ‘23 took second and third place, respectively, in column writing. 

“We had such a great staff last year. This is really a testament to all who put in the hard work,” said Perrota.