The American Copy Editors Society is pleased to announce Larissa Newton, copy editor at Central Penn Business Journal, as the 2014 Robinson Award winner. Newton received $3,000 and an engraved glass plaque as her prize today at the 19th annual ACES conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.
“(Journalism) is a tough profession to be in. You really have to be passionate to be in it … you have to love it or else you are not going to do well,” said Newton in her acceptance speech.
The award recognizes substantial contributions to the craft of copy editing and excellence in overall copy editing skills. These accomplishments and more are what Newton embodies in her “copy, web, teamwork, ideas,cakes and coupons,” according to her nomination letter.
Though she has the foundation of a traditional copy editor, she also has the drive of a 21stcentury technical whiz, according to the judges. Her innovative and creative spirit have fostered project after project with detailed grammatical perfection intertwined with practical applications. For example, she created an impressive in-house style guide for the journal and brought organization to the staff with her versatile knowledge, all while taking the initiative to learn new skills that will benefit her employer.
Newton’s work has helped her own career, but more importantly, has brought her organization and her colleagues’ work to a higher level as well. In the words of her references, “Larissa is an editorial acrobat.”
All of these characteristics were exactly what ACES was looking for in the winner of the Robinson Prize, first awarded in 2005. The award is named for Pam Robinson, co-founder of ACES and the society’s first president.
