Christine Condon wins the MDDC Rookie of the Year prize for new journalists for her excellence and professionalism as the education reporter for The Baltimore Sun.
This award honors a new journalist with less than 18 months’ experience in the field. The submission package included three to five clips of the reporter’s work and a letter of recommendation from his or her editor. Four nominations were received from four member publications.
The entries were judged by MDDC Press Foundation Board members. The judges were looking for versatility—feature and news, writing, social media, video—and skill. All nominees delivered.
The judges were impressed with Condon’s versatility and sophistication. In her recommendation letter, Trif Alatzas and Sam Davis note that not only is Condon prolific, often producing 6 stories a week, but she “has a keen sense of audience.”
They went on to note that as an emerging news reporter, she has been at the forefront of some of the biggest stories of the year. “She has had her hand in the coverage of the on-field death of a local football player, the complicated COVID vaccine rollout in Maryland, problems with the state unemployment system, the fatal shooting of a Baltimore police officer, and the takeover of the Brood X cicadas. It is safe to say that there are few reporters in the newsroom as versatile as Christine.”
Condon graduated in 2020 with a degree in journalism and political science from the University of Maryland.
Congratulations!
About our Nominees
Jillian Atelsek, The Frederick News-Post
“With a keen eye and clean prose, she captures her subjects masterfully, picking up small details and tidbits that transport the reader to the scene or make them feel as though the person in a story is someone you’re sitting across the couch from…If Jillian Atelsek’s first seven months at the News-Post are any indication of her future progress, she is going to have a profound impact on this industry and all the communities she serves.”
Priscila González de Doran, Catholic Review
“While she did not have significant print journalism experience, we recognized that her experience in writing and multimedia, TV and radio could benefit our publication. Since joining the staff, she has jumped in feet first. This has been especially challenging as she joined the staff while most were still working remotely. She has been out in the field, covering stories and taking pictures at events. She has been especially helpful in covering the Hispanic community and Spanish-language events.”
Natalie Jones, Star Democrat (honorable mention)
“Mature and capable beyond her industry experience, Natalie fits into the Star Democrat newsroom more comfortably than many novice reporters I have seen. The ability to quickly recognize newsworthiness and report out difficult-to-obtain facts is a rare quality that, again, proves her invaluable to both our newsroom and the community she serves.”
