STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The New York News Publishers Association has recognized the outstanding contributions of the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com staff for its “Tipping Point” series addressing how new “City of Yes” housing regulations will impact the borough.
The project, focused on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity legislation, was led by Tracey Porpora, editor/news manager of the Public Interest & Advocacy Team, and was reported by Paul Liotta, Erik Bascome, Jessica Jones-Gorman, Tom Wrobleski, Jillian Delaney and Porpora.
The team took home honors for Distinguished Community Service from the New York News Publishers Association.
“Caroline Harrison, our publisher, and I are proud of them and proud the Publishers Association always recognizes the importance of local journalism,” said Executive Editor Brian J. Laline.
In addition, Tom Wrobleski, commentary writer, and Laline were also honored with Distinguished Editorial Writing awards. Their recognition came for editorial writing on the legislation, which was designed to revamp housing regulations and spur residential development across New York City, but has the potential to dramatically impact Staten Island.
“Analyzing the City of Yes impact on Staten Island is a prime example of what our mission is in our community. Who could expect Staten Islanders to plow through a 1,000-page document and determine if it is good or bad for our neighborhoods,” said Laline. “Our team did that because they are dedicated to serving Staten Island and its people in the best way possible.”
Tipping Point
The series, which the team executed over the course of a year, had the goal of educating the public about the 1,000-page legislation that was filled with technical language and complicated data.
The team achieved this by utilizing news and opinion content across the newspaper, website, and social media. The coverage featured dozens of stories, explainer videos, Facebook Lives, editorials, columns, and graphics that helped residents understand how the plan would affect their individual neighborhoods.
Some examples of this detailed reporting included coverage of the end to parking requirements for new residential buildings, the potential influx of new residents without corresponding infrastructure improvements, the possibility of tiny homes in backyards, and the historical context of zoning on Staten Island.
Most importantly, this project allowed the community to demand changes to the plan to recognize the uniqueness of Staten Island within New York City. When the law was eventually passed, it included exemptions for low-density areas of the city.
The series can be read here: silive.com/topic/city-yes.
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