Palm Beach Post politics editor Antonio Fins honored in statewide contest

Politics and business editor Antonio Fins of The Palm Beach Post has won a first place and a second place award in the annual Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism competition.

Fins placed first for general news writing in the category for newspapers with circulations of 40,000 or more and came in second for newsletter writing for his work for USA Today Network-Florida’s weekly “Inside Florida Politics” newsletter. 

In the general news category, Fins’ entry included three in-depth stories on how an independent press smartly used iPhones to disseminate Cuba’s Patria y Vida protests, and the implications for U.S. policy, plus the inside story of a failed attempt to free South Florida’s iconic Lolita the Killer Whale. A third story was a personal recount of finding his “lost” family in Spain with help from a teacher, a newspaper and a bull and its larger message: Go travel, pandemic or not.

More:Social media, independent press at core of Cuba uprising. A lesson for US policy?

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/new:Untold story of failed bid to free South Florida orca Lolita

More:How I found my family in Spain with help from a teacher, a newspaper and a bull

Palm Beach Daily News reporter also wins awards

The Palm Beach Daily News’ real estate reporter, Darrell Hofheinz, also took first place for general news writing for the category for newspapers of fewer than 15,000.

In addition, Hofheinz won a third-place award for business writing at the 2022 awards ceremony Saturday in Daytona Beach.

Hofheinz’s first-place entry included three stories: coverage of a Palm Beach-based federal court case that focused on whether residential architecture qualified for First Amendment protection as free speech; a preview of the 2021-22 real estate season on the island; and coverage of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach’s presentation of its 2021 Robert I. Ballinger Award to owners of historic houses on Golfview Road.