NEW YORK -- Alex Michelini of the New York Daily News and Fred Ferguson of United Press International were among the top winners announced Thursday in the 28th annual New York Press Club Awards.
Michelini won the coveted Gold Typewriter award for excellence in public service reporting by newspapers, wire services, radio, television and magazines.
Michelini was cited for his series of articles on the health cost squeeze, entitled 'The Medical Pork Barrel.' Mary Ann Giordano of the News won honorable mention in the same category for her story entitled 'Long Island City Peers Wearily Into the Future.'
Ferguson, World Horizons feature editor for UPI, won the feature writing award in the print category for his series on Robots and Their Effect on Labor.
The Byline award in the print category was shared by Geoffrey Stokes, Joe Conason and David Neustadt of the Village Voice for deadline stories on the New York City transit strike.
The Byline award in the radio category went to Bernard Gershon of WHN for his coverage of the murder of John Lennon. Steve Powers and Stu Klein of WNEW won the television category for their reporting of the death of Gower Champion on the night his last musical, '42nd Street,' opened on Broadway.
In the Feature print category, Bella English of the Daily News won honorable mention for her story, 'The Baby Boarders.' Reporter Denise Richardson and writer Jack Franks of WOR won in the radio category for 'The Blue Minority.' Carmine Cincotta of CBS-TV won in the television category for the ''55 Brooklyn Dodgers: Champs at Last.'
Kitty Hanson of the Daily News won The Heart of New York award for 'The New New York.'
The Nellie Bly Cub Reporter award was won by Douglas Wayne Ashley of The News World for outstanding work during 1980, including his coverage of the John Lennon killing.
The art award was won by Paul Rigby of the New York Post for his editorial cartoon on the John Lennon killing.
The awards will be presented at the New York Press Club dinner next month.
