Washington Jewish Week, which is published by Mid-Atlantic Media, won two 2026 Dateline Awards for journalism excellence from the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
The SPJ-DC chapter announced the list of winners and finalists at its annual Hall of Fame and Dateline Awards dinner at the National Press Club in the nation’s capital on June 9.
David J. Butler, a member of the ownership group of Mid-Atlantic Media, was the winner in the “Weekly Newspaper, Column” category for three of his columns that appeared in Washington Jewish Week: “Charlie Kirk’s Death and America’s Deadly Contradictions,” “Dreamers in the Crosshairs, Again” and “The NBA’s Gambling Scandal Wasn’t a Surprise.”
Editor Aaron Troodler was the winner in the “Weekly Newspaper, Business” category for his Washington Jewish Week story titled “For David Rubenstein, Success Is Serendipitous,” in which he profiled the DMV-based sports owner, philanthropist and author.
“Being recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for our journalistic work is a true testament to the hard, smart work our staff puts forth each day,” said Mid-Atlantic Media CEO and Washington Jewish Week Publisher Craig Burke. “We’re very excited about winning these awards and it fuels us to get even better for the next competition.”
In addition to its two awards, Washington Jewish Week was a finalist in four other categories.
The Washington Jewish Week Editorial Board was a finalist in the “Weekly Newspaper, Editorial/Opinion Writing” category for its house editorials. Washington Jewish Week staff writer Zoe Bell was a finalist in the “Weekly Newspaper, Non-Breaking News” category for “Eisenhower’s Great-Grandson Meets Holocaust Survivor Saved as Infant.” Bell was also a finalist in the “Weekly Newspaper, Features” category for “Rabbi Levi Shemtov: The ‘Rabbi of Capitol Hill’ Puts Unity in Community.”
In addition, Bell and Washington Jewish Week staff writer Mia Resnicow were finalists in the “Weekly Newspaper, Series” category for their series of articles about antisemitism in northern Virginia schools.
“Our chapter is marking its 90th birthday this year. We have survived challenging times before, but this year, with its significant turmoil and staff cuts at the Washington Post and the loss of federal funds prompting layoffs at NPR, along with daily jibes from the White House, may be one of the most difficult. And yet we are still here,” SPJ-DC board president Celia Wexler said in a press release.
Wexler noted that the legacy of the Dateline Awards goes back to the 1950s, as a way of recognizing and honoring “the DMV’s best and brightest, the people who strive to do their jobs, even when facing harassment, and whose work demonstrates the importance of a free press to a functioning democracy.”
atroodler@midatlanticmedia.com
