Langley Advance Times reporter Kyler Emerson grabbed a camera and headed out to what was expected to be a routine fire department callout or even possible false alarm at Willoughby Town Centre in July 26, 2023.
Instead, the reporter ,who joined the newspaper less than four months before that, found himself at the scene of a vehicle explosion, one of the first media on scene at a major news incident.
One of his photos from the incident won silver in the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association Ma Murray Awards, presented Saturday, April 20 in North Vancouver.
“It felt really good to be recognized,” Emerson said.
The association has more than 90 member publications and presents awards annually for the best in community journalism. Emerson’s awards were some of the many earned by Black Press Media staff.
“We were so proud when we found out Kyler was nominated and couldn’t be more thrilled that he won silver for his spot news photo,” said publisher Shaulene Burkett.
Based on his work, Emerson was also a finalist for the new journalist award which comes with a $1,000 prize, something handy for a young person just starting out in a profession.
Emerson felt at a bit of a disadvantage as he started in journalism later than many of the other students in his program.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do until I discovered journalism and that just clicked,” he said.
The award helped quell some concerns, and he’s now certain he made the right choice to join the local newspaper back in spring 2023.
“He’s a great fit in our newsroom and is so deserving of the new reporter award,” said Burkett.
Since winning, he’s received congratulatory emails from instructors in the journalism program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Emerson said he’s loving community journalism and covering his hometown.
“It feels like it’s gone by really quickly, but then I also feel like I’ve just been here forever,” he said of his time at the newspaper. “I think I just kind of fit in pretty easily, and my coworkers have been fantastic. Everyday I look forward to coming to work, and I think that’s rare to have in a job.”
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