MONTEGO BAY, St James — The winning streak started in Western Jamaica by the Observer’s freelance photographer, Alan Lewin, last year, continued last Friday, as the Gleaner’s Janet Silvera copped the the prestigious Hector Bernard/Theodore Sealy Award for “Best News Journalist” at the Press Association of Jamaica’s (PAJ) annual awards ceremony.

The senior reporter’s win, with an exclusive concerning four grown sisters who finally obtained justice against the father that systematically raped them since childhood, follows on Lewin’s historic capture of the Errol Harvey award for Human Interest photography for his picture of a grieving school girl at the scene of a motor vehicle collision. The graphic photograph which broke every rule in the PAJ’s draft code of ethics, depicted a man providing physical support for the student as she succumbed to the gut-wrenching grief.

“I’ve known Janet for a long-time and I’m proud to see her continue the trend I set last year. i know her win will do for others what mine did for her by way of inspiration and enlightenmnt about the potential for success,” Lewin told the Observer West.

Like Silvera, Lewin segued into journalism from after spending years as a publicist. He came on board with he Observer last year, but returned to his first love after approximately a year on staff.

Silvera, on the other hand told the Observer West that she was in the profession which she entered after spending ten years as a marketing officer for the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) for the long haul.

A mass communications student of the University of the West Indies Mona’s Western Jamaica Campus, she is committed to honing her skills with a view to winning more awards next year.

“My aim is to inspire and encourage other journalists in the west to keep striving for excellence with bigger and better stories,” she said.