By Adam Swift
The editor-in-chief of Winthrop High School’s The Viking Times recently accomplished a rare feat in the world of media.
Recent graduate Shannon Raneri received a prestigious Gracie Award for The Viking Times coverage of the town’s recent school override vote. The Gracies recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women, and about women in all facets of media and entertainment.
Raneri and The Viking Times represented the only high school winners across an 11-page list of media heavy hitters who came away with a Gracie Award in 2025.
Raneri and her family attended an award ceremony in New York City in June that featured media heavyweights such as Jane Pauley to receive her award.
On Monday night, Raneri was back on more familiar ground, as she attended the school committee meeting and earned praise from Superintendent of Schools Lisa Howard and committee members.
“Shannon did a lot of news coverage during the override, and I think she produced a few things for the Transcript,” said Howard. “She and I spent a fair amount of time together talking about the override … learning about what an override is, and why we need it. She asked a lot of really good questions and she allowed me a platform to be able to explain what an override is to a student, although I felt like I was talking to a member of one of the committees because she is very bright.”
Raneri entered one of the override articles to the Gracie Awards, which are given out by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, Howard said.
“It looks like an Emmy, I’m proudly showing it, it’s really cool,” said Howard. “It says the Gracie Awards presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, and on the side it says The Viking Times blog and newsletter, Winthrop High School, Shannon Raneri. I’m totally proud of her and the amount of passion that she put into her writing.”
Howard noted that the articles written by Raneri helped get out factual information about the ultimately successful $4.9 million school override vote in April.
Raneri will be attending the University of Maryland.
“I just want to say thank you, particularly to to Ms. Barry, Ms. Leonard, Mr. Letterie, Mr. Martucci, I think just everyone, because you answered all my questions,” said Raneri. “Thank you very much for letting me ask you an endless amount of questions. I know with with Ms. Howard, I would repeat myself repeatedly just making sure I get the right answer.
At the awards ceremony in New York City, Raneri said she met a number of other award winners, and had a conversation with Pauley.
“I had the most amazing conversation with (Pauley),” said Raneri.
Raneri also related how she applied for the award and didn’t tell her parents until after she got the email telling her she had won.
“I found out in my history class that I got the Gracie so I jumped up and went over to my teacher and I had already started crying,” she said. “I went over to her and I said, I need to leave the room, and I’m slowly starting to hyperventilate … and I called my mom and I said, you’ll never guess what happened … hearing her reaction over the phone was the best part, honestly.”