|
Contests and Awards
Better Newspaper Contest and Better Newspaper Advertising Contest
2007 Better Newspaper Contest and Better Newspaper Advertising Contest Winners
Judges Comments
Winners get high praise for judges
Below are the judges comments from the Better Newspaper Contest and Better Newspaper Advertising Contest
EXCELLENCE IN TYPOGRAPHY
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, 4/21/06, 12/22/06
Excellent photo placement in conjunction with sharp headlines. Great font choices. Very inviting pages in this broadsheet. The tab entertainment section is a winner, too.
2nd place-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO, 4/20/06, 12/21/06
Great choices made with photos, art and type. Sports section is packaged very well-graphic elements break the copy. Classifieds are clean also.
3rd place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, 4/28/06, 12/1/06
Good crisp, no-nonsense feel to this publication. Minimal jumps for a tab. Liked the confident, clean presentation.
EXCELLENCE IN TYPOGRAPHY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, 4/27-5/3/06, 12/28-1/3/07
Clean, open, attractive pages result from fine typography. Nice use of photos, cutlines, copy to create attractive package. Excellent index rail on left of Page 1. Well-done briefs. Attractive, efficient headline font; body font is OK. Crisp, clean ads; might try a different font for pull quotes and subheads. Some square gray boxes-do more with pulling out detail into sidebar bits and boxes. Nameplate-good design but execution could be better. Mountains look washed out. Letters "Taos News" might be enhanced with a shadow line or creative outline font. Top-notch press work enhances excellent typography all around. "Tempo" is first-rate; interesting content present in attractive format. Ad section clean and pleasant, although the clarified body copy is too heavy-word spacing needs to be adjusted, too. Check spacing on all Helvetica and similar fonts-too loose. Also-center justified copy in some ads looks more like a mistake than an intentional design element-rethink that. Inside page headers very attractive. Work on breaking up those long gray columns on some pages. Nice little "dining out" insert-even more classy with slick paper.
2nd place-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA, 4/22/06, 12/16/06
Excellent choice of and use of typefaces. Top notch press work. Best use of sidebars and pull-out boxes. Very nice "Datebook" in "Discover." Overall fresh, clean look and well-ordered typography. Main page flags overpower lead headlines. They shouldn't.
3rd place-The Week, Delavan, WI, 4/2/06, 12/3/06
You have made great typography a vital part of the theme and design of your paper. Try for crisper press work. Page 1 rail is very nice. Inside page headers well done, as are jump heads and subheads.
Honorable Mention(s)-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO
EXCELLENCE IN TYPOGRAPHY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, 4/27/06, 12/14/06
Careful attention to details-especially in text typography-makes this newspaper a standout in this category. Headlines and teasers are well done and throughout there's a sense that good typography is important to the presentation.
2nd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, 4/27/06, 12/14/06
Even in areas that seem unimportant, such as indexes and lists, this paper takes care to do typography well. It has a clean, consistent feel throughout.
BEST USE OF COLOR
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO, 5/11/06, 2/23/06
La Tribuna's well-balanced use of color throughout its publication sets it apart from other newspapers in the field. While many newspapers have a good use of color on the front and back pages, La Tribuna uses color on every page of its publication. La Tribuna uses its color judiciously and creatively. Its use of color in advertising, photography and graphic arts is exceptional.
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, 11/1/06, 12/6/06
While not using color as extensively as La Tribuna, the News & Guide's strong use of color makes it an appealing newspaper to read. Its pages are clean and attractive, photos are strong, and ads are appealing.
3rd place-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA, 4/22/06, 9/30/06
The Review's exceptional graphic arts combine with good use of color to make it a perennial winner. The newspaper primarily uses color on its front, inside front, back and inside back pages. Its use of color in photos, graphics and advertising are very good.
BEST ORIGINAL EDITORIAL CARTOON
Daily Division
1st place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Pied Piper," 2/15/06, Dan McClellan
Nice one in message and artistry.
BEST ORIGINAL EDITORIAL CARTOON
Non-daily Division
1st place-The Prescott Journal, Prescott, WI, "...and the hits just keep on coming," 8/31/06, Joe Engesser
Not a typical cartoon as it has many parts-but it has a great ending. The buildup is marvelous and meaningful.
2nd place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "Snake oil: What we Louisianans now know..." 8/23/06, Greg Peters
The combinations of politics and pop culture make this easy to read and understand.
3rd place-The Mt Wilson Observer, Sierra Madre, CA, "Gift giving 2006," 12/22-28/06, Ann Cleaves
Great twist on a holiday theme.
Honorable Mention(s)-Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Saint Louis
BEST HEADLINE WRITING
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, 7/17/06, 9/8/06
These are exciting headlines that beg to be read. The language is vivid and the tone varies to match the stories-unlike the monotonous heads used in all too many papers. Creativity stretches to the news headlines as well as the features. Good work!
2nd place-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA, 7/1/06, 9/16/06
This entry finished in second place by a whisker. These headlines are inventive and inviting. The paper vibrates with energy. That doesn't come just from design and photos, but from the words on the page as well.
3rd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, 9/5/06, 7/6/06
Creative headlines aren't limited to the front page, but are found throughout the paper. That's what you want to do, create a sense of style and personality for your paper that readers find hard to resist.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA
BEST EDITORIAL
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Death raises policy questions," 8/12/06
The editorial takes an issue of great importance and addresses it succinctly. It gives the key reasons for concern, acknowledges the tough role of the police, then highlights the importance of openness and transparency.
2nd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "We have a right to protest," 2/8/06
The editorial takes on a very emotional issue-protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in the line of duty. It explains the issue, localizes it, and takes a strong stand in favor of the First Amendment. The quote ending is very powerful.
3rd place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Love, respect and Soulforce," 3/22/06
Well-written editorial urging understanding over protests when a group of gays come to this Utah community to bring attention to Brigham Young University's "anti-gay rhetoric causes suffering."
BEST EDITORIAL
Non-daily Division, circulation 12,000 or more
1st place-Venice Gondolier Sun, Venice, FL, "New school board," 12/15/06, Bob Mudge
Makes the case well. Solid writing, good length.
2nd place-Miami Today, Miami, "A raise for county commissioners is only fair," 5/18/06, Michael Lewis
Good argument in favor of raises for positions in order to get better people.
3rd place-Washington Missourian, Washington, MO, "Shine some more light," 5/24/06, William L. Miller Sr.
Solid defense of open government for the benefit of the public, not just the press.
Honorable Mention(s)-Arnold-Imperial Leader, Festus, MO; Livingston Parish News, Denham Springs, LA
BEST EDITORIAL
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-11,999
1st place-The Alamance News, Graham, NC, "The 'cupcake controversy,' " 5/25/06, Tom Boney Jr.
I've always wanted to end an editorial with an "amen." You did. You also lambasted the school for a foolish ban of cupcakes. It's a common-sense editorial that draws attention to the silliness of government. By the way, why are none of your best editorials at the top of the editorial page?
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "School's changing tune on kidnap...," 4/27-5/3/06, Gerald Garner Jr.
Good insight into a public relations flip flop deemed inappropriate. Tugs my interest and demands my attention.
3rd place-Rochester Business Journal, Rochester, NY, "Just the facts," 1/13/06, Paul Ericson
Good amount of background on a story that's gone on for some time. Just enough opinion to place credit where it is due.
BEST EDITORIAL
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-Azle News, Azle, TX, "Stop ignoring the will of the people," 8/17/06, Bob Buckel
Tight editorial-great job of taking officials to task in a manner that informs the public.
2nd place-Lawrence County Record, Mount Vernon, MO, "Uncommon stupidity," 1/25/06, Steve Fairchild
Editorial about problems communities across the country can relate to. Very well written.
3rd place-New Richmond News, New Richmond, WI, "Seeking a new start for district," 5/25/06, Jeff Holmquist
Like the interactive approach of a paper conducting its own poll. Resulted in a good editorial.
Honorable Mention(s)-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN
BEST EDITORIAL
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-The Vandalia Leader, Vandalia, MO, "Rubbing salt in the wound," 4/26/06, Gary Sosniecki
Exceptional category with top two almost too close to call. Nod goes to Gary and Helen Sosniecki for exposing school district using out-of-town Wal-Mart certificates for local summer school students, while local merchants suffer. The publishers even offered to print the local vouchers free of charge. Well-reasoned and gutsy.
2nd place-The Commerce News, Commerce, GA, "A shameful response," 8/23/06, Mark Beardsley
Mark Beardsley a close second with bang-up editorial calling on local, county officials to do their job as the sacred cow school district let runoff from its construction site ruin neighboring propertied. Well-organized, short, to-the-point editorial taking elected officials to task.
3rd place-The Oberlin Herald, Oberlin, KS, "Landowner, government in prairie (dog) standoff," 11/29/06, Steve Haynes
Steve Haynes, a true Kansas Populist, gave me a smile as he tackled local county commissioners and law enforcement for entering a maverick rancher's land to eradicate prairie dogs. Great stand on individual rights!
Honorable Mention(s)-Mount Desert Islander, Bar Harbor, ME; The Vandalia Leader, Vandalia, MO, Gary Sosniecki
BEST EDITORIAL PAGE(S)
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, 2/12/06, 2/13/06
Strong, concise editorials on local subjects-that's job 1 and you do it well. Page is well balanced with good columnists and good reader participation through letters.
2nd place-Rome News-Tribune, Rome, GA, 12/23/06, 12/24/06, Pierre-Rene Noth
Your editorial "Big Bump in the Road" earned you a spot among the winners. Good, strong editorial. Congrats.
BEST EDITORIAL PAGE(S)
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-Venice Gondolier Sun, Venice, FL, 9/3/06, 9/6/06, Bob Mudge
Overall, reading these pages was an entertaining and enlightening experience-a pretty good combination. One of these editorials was one of my favorites (Don't reward stealth candidate's dirty tricks). The way it took a local candidate to task for his pointless mudslinging is exactly what editorial pages are for. It was detailed, interesting, enlightening and convincing. Watchdog work at its best. I thought the other editorial, also about bad campaign tactics, was good but less effective. In contrast to the specifics of the first one, this one was general. It didn't really provide a call to action. Would have been great to list the candidates (or some of them) who "stayed above the fray"-whether endorsed by you or not. That would have raised this one to the excellent level of the first one. I also enjoyed Bob Vetter's column-and his witty snippets at the end-but thought it went on a little long. The rest of the content on these pages was solid as well.
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, 7/13-19/06, 7/20-26/06, Gerald Garner Jr.
Solid all around. Good, legible design. Solid writing. I really liked that headlines and decks told me exactly what the stories were. So many editorials and editorial pages had nothing but label heads or very lame headlines. Since when don't we need good headlines for editorials? I loved the brief synopsis that was inserted into each lead editorial. Very reader friendly. You respect my time. Local cartoons really livened up the page and helped add to a very local feel.
3rd place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, 3/15/06, 3/22/06, George Le Masurier
Best designed editorial pages of the group, although the bottom of the opinion page needs some cleaning up. Some of that type is pretty small! I thought the best-written piece on these pages was George's column on millionaires (one in 125 Americans) and what they are like. I liked the refer in the editorial about the page one investigation. I wish more editorial pages were better linked to the content in the rest of the paper. I liked the inset on the second editorial asking what readers think but wish you had given them info on how to respond right there. I liked that you had some shorter editorials and even editorial "briefs" at the bottom to change the pace of the page. I liked the "Your opinion" feature on the op-ed page but was disappointed the questions (and answers) were so lame (Q: What's your favorite thing about spring? A: The new growth. The colors.) Needs work.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Ellsworth (ME) American
BEST EDITORIAL PAGE(S)
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-Jackson Herald, Jefferson, GA, 7/26/06, 7/19/06, Mike Buffington
The Jackson Herald presents strong editorial opinions, but presents plenty of evidence to back up its view. There is also a great mix of columns in this section. The Jackson Herald editorial was a joy to read.
2nd place-Vilas County News-Review, Eagle River, WI, 1/25/06, 2/1/06
The News-Review does an excellent job of incorporating the community's views in this section. Also presents great newsworthy editorials.
3rd place-The Alamance News, Graham, NC, 9/28/06, 10/5/06
The Alamance News supports a strong newspaper editorial. The newspaper shows it can be fair even when it is criticized. Letters to the editor are up-front and noticeable.
Honorable Mention(s)-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA
BEST EDITORIAL PAGE(S)
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 5,999
1st place-The Vandalia Leader, Vandalia, MO, 4/26/06, 5/3/06
Hard-hitting editorial and follow-up column on school district spending $25,000 on out-of-town store.
2nd place-The Commerce News, Commerce, GA, 7/26/06, 8/2/06
Good balance of editorials and columns on topics of local interest and concern.
3rd place-The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA, 7/19/06, 7/26/06
Well-written and attractive page but would be improved with a local editorial each week.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "UL horse farm lawsuit," 7/5/06, 9/13/06, Leslie Turk
Outstanding example of watchdog journalism at its finest. Relentless, aggressive, and courageous work that truly protected the people's right to know.
2nd place-The Mendocino Beacon, Fort Bragg, CA, "Gag order in horse abuse case," 2/16/06, 3/2/06, 3/9/06, 3/16/06, 3/30/06, Don Claybrook
When a national story of animal abuse popped up in the community, the Beacon used FOI and a lot of legal intervention to protect the people's right to know.
3rd place-The Prescott Journal, Prescott, WI, "Fire department scandal," 1/19/06, 1/26/06, 2/9/06, 10/19/06
A fine use of public records to tell a terribly important story. Standing up to a tough source, and informing the public, is a fine use of FOI.
BEST BREAKING NEWS STORY
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Swift raid," 12/13/06, Rebecca Boyle et al
Depth of coverage made this a winner in an extremely tough category. Every detail of these stories was covered-great job by all (especially photographers!)
2nd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Body found in river," 2/24/06, Rebecca Boyle
Intriguing story and very well written. It captures the reader's attention. Could easily have been first. Great, great job.
3rd place-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO, "No grim end," 7/6/06, Pamela Dickman and Kate Martin
Tough story to write, but it was handled with professionalism and attention to detail. Another of the entries that could have been first place.
Honorable Mention(s)-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO
BEST BREAKING NEWS STORY
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-The Lebanon Daily Record, Lebanon, MO, "Fire guts family's home in city," 10/10/06, Eric Adams & Edward J Sisson
Wonderful job of covering a breaking event, especially a personal tragedy like this, with detail, in-depth work and speed.
2nd place-Mesabi Daily News, Virginia, MN, "Whorehouse days," 4/24/06, Linda Tyssen
Great headline and lead. Nice balance of perspectives and views.
3rd place-Lahontan Valley News & Fallon Eagle Standard, Fallon, NV, "Leukemia cluster children share gene variation," 11/30/06, Viktoria Pearson
Story that most certainly was important to a lot of families. Good job making scientific details understandable.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Lebanon Daily Record, Lebanon, MO
BEST BREAKING NEWS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 12,000 or more
1st place-The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, VA, "Dad kills tot, then self," 11/29/06, Amanda Kerr
Excellent lead and lots of good interviews-You've done a great job of explaining a very weird series of events.
2nd place-Valencia County News-Bulletin, Belen, NM, "Water logged Belen digging out of mud," 8/2/07, Clara Garcia
I could almost feel the flood. Great interviews and good writing. Lots of detail to help readers visualize the devastation.
3rd place-The Leader, Jacksonville, AR, "Fire takes Cabot school," 8/12/06, Joan McCoy & Sara Greene
You had me on the lead-good story and follow-up.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Leader, Jacksonville, AR
BEST BREAKING NEWS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-11,999
1st place-Gaylord Herald Times, Gaylord, MI, "What now? After G-P closing," 3/8/06, M. Jones, P. Comings, M. Jergenson & C. Grosser
One of the most thorough reporting efforts I've seen. The surprise closure of a community's major industry and its impact on individual lives, vendors and community at large explained in great detail.
2nd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Fire leaves families homeless," 9/21/06, Brian Knox & Joe Duty
Story concisely told human side of a large-scale disaster. Good photography with layout that gives impact the story deserves.
3rd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, "Steuben Inferno," 3/23/06, Tom Walsh
Good writing. Filled with facts presented in a very readable style.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Bernardsville News, Bernardsville, NJ
BEST BREAKING NEWS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-Grant County Herald Independent, Lancaster, WI, "Inept graverobbers caught in the act," 9/7/06, David Timmerman
Great job of approaching a difficult story head-on. Comprehensive and timely reporting that's certain to inform.
2nd place-Elk Citian, Elk City, OK, "Federal Grand Jury subpoenas city workers," 10/11/06, Charolette Aiken & Derek Manning
This is the kind of scoop that's difficult to beat. Well-executed in the face of limited information.
3rd place-Harlan News-Advertiser, Harlan, IA, "Fisherman dies, two saved after lake ice breaks," 2/24/06, Bob Bjoin
Details from the scene of this tragedy puts the reader in the graceful way of handling the awkwardness of private grief and community news.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Nome Nugget, Nome, AK
BEST BREAKING NEWS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-Colby Free Press, Colby, KS, "Sheridan County sheriff shot and killed," 10/27/06, Jan Katz-Ackerman
An unflinching account of this shooting done in short order. The story covered the details of the police shootings, reaction and details on speculation of motive. Skillful, quick work. good job.
2nd place-The Vandalia Leader, Vandalia, MO, "Snow job," 12/6/06, Gary Sosniecki
Great, energetic coverage of the effects of a snowstorm. Tons of local comment, details and the photo kept pace. Kudos to whoever shot the photos as well. Photo and copy package excellent.
3rd place-Warren County Record, Warrenton, MO, "Man charged," 6/15/06, Charlie Denn
Nice work covering the investigation leading to an arrest/murder which all bumped up against deadline. Nice job gaining background on the suspect and victim.
Honorable Mention(s)-Hanover Eagle, Madison, NJ
BEST INVESTIGATIVE
OR IN-DEPTH STORY OR SERIES
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Another dark side: Meth's innocent victims," 11/25/06, 11/26/06, 11/27/06, Pam Mellskog
A great package on an issue that hits all communities. One of the better meth packages I've ever read. Great job!
2nd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Fake 'Bowzer' on Megan's Law list," 11/26/06, Jana Treece
Very interesting story. The man and his "Bowzer" con is a great read. Good use of sourcing, quotes, etc.
3rd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Saving our schools," 1/22/06, 2/19/06, 3/26/06, 4/30/06, 6/4/06, Maria St. Louis-Sanchez
Wow. What a great series. Very in-depth stories. Good use of art, too.
Honorable Mention(s)-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA
BEST INVESTIGATIVE
OR IN-DEPTH STORY OR SERIES
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-Lahontan Valley News & Fallon Eagle Standard, Fallon, NV, "Operation Jump Start: On the Border," 8/19/06, 8/21/06, 8/22/06, 8/23/06, 8/24/06, Steve Ranson
Excellent, in-depth, timely.
2nd place-Lahontan Valley News & Fallon Eagle Standard, Fallon, NV, "PCB in our schools," 6/24/06, 6/27/06, 7/4/06, 7/24/06, 8/8/06, 9/7/06, Marlene Garcia
Great job uncovering this despite resistance from school. Sure it made a difference to a lot of families.
3rd place-Fulton County Daily Report, Atlanta, "Wayne Williams, 25 years later," 6/29/06, 6/30/06, R. Robin McDonald
Fascinating! Loved the details, the layout and sidebars.
Honorable Mention(s)-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN
BEST INVESTIGATIVE
OR IN-DEPTH STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more,
1st place-San Francisco Bay Guardian, San Francisco, CA, "The scumlords: A three part series," 3/8-14/06, 3/15-21/06, 3/29-4/4/06, G. W. Schulz
Very well reported and written. Great work on presenting both sides.
2nd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, "The whitest state," 5/25/06, 6/1/06, 6/8/06, 6/15/06, Tom Walsh
Excellent presentation-honest look at the 'elephant in the room' that no one wants to talk about.
3rd place-Valencia County News-Bulletin, Belen, NM, "Rural county, big-city crime," 12/16/06, 12/20/06, Clara Garcia and T.J. Wilhelm
Very informative, of community interest. Well reported. I hope you continue to shed light on this issue.
Honorable Mention(s)-Washington Missourian, Washington, MO
BEST INVESTIGATIVE
OR IN-DEPTH STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Fertile fields," 8/9/06, 8/16/06, Lauren Whaley
Thorough analysis of growth trends with thoughtful look at the impact of that growth. A lot of research was invested in this project. Great graphics that help tell the story.
2nd place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "Free to go: Inmates being let out the back door early," 8/17/06, 8/19/06, Katie Willson
Public gets a thorough look at a government program that probably shocked and surprised many. Story is accompanied by attractive graphics.
3rd place-Tooele Transcript-Bulletin, Tooele, UT, "No more water 10 years later," 3/30/06
Communities can't survive without water, and this section explores this area's dwindling supply and prospects for the future. Well-researched piece.
Honorable Mention(s)-News-Register, McMinnville, OR
BEST INVESTIGATIVE
OR IN-DEPTH STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-The Nome Nugget, Nome, AK, "Rock Creek gold mine," 7/27/06, 8/3/06, 8/31/06, 9/28/06, 12/14/06, Diana Haecker
Large number of sources, research into mining, investment of time and space to subject. Kept a close eye on the situation.
2nd place-Oologah Lake Leader, Oologah, OK, "Phelps' funeral protests frozen," 3/9/06, John M. Wylie II
Obviously spent a large amount of time researching this subject and covered it fully. Explanations, backgrounds, all seemed very solid.
3rd place-Idyllwild Town Crier, Idyllwild, CA, "Two plead guilty," 3/23/06, J.P. Crumrine
Good resources, probably hard to find an offender who would speak to you. Researched/explained different related legislation. Readers can relate.
BEST INVESTIGATIVE
OR IN-DEPTH STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-The Prescott Journal, Prescott, WI, "Fire department funds missing, says chief," 1/19/06, 1/26/06, 2/9/06, 2/16/06, 4/20/06, 8/17/06, Matthew Perenchio
Great follow-through; great example of keeping the community informed through the long process and presented all angles of the story.
2nd place-Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Saint Louis, "The rise and felonies of Charles Polk," 8/21/06, Geri Dreiling
Good in-depth coverage even without a main subject interview-covered through court documents and colleagues.
3rd place-The Independent, Carterville, IL, "Festa grows up," 11/30/06, Geoffrey Ritter
Answered questions the community wanted and used public records to add to details.
BEST FEATURE STORY
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Inside the troubled mind," 4/9/06, Mike Peters
Great package on Larry Hillman's tragic, troubled world. Stories/sidebars add to readability of series on mental illness. Having his music/slideshow online great idea. I couldn't put this down until I had read all the pieces, and I'm sure Tribune readers felt the same.
2nd place-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO, "Faith," 2/25/06, Craig Young
This is a religion story that goes beyond its niche on the religion page. It was definitely front-page worthy. Writing had great pace, made me want to continue reading. Graphic, photos and sidebar added to the effectiveness of the package.
3rd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "One step at a time," 8/6/06, Dan England
Good job of chronicling Terry's eye problems, and how he and his parents have moved past the stage of simply acceptance of his condition. Well-written. Great photos and graphics, too.
Honorable Mention(s)-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO; Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO
BEST FEATURE STORY
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, "Unexpected impact," 6/9/06, Caryn Tamber
Insightfully written and organized-what an inspiring story.
2nd place-Fulton County Daily Report, Atlanta, "Atlanta child murders...," 6/29/06, R. Robin McDonald
"A profound sense of unease" is a description used by one of the sources to describe the feelings in the black community about the nonresponse to appeals for more investigation in the Atlanta child murders. The writer beautifully captures this sensibility, raising questions and doubt about Wayne Williams' conviction.
3rd place-The Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, KS, "Living his life," 8/6/06, Ned Seaton
A thoughtful, thorough and considerate profile of a man living with ALS.
BEST FEATURE STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 15,000 or more
1st place-Farm and Dairy, Salem, OH, "What's left behind," 9/14/06, Kristy Hebert
Very touching. We not only could sympathize with the subject, but you put us inside her head.
2nd place-Washington Missourian, Washington, MO, "Death of a dream," 8/9/06, Joan Elliott
Great recounting of history from one who was there. Great old photos complemented the story.
3rd place-The Week, Delavan, WI, "The long road home," 7/30/06, Donna Lenz Wright
Great explanation of how the war affects people at home. Poem actually written by soldier was a great touch.
BEST FEATURE STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000-14,999
1st place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Hotshots return home...," 10/12-18/06, Andy Dennison
Strong story about Western firefighters at the end of their season. Good job helping the reader understand their fears and motivations and why they do this crazy, dangerous job. I learned the most from this story and appreciated the subjects.
2nd place-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO, "El silencio de jorge," 3/9/06, Mailyn Salabarria
Very interesting story about a deaf child and nice use of breakouts, captions (and photos) to help draw in readers and help explain the topic. This story respected the readers' time and tried to use different story telling devices to get information across.
3rd place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, "Sniffing out endangerment," 8/16/06, Kalyn Kelley
OK, it helps when your topic is O.C.D. dogs chasing whale scat. I liked everything in this story, I just wish it had focused a little more on how and when they help scientists with endangered species. I think it could have gone further and taught me more.
Honorable Mention(s)-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA; The Taos News, Taos
BEST FEATURE STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "A child at heart," 10/28/06, Peter Chee
Well-researched and written; multiple sources and viewpoints. Compelling account of a topic with far-reaching impact on family and community; points up larger social issue of failure in mental health system.
2nd place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "Living life on her own terms," 6/27/06, Katie Willson
Well-written, unusual story about an inspiring person. Writer avoided making the subject an object of pity or heroic, but let her true character speak for itself. Good choice of quotes, good photos and layout. Liked the better life through education message.
3rd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Noah's new lesson," 8/2/06, Molly Langmuir & Sarah Ause
Darn good storytelling; built tension and interest through the girl's eyes, using character examples (Locks of Love donation); good photos and layout support story.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Landmark, Holden, MA
BEST FEATURE STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 4,500-5,999
1st place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Star power," 10/17/06, Kay Johnson
Features beautiful graphics and a well-written article. It's proof that black and white still works. Kay took what could have been a run-of-the-mill topic and turned it into a feature story that caught and then held my attention.
2nd place-Mille Lacs Messenger, Isle, MN, "Taking out the trash," 2/8/06, Diane Gibas
Gives readers a new look at the man who picks up the trash. The layout complements the article, which caught my attention and held it.
3rd place-Mille Lacs Messenger, Isle, MN, "GI general thanks troops," 11/1/06, Vivian Clark
A fitting article a few days before the nation celebrated Veterans Day. Vivian did a very good job of telling this veteran's story and holding the reader's interest.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Perry County Republic-Monitor, Perryville, MO
BEST FEATURE STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 2,700-4,499
1st place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, "Setting his sights high," 2/9/06, Brent Schacherer
Remarkable subject, well told. This story stuck with me. Far above others in this category.
2nd place-Oologah Lake Leader, Oologah, OK, "Owens' gifts save, touch many lives," 11/2/06, Bill Snyder
Great story idea, well told.
3rd place, tie-Lawrence County Record, Mount Vernon, MO, "Ghost hunters," 10/25/06, Charlie Meeks
If you'd have slanted this story with the end quote it would have broken the tie.
3rd place, tie-The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA, "Mama's on meth," 3/29/06, Wayne Hardy
I was troubled a little by the scenario presented at the top of the story because it read like a "fictionalized" account or composite of a real case. Even given the confidentiality issues involved something to indicate this was an actual case was needed, however, well written.
BEST FEATURE STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 2,700
1st place-Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Saint Louis, "Voice of the bench," 12/25/06, Geri Dreiling
Well written, length about right, photos pertinent to the story and the story is interesting. I liked this article best because the author does a good job of staging it in the first paragraph. She starts off drawing a picture of the judge on the bench, and the reader observes what she does. In other words, the writer lets the judge's actions, and words tell what he is like. And while she slips back into straight narrative and interviews, the story quits before you become bored. It also tells a story that this particular paper's audience wants to hear. The newspaper is also recognizing a member of its audience, a pillar in the community.
2nd place-The Goodland Star-News, Goodland, KS, "Cowboy takes final ride across the country," 12/19/06, Sharon Corcoran
Well written, great pictures, I love the story. The writer reflects what he sees and the reader is there-interviewing the old gent. It is simple, brief, and paints the man's character through his words and surroundings as this poignant glimpse into the life of one man mirrors his simplicity. The photographs are great, but the reader can well imagine what he looks like without them.
3rd place-DeForest Times-Tribune, DeForest, WI, "Farm work 'sty'le," 4/20/06, Dana Spychalla
Interest: Good head, certainly a rather unusual story-hometown-type story. This one is interesting and so is the young lady. Interest was its strong point-a check on its use of tenses could have improved it.
Honorable Mention(s)-Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Saint Louis
BEST FEATURE SERIES,
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "The winding journey home," 9/3/06, 10/1/06, 11/12/06, 12/10/06, Pierrette J. Shields
Great storytelling. Writer clearly spends time with subject and captures emotion of topic.
2nd place-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO, "Big Thompson flood," 7/29/06, 7/30/06, 7/31/06, Kate Martin Pamela Dickman and Alicia Beard
Nice recount of a historical event that shook town.
3rd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "It's all about Mojave Airport," 7/7/06, 7/8/06, 7/10/06, 7/11/06, Allison Gatlin
Good economic development piece.
Honorable Mention(s)-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO
BEST FEATURE SERIES
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, Yankton, SD, "New Scotland teacher learns from mentors," 1/19/06, 2/16/06, 3/16/06, 4/20/06, 5/25/06, Randy Dockendorf
Every newspaper should do this series. Bringing readers into the classroom is a terrific idea and well done.
2nd place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Hispanic series," 1/13-14/06, 1/15/06, 1/16/06, 1/17/06, 1/18/06, 1/19/06, Doug Hunt & Wade Coggeshall
Nice effort to show how the Hispanic community is becoming part of the community and changing the town.
3rd place-Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, Yankton, SD, "Series on U coach Mike Freidel," 7/12/06, 8/12/06, 10/14/06, Randy Dockendorf
Good follow-up on a difficult story that obviously impacted not just students but community as well.
BEST FEATURE SERIES
Non-daily Division
1st place- The Journal, Crosby, ND, "Ode to the Roses," 2/22/06, 3/15/06, 3/22/06, 4/12/06, 5/17/06.
Clearly the best writing in a very strong category. Great attention to detail, yet not overwritten. Interesting and a true public service as well.
2nd place-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI, "Still devastated-Hurricane Katrina," 3/23/06, 3/25-26/06, 3/29/06, 4/1/06
Tremendous effort, especially of making a connection between two far-flung parts of the U.S. Very strong writing, nice detail.
3rd place-New Richmond News, New Richmond, WI, "For a season... Lakeside canning," 8/10/06
Very good writing. An in-depth look at an important topic and forgotten segment of the community.
BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE
Daily Division
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, 9/6/06, 3/15/06
My pick in a field of several newspapers with outstanding local coverage-swayed by high ratio of local bylines to AP.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, 3/5/06, 9/23/06
Faced with many similarly solid local news entries, I let compelling photos and exceptional writing tip the scales for Longmont.
3rd place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, 3/31/06, 9/15/06
This is a REALLY GOOD local paper, though a business journal; predominately staff-written. Business pubs need own category.
BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-Washington Missourian, Washington, MO, 3/15/06, 9/20/06
A TON of local copy; great variety. Strong news voice. Lots of faces of refrigerator stuff. Stuff many papers sadly don't do.
2nd place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, 3/10/06, 9/29/06, David Bolling and Bill Hoban
Good selection of stories. Well written. Lots of photos and local happenings.
3rd place-The Cherokee Ledger-News, Woodstock, GA, 3/22/06, 9/27/06
Strong coverage of the county. A balance of news and features and sports.
Honorable Mention(s)-Jefferson County Leader, Festus, MO
BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA, 3/18/06, 9/23/06
This was a hard division to judge-there were a number of newspapers that impressed me. However, the depth of articles in the Review were a step above the others. Graphics were eye-catching and of community interest. The attention paid to detail in the newspaper is "out of the box!"
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, 3/1/06, 9/13/06
I was impressed with this newspaper. The articles show the writers care about their community and want to keep everyone informed. The variety keeps the reader interested. The depth is super.
3rd place-Jackson Herald, Jefferson, GA, 3/1/06, 9/6/06
I liked this paper. The articles had depth and were interesting. This newspaper covers several towns and school systems so coverage can be hard for a weekly staff. I feel The Jackson Herald staff does a good job.
BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-Mobridge Tribune, Mobridge, SD, 3/15/06, 9/6/06
Local! Local! Local! There's no better way to describe the winner in this category. Your focus on the community, its people and activities throughout each entire issue made the difference.
2nd place-The Perry County Republic-Monitor, Perryville, MO, 3/14/06, 9/26/06
When news happens in Perryville, you can count on the Republic-Monitor to be there. Did a great job of covering the tornadoes and all-around good local coverage of people and events.
3rd place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, 3/16/06, 9/7/06
The Independent Review's focus on its community can be seen throughout its local news coverage.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA
BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-The Community News, Aledo, TX, 3/24/06, 9/22/06
Comprehensive AND captivating, covering everything from stories that affect all to personal sagas. Just an outstanding job.
2nd place-The Commerce News, Commerce, GA, 3/15/06, 9/20/06
Amazing range and depth for a small circulation non-daily. Great regional coverage while remaining focused on unique communities.
3rd place-Cabool Enterprise, Cabool, MO, 3/30/06, 9/28/06
It is impossible to "breeze" through this newspaper. Page 1 is filled with information, setting the pace for what's inside.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Prescott Journal, Prescott, WI
BEST HUMOROUS COLUMN
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Advice to Councilguys," 7/29/06, Mike Peters
Humorous approach to a very serious topic. Great job!
2nd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "How do you say 'No free ranging chickens'?," 3/12/06, Kim Rawley
Good lead. Captures readers attention.
3rd place-Rome News-Tribune, Rome, GA, "Remembering a trio of really good, fun guys," 12/10/06, Jack Runninger
Touching stories that make you smile!
BEST HUMOROUS COLUMN
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-The Daily Record, Little Rock, AR, "Blues in my dreams," 6/2/06, Jay Edwards
Witty, understated introspective on being a "Boomer" in a "Gen X" world. If you're under 50, you won't get it.
2nd place-Mesabi Daily News, Virginia, MN, "Ancient torture device," 8/18/06, Linda Tyssen
Familiar topic, but we guys never seem to tire of listening to ladies complain about their bras.
3rd place-The Daily Record, Little Rock, AR, "Capitol City chatter-Boyfriend," 4/24-25/06, Danielle Del Sol
Meeting parents for the first time-you gotta find the humor, and she does.
BEST HUMOROUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 12,000 or more
1st place-Miami Today, Miami, "Life in the Magic City-Blame it on the traffic," 4/6/06, Susan Kahn
Clever premise and very well executed. The best of several good entries because of excellent writing.
2nd place-Northwest Current, Washington, DC, "Would you like sealant with that?" 4/5/06, David Brown
Very funny rendition of a situation we've all been in. Great work!
3rd place-Miami Today, Miami, "Memo to Miami bankers:," 5/11/06, Dick Goodman
What a bizarre tale! And very well told.
BEST HUMOROUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 8,000-11,999
1st place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, "My first online chat with..." 11/8/06, George Le Masurier
Of all the entries, this is the only one that made me laugh out loud.
2nd place-Hood County News, Granbury, TX, "Money, money, money," 5/13/06, Pete Kendall
A humorous take on a sore topic with many of us these days. He said what many of us would like to.
3rd place-The Landmark, Holden, MA, "Of limb... and life," 3/23/06, Jim Keogh
You sure those weren't my kids you wrote about? A true teenage tale told by a "Dad."
Honorable Mention(s)-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA
BEST HUMOROUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 5,000-7,999
1st place-The Fountain Hills Times, Fountain Hills, AZ, "Technology ahead..." 8/2/06, Michael Scharnow
Good column many can relate to, with a dash of humor thrown in.
2nd place-The Harrison Press, Harrison, OH, "I just don't get it," 9/27/06, Ollie Roehm
Likely most humorous of entries, but doesn't stand alone because of reference to previous column.
3rd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Reporter driven nuts," 11/5/06, Christina Lane
Humorous take on a relatable event.
Honorable Mention(s)-Mille Lacs Messenger, Isle, MN
BEST HUMOROUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-4,999
1st place-The Madison County Journal, Danielsville, GA, "Love is in the air," 2/16/06, Zach Mitcham
I could smell "stunk" as I was reading this! Very humorous and well written.
2nd place-The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA, "A mysterious presence," 8/2/06, Jason Deal
Article drew me in from the start. Very interesting. When I found out what the "critter" was I burst out laughing!
3rd place-LaRue County Herald News, Hodgenville, KY, "Auction has cure for nameless bidder," 5/10/06, Linda Ireland
Any couple can relate to this article! Very fun to read.
Honorable Mention(s)-Azle News, Azle, TX; Lamesa Press-Reporter, Lamesa, TX
BEST HUMOROUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-The Hennessey Clipper, Hennessey, OK, "Couldn't help but notice-It's my cancer club waiting room buddies...," 1/19/06, Barb Walter
All three of her submissions were tops but laughing through cancer treatment put this one on top-warm and humorous at the same time.
2nd place-The Ark Valley News, Valley Center, KS, "One shepherd made a quick exit," 12/14/06, Les Anderson
Good humor from the Christmas program. This kind of stuff only happens (or is written about) in small towns.
3rd place-The Commerce News, Commerce, GA, "Like, dining," 10/25/06, Mark Beardsley
Mark pinpoints the changing culture of personal cell phone use and loud people who draw attention.
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "America is made of these," 5/12/06, John Vahlenkamp
Excellent topical local column on national issue.
2nd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Portfolio: Monstrous debt mounts on mistakes of the past," 8/26/06, Norman Shaof
Strong first person family history.
3rd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Heading up to my spirit in the sky," 4/23/06, Dan England
Very thoughtful, personal piece.
Honorable Mention(s)-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Glenwood Springs, CO, "A good day for Carol Craven," 7/30/06, Dale Shrull
Moving and well written.
2nd place-Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Glenwood Springs, CO, "A cop shot-it can happen here," 10/27/06, Dale Shrull
Compelling piece on what if.
3rd place-Beloit Daily News, Beloit, WI, "The McGuire Letter: Why we published," 4/3/06, William Barth
Good look into how tough editorial decisions are made.
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 15,000 or more
1st place-The Dundalk Eagle, Dundalk, MD, "Efforts of soldiers preserve the rights of all people," 6/1/06, Marge Neal
This is blunt, from-the-heart rhetoric. It is emotional, but the writer clearly makes her point. She totally disagrees with a group "spewing hate and other assorted vitriol" by demonstrating at the funerals of fallen soldiers, but she respects "their right to spew hatred, no matter how much it makes me sick." In the end, she can only "hope" that those not respecting the grieving families which the dead, at whose funerals they are protesting, died to continue giving the right to dissent and protest. Powerful stuff.
2nd place-Jefferson County Leader, Festus, MO, "With Johnson, it was an issue of character," 8/10/06, Patrick Martin
That a candidate has lied is no surprise. But that the candidate not only lied to the newspaper's editorial board, but that he obviously lied in a "classic slash-and-burn negative campaign tactic" was too much. So, he was taken to task in this column and the writer clearly shows his readers that this is a man who shows lack of character. This is hard-hitting writing with the evidence presented to back up the writer's position. Strong.
3rd place-Miami Today, Miami, "Herald's Salvation," 10/12/06, Michael Lewis
Newspapers often are hesitant to critique or criticize their own publicity, but this column calls out one of the best-known daily newspapers in the country, the Miami Herald. The column clearly identifies several issues and incidents that have resulted in the Herald being front-page news in its own paper and a detriment to itself and the profession. The writer urges the Herald: "Just print the news readers need and forget trying to please, placate or patronize." He also warns that the Herald must stop decaying from within.
Honorable Mention(s)-Jefferson County Leader, Festus, MO; San Francisco Bay Guardian, San Francisco
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000-14,999
1st place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, "Mayor Chuck wants to run the city..." 12/6/06, George Le Masurier
The writer marches in where, perhaps, angels might fear to tread-a political tempest in City Hall, where taking sides could lead to a need for wearing a flak jacket. Tackling local political issues where feelings run high is tough but is admirable when done in the public interest. The writer presents the issue and his position clearly and documents his opinions. And he did so in a positive manner.
2nd place-Livingston Parish News, Denham Springs, LA, "Political thinking outside the box," 8/13/06, Mike Dowty
Too few local politicians have the courage and convictions to stand up against the "good old boy" politics. This column salutes one who did. The writer documents the strong stands taken and how often the councilman was right, even on a key issue the writer originally opposed. But the councilman is not seeking re-election, and the writer makes a strong case that such disillusionment may be why the "kind of people we need" may not be willing to serve.
3rd place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "Sentences don't make sense," 9/29/06, Bill Hoban
This well-written column is an analysis of the 18-month prison sentence given two reporters for refusing to divulge the sources of leaked grand jury information in the BALCO steroids scandal. He notes that, if served, each man's sentence is almost twice the time of the combined sentences of the three principals convicted in the case. He suggests this is part of the Bush clampdown on the press.
Honorable Mention(s)-Livingston Parish News, Denham Springs, LA; Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA; The Leader, Jacksonville, AR
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-Jackson Herald, Jefferson, GA, "Stem cell..." 7/19/06, Mike Buffington
This column brings a national debate home with the compelling story of the writer's son. This column helps bring an abstract subject to reality for this community.
2nd place-Gaylord Herald Times, Gaylord, MI, "Finding the line," 6/3/06, Chris Grosser
This column helped to explain how news judgments are made-and how the media wrestle with these tough decisions. What could have been an "insider baseball" column helped inform a community about local news coverage.
3rd place-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA, "Parenting certainly not easy," 2/11/06, Jay P. Wagner
What a wonderful way the writer weaves his tale. A good mix of the personal and the news from the Legislature. Now readers can see why those legislative "hot topics" make the news-everyone is affected.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Landmark, Holden, MA
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 4,500-5,999
1st place-The Harrison Press, Harrison, OH, "Herbie and the flags," 5/31/06, Ollie Roehm
Ollie Roehm does just what small-town columnists are supposed to do: Take a slice of life, a pretty much unknown character and create a sweet and inspiring story. Only criticism of this story is the ending. I would have echoed another part of the story by following, "Flags that will appear again next year, and the year after that..." with: "But Herbie isn't likely to be there like in the previous 40 years. No. This Memorial Day was probably his last salute." (Something like that to wrap the piece up). But excellent overall! Great job!
2nd place-The Harrison Press, Harrison, OH, "Thanks for your letter, but," 2/8/06, Ollie Roehm
Short, simple, to the point... and one needing to be made... earns Ollie Roehm another columnist award in this contest. He was gracious to the letter writer but took a strong position on how news coverage and opinions differ. Beautiful handling of the topic.
3rd place-Hickman County Times, Centerville, TN, "From the porch-New jobs: Important?," 8/7/06, Bradley A. Martin
Bradley Martin's piece on the local executive director of the economic development program was thought-provoking and showed perfect logic. But the piece was twice as long as it needed to be. In such lengthy pieces thoughts get convoluted and this throws the reader off. Brevity is always best in columns.
Honorable Mention(s)-Lee's Summit Journal, Lees Summit, MO; The Perry County Republic-Monitor, Perryville, MO
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 2,700-4,499
1st place-Azle News, Azle, TX, "How I should have answered a Cub Scout's question..." 3/9/06, Bob Buckel
Why do we need newspapers? Why, indeed? So we can read great columns like this from thoughtful writers like Buckel. Style is simple and direct, with good proportion of humor and gravity. Thanks for answering.
2nd place-The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA, "Pay attention," 8/9/06, Robert M. Williams Jr.
We felt the teacher's pointer slam the desk and imagined the stunned silence that followed. Our attention was riveted and you put us there-then drove home the point we all wish we could make. Well done.
3rd place-The Banks County News, Jefferson, GA, "Purcell makes stand," 1/4/06, Chris Bridges
A good column acknowledging someone taking personal responsibility for addressing a public concern. Your recognition of her effort encourages good citizenship. Timely and well written.
Honorable Mention(s)-Lamesa Press-Reporter, Lamesa, TX
BEST SERIOUS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 2,700
1st place-The Independent, Carterville, IL, "What can I do with a second?" 1/12/06, Rev. Ralph Brandon
The writer successfully took a relatively insignificant fact-the year 2006 had one more second than a normal year-and through it expressed a thought-provoking life principle on what one can do with a second. This was compelling reading with application to anyone who read it. A life can change in a second; it only takes a second to avoid a lifetime of regret. I couldn't shake this one from my mind-for even a second.
2nd place-The Vandalia Leader, Vandalia, MO, "Send Ken Lay back to Rush Hill," 5/31/06, Gary Sosniecki
This column sneaks up on you. Just when your guard is lowered slightly, you are smacked with a jab to the jaw. Having gotten your attention, the writer presents an intriguing, compelling and totally different viewpoint that tugs at the reader's emotions and sense of justice. It is a thoughtful perspective on a national story with roots in the local community.
3rd place-The Hennessey Clipper, Hennessey, OK, "It's my cancer club waiting room buddies..." 1/19/06, Barb Walter
Can tears and smiles mix and mingle in a serious way? In this column, they do. The writer makes it absolutely clear that being a member of the Cancer Club is serious, but she makes it equally clear that laughter (cancer humor she calls it) is a key healing medication in the process. Read it and find yourself being misty-eyed while your mouth occasionally twitches into a smile.
Honorable Mention(s)-Cabool Enterprise, Cabool, MO; The Excelsior Springs Standard, Excelsior Springs, MO; The Normangee Star, Normangee, TX
BEST OBITUARY
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "A lasting legacy," 12/11/06, Tony Kindelspire
"A Lasting Legacy" is a powerful piece, told with compassion and journalistic objectivity. Its international reach shows considerable research and effort. Photos well done, too.
2nd place-Fulton County Daily Report, Atlanta, "Judge Fryer recalled for wit, passion for law," 3/1/06, Greg Land
Graphic quotes were a bit much, but so, too, was Judge Fryer. Style errors were bothersome, but do not detract from the recounted life of the judge.
3rd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Walter board member dies," 8/8/06, Alisha Semchuck
Excellent lead. Good mix of obituary background with news slant. Wife's recounted memories well stated. Water board member quotes would have elevated this entry.
Honorable Mention(s)-Mesabi Daily News, Virginia, MN
BEST OBITUARY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-The Landmark, Holden, MA, "The color purple, saying goodbye to Katie," 1/5/06, Jim Keogh
Sensitive, evocative reporting that shows the family's care and concern and the community's support and empathy for the family. Well done.
2nd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, "F. Eugene "Fitz" Dixon, Jr.," 8/10/06, Tom Walsh
Saddened friends fondly remember "Fitz" Dixon. Smartly written, avoids becoming a homage, but instead pays appropriate tribute an influence resident who was also a character in his own right. Makes the reader feel they missed out by not knowing the man.
3rd place-The Bernardsville News, Bernardsville, NJ, "'End of an era' in Liberty Corner," 12/28/06, W. Jacob Perry
Lifelong Bernards Township farmer Irwin Richardt, 78, dies following long illness. Irascible and steadfast and captured in a multitude of details, that's a grand tribute.
Honorable Mention(s)-News-Register, McMinnville, OR
BEST OBITUARY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Point Reyes Light, Point Reyes Station, CA, "Mayor of Bolinas," 11/2/06, Stacey Solie
The quotes and anecdotes about this man really make me feel like someone I might have known or seen. This obit tells the story of this man's life without getting overly sentimental. It's straightforward, yet told with a nice turn of phrase, such as "the sidewalk... was his living room, and his bedroom varied from night to night." Vivid imagery.
2nd place-Point Reyes Light, Point Reyes Station, CA, "Tomales shepherd," 9/21/06, Larken Bradley
Another well-told story that gives an overview of the man using highlights, anecdotes and quotes. "Little kids clamored for his attention. Barmaids praised him for being a gentleman." This is good writing. Very nice.
3rd place-Oologah Lake Leader, Oologah, OK, "Aunt Carrie's quilt is completed," 11/23/06, John M. Wylie II
Although this is a rather long tribute, I like how the writer has summed up the main points in the first few paragraphs and then goes into more detail later on. The writer has also done his homework, quoting from news stories of decades ago to illustrate this woman's life's work.
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, 12/21/06, 12/22/06
This one stands out a cut above the rest. A clear, innovative, large, eye-catching photograph to lead each section, and many more inside. All relevant to stories. Naturally, the topic of a large snow storm makes for some great photographic opportunities.
2nd place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, 6/16/06, 6/17/06
Just looking at a newspaper aimed at business and "legal" news would make one think, "dry, dry." But one quick glance and it's clear the photos in this publication help make what could be very dry news take a new dimension. The photographers apparently are thinking deeply about depth of field, framing shots and getting the unusual, while having fun. I was really impressed, given the nature of the paper.
3rd place-Daily Division, Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Anguish, sorrow and loss/Hospital breaks Brown Act," 3/30/06, 3/31/06
Nice photograph, well placed to catch the eye and show the emotion of the event.
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA, 9/23/06, 9/30/06
Members of this staff clearly know their stuff. The photos are colorful, sharp and action-filled. The composition is spot on, and even the black and white inside pictures are well thought out and interesting. (Take the picture of the runner near the big tree, for example.) The layouts are good, with one photo dominating on the front page. I can't think of any suggestions for improvement.
2nd place-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO, "Si se puede, celebraciones por el Cinco de Mayo," 5/4/06, 5/11/06
The color and vibrancy earned this paper the award. The pictures are magazine quality and show lots of action. I like the way the copy wraps around some of the photos and the way you use color throughout the publication. Good sports photos.
3rd place-The Flagship, Norfolk, VA, 7/13/06, 7/20/06
Because of the nature of your publication, the variety of your subject matter is limited, and yet the photos in these issues remain interesting throughout. Good use of color. The layouts are pleasing, with a dominant photo in each grouping. I also like the way some pictures overlap or are framed in atypical shapes. I like the use of copy over some of the pictures.
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, 8/22/06, 8/24/06
Loved the larger photos; promise you won't go smaller?! Both the EXTRA! sections submitted showed creativity. And faces, oh how our community readers love seeing faces in the paper; you have that down. Keep it up!
2nd place-The Waunakee Tribune, Waunakee, WI, "Hometown news," 5/4/06, 5/11/06, Roger Hamilton
I really enjoyed the multiple photo groups on the front page. And the sports photos were sharp, crisp, showed great action, and most importantly, you ran them big. Great work. You prove that you don't need color to have great photos in the paper.
3rd place-The White Hall Progress, Pine Bluff, AR, 7/12/06, 7/19/06
The baseball photo on page 2B of the 6-12-06 issue was one of the coolest photos I've seen. I love that you run your pictures big; keep it that way. Your sports photos have great faces; try more of the same with your news photos.
BEST PHOTO ESSAY
Daily Division
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Gift of love," 12/25/06, Hillary Wheat
Great variety. Shows emotion of situation. Photos tell story without need of any explanation.
2nd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Deputy Pierre Bain funeral," 3/30/06, Kelly Lacefield and Gene Breckner
Great job of capturing all aspects of this service.
3rd place-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO, "Swimming hole," 7/27/06, Eric Bellamy
Caught action of this summer-time activity. Great photos!
Honorable Mention(s)-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA; Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN
BEST PHOTO ESSAY
Non-daily Division, circulation 12,000 or more
1st place-The Tribeca Trib, New York "The gift of bells," 11/2006, Allan Tannenbaum & Carl Glassman
From the top, bottom and straight on, these photographic angles cover the spectrum. Nice large center photo draws the eye and the others pull you aside for the rest of the photo story. Good use of light, also.
2nd place-The Week, Delavan, WI, "The last handyman project he'll ever need," 10/29/06, Terry Mayer
A casket maker-who would have thought this could be so photographic. Lack of lighting casts the edge frame on many photos, drawing the eye in. Selection of photos tells the story on the creation of the casket, from start to finish.
3rd place-Venice Gondolier Sun, Venice, FL, "Altitude 527," 5/7/06, Jeff Tavares
Well, this subject stood out. The large top photo looked like a painting. The nice framing of black on the four equally sized photos drew one right into the subject matter.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Tribeca Trib, New York, NY
BEST PHOTO ESSAY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-11,999
1st place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, "Keeping the bridge clean and green," 11/1/06, Lee Giles III
These pictures tell it all. Hands down the best. Give kudos to the photographer.
2nd place-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO, "El embarazo en los adolescentes," 9/14/06, Riza Falk
Great photos! You know exactly what the story says before you read it.
3rd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Rodeo de Taos-A wild ride," 6/29-7/5/06, Gerald Garner Jr.
Love the layout, selection of pictures and the reproducing of them. Good job!
BEST PHOTO ESSAY
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Remembering the victims," 10/5/06, Jorge Sosa
Photos are the right size and tell the story on their own. The Page 1 photo of Rachel Stearns was played big, as it should have been.
2nd place-The Waunakee Tribune, Waunakee, WI, "Waunafest in motion," 8/3/06, Roger Hamilton
Photos stayed true to the theme of "motion." Top photo of flip is an attention-getter. Layout is too routine, too square. How come no photo IDs? That's laziness, especially on a weekly when you have extra time to track down who the subjects are.
3rd place-The Hinsdalean, Hinsdale, IL, "A week in the life of Red Devil football," 10/26/06, Jim Slonoff
Photos tell the story on their own, and they're good photos, but they aren't really a photo essay as much as they are a series of photos illustrating an in-depth feature.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Community Journal, Ashburnham, MA
BEST PHOTO ESSAY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-The White Hall Progress, Pine Bluff, AR, "Playing for a state title," 7/12/06, Ralph Fitzgerald
The effort, the concentration, the joy, the glee of the All-Stars' win is beautifully captured in this series of photographs.
2nd place-The Willits News, Willits, CA, "Swift water rescue," 3/15/06, David Courtland
Capturing the harrowing moments of this rescue mission must have been harrowing in itself. The drama of the moment is evident.
3rd place-The Courier, Carterville, IL, "Scenes from a Homecoming," 10/5/06, Alan Rogers and Geoff Ritter
Intense interest is evident in this series of photos about a pinewood derby. The photos nicely tell the story of the competition and speed.
BEST BREAKING NEWS PHOTO
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "The blaze," 2/16/06, Jim Rydbom
Captures the intensity of the situation. Visually breathtaking.
2nd place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Storm strikes Utah," 8/2/06, Robbie Preece
This is the kind of picture that makes a reader keep looking for more information. Well done.
3rd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Chase ends," 3/3/06, Kelly Lacefield
Gun drawn, good facial expression of suspect. One on two feet to the left would have improved the angle.
Honorable Mention(s)-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO; Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO
BEST BREAKING NEWS PHOTO
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Parking lot scuffle ends in arrest," 1/12/06, Kris Fassa
Undeniably "breaking news." Hard news trivial, but on-the-spot, precisely timed, neatly composed, crisply executed shot is one that few news photographers will ever match so decisively of a picturesque assault in progress.
2nd place-The Lebanon Daily Record, Lebanon, MO, "Resident suspects wood stove may be the cause of morning fire," 2/9/06, Eric Adams
Fire photos, ho-hum. Few match this one in composition, clarity of details and drama in the stances of the firemen.
3rd place-The Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, KS, "What a ride," 10/6/06, David Mayes
Though a static depiction, an eye-grabber of what could be modern art.
BEST BREAKING NEWS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO, "Cara a Cara," 12/14/06, Hillary Wheat
Good shot of emotion of community members versus duty of police officer in confrontation. Excellent angle to be able to identify person in black as an officer and to show the faces of those confronting him.
2nd place-Hood County News, Granbury, TX, "Fire," 7/19/06, Mary Vinson
Dramatic lighting as photo captures an emotionally touching moment as fire victim and rescuer physically reach out to touch each other.
3rd place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "Brian Connors," 1/3/06, Robbi Pengelly
Photo captures not only the flooding but the personal toll on those affected by it. Nicely composed.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Taos News, Taos, NM
BEST BREAKING NEWS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-Cody Enterprise, Cody, WY, "Rodeo crash," 9/11/06, Ken Blackbird
Wow! Simply a great action photo of horse and rider going over the fence in a rodeo. No clutter to distract attention from the subject of the photo. A clear winner in a very tough category.
2nd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "A soldier's farewell," 11/19/06, Joe Duty
Photo captures girl's grief, then the eye moves to the reason for that grief-another funeral for a fallen soldier. Good job!
3rd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "House fire," 5/24/06, Bradly J. Boner
Another good photo capturing an emotional moment. Cropped well. Uncluttered, but you have to read the cutline to learn the reason for the grief.
Honorable Mention(s)-Jackson Herald, Jefferson, GA; News-Register, McMinnville, OR; The News-Gazette, Lexington, VA
BEST BREAKING NEWS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Lawrence County Record, Mount Vernon, MO, "Sizzle!" 7/19/06, Steve Fairchild
The story head describes the picture perfectly-sizzle! This picture is great, the way the foam from the nozzle is captured in such detail. The color of the flames is vivid, and the picture is cropped well. I wish the firefighter was facing my way so I could see the face. Still, this picture puts the reader in the midst of the action.
2nd place-Fort Bragg Advocate-News, Fort Bragg, CA, "One resident dies in fire," 9/28/06, Tony Reed
This picture captures the anguish of the woman as she realizes her neighbor's house has burned down. At first, I thought the person in the foreground was another firefighter, until I read the cutline. Even though the picture doesn't capture flames, it does show a firefighter at work. The picture has a good composition and tells a story.
3rd place-The Courier, Carterville, IL, "It's hard for me to even think of it now," 11/30/06, Geoffrey Ritter
It's real hard to get a good picture of a fire in black and white, but this photographer captured here what looks like flame and smoke. The boy's face reminds me of the first house fire I photographed. The resident's face looked about the same. Disbelief. Anguish. Amazement.
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Ladder No. 1," 10/12/06, Bret Hartman
The angle of this photo is perfect, not dead center, and it looks like the ladder goes on forever. The color is good and the sense of motion really adds to the intensity. Very artistic, very professional.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Fire spinners," 5/27/06, Joshua Buck
All three photos are great, nicely done. You caught the motion of the fire perfectly. My favorite photo was the smallest, the light on her face is PERFECT. Good job! Very interesting.
3rd place-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO, "Diving right in," 5/16/06, Steve Stoner
I love the angle this photo was taken. You want to know what the other people are doing that they are shooting at. Very fun and gets your attention. Nicely done.
Honorable Mention(s)-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, "Day in the life of a thoroughbred," 9/2006, Maximilian Franz
This photo is a prime example of what a photo should do. It got my attention immediately. A potentially hard shot, well executed. Technically fantastic.
2nd place-Lahontan Valley News & Fallon Eagle Standard, Fallon, NV, "Grieving for a lost veteran," 5/30/06, Kim Lamb
Photographer captured a moment-a very special (almost private) time that should elicit strong emotions from reader.
3rd place-The Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, KS, "Burn out, biker babe," 4/21/06, Rod Mikinski
Fantastic face-another captured moment, but this one brings a smile-maybe even better technically than first place.
Honorable Mention(s)-Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Glenwood Springs, CO
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 15,000 or more
1st place-The Week, Delavan, WI, "Self-described former Nazi Ted Junker," 6/11/06, Terry Mayer
This was a first place instantly. It told a story without words. Great composition, lighting, angle. Simply brilliant.
2nd place-The Tribeca Trib, New York, "Gift of bells," 11/2006, Allan Tannenbaum
Wonderful photo-nice composition. I felt I was right there at Trinity Church.
3rd place-The Tribeca Trib, New York, "Spreading the word," 2/2006, Carl Glassman
What a magical photo. Excellent composition. Tough category.
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000-14,999
1st place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "Cameras were snapping," 8/25/06, Robbi Pengelly
This photo sparkles. No one with a sense of humor can look at this photo without laughing. This is the quintessential "say cheese" shot with the interplay between a father and his daughters captured at just the right moment.
2nd place-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO, "Herencia Compartida," 3/30/06, James Gregg
No photo captures the essence of the immigration debate better than this one of a little Ni?a draped in a U.S. flag while bearing the Bandera de Mexico. The editor showed good judgment in running the photo so large, and tight cropping brings attention to the subject. This photo might also have done well as a news photo entry. Great choice to use narrow depth of field to keep subject separate from background.
3rd place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "Rail," 3/28/06, Bill Hoban
Good photos played large always grab attention. Working with the lighting took skill and creates a moody effect, and the composition shows the photographer put thought into his work.
Honorable Mention(s)-Carteret County News-Times, Morehead City, NC
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "The wet set," 7/12/06, Price Chambers
Great shot of a tough subject-those rafts move quickly and somewhat erratically for photographers.
2nd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Roping talents," 3/23/06, Joe Duty
Catching the rope and cowboy in step makes for a remarkable photo.
3rd place-The Southampton Press-Eastern Edition, Southampton, NY, "The kids are alright," 12/7/06, Dana Shaw
Getting one sleeping teen is a trick but catching six is a miracle!
Honorable Mention(s)-The Southampton Press-Eastern Edition, Southampton, NY; Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 4,500-5,999,
1st place-Lee's Summit Journal, Lees Summit, MO, "A big, wet kiss," 11/1/06, Jeff Kirchhoff
"A big wet kiss" emerged as the winner in a competitive group based on can't miss subject matter of a little girl kissing her monster daddy, good lighting and good cropping.
2nd place-Lee's Summit Journal, Lees Summit, MO, "Stars in his eyes," 12/27/06, Jeff Kirchhoff
This photo could have taken first easily and the idea that the image did not make the original cut for publication suggests someone is either selfless or not thinking straight. This photo needed to run big to bring out the content and "the best of the rest" should be received as a treat by people in Lee's Summit, MO.
3rd place-The Fountain Hills Times, Fountain Hills, AZ, "What's the story?" 9/6/06, Bob Burns
This photo competed well because of the way the child integrates with the statue as if he is one of the pieces and is sharing the joy of being read to by his mother. As they say in baseball, "Good eye."
Honorable Mention(s)-The Harrison Press, Harrison, OH
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 2,700-4,499
1st place-Grant County Herald Independent, Lancaster, WI, "Here we go again Santa," 9/7/06, David Timmerman
This is by far the best among numerous Santa photos. Not only is the child's expression a hoot, but poor Santa's eyes suggest he has his hands full. Excellent choice for Page One and good size, too.
2nd place-The Waunakee Tribune, Waunakee, WI, "Volleyball reigns," 10/19/06, Roger Hamilton
Great emotional content and intelligent cropping brought this photo into the winner's circle. The graininess suggests a dark gym and hurts the quality, but the image remains striking.
3rd place-Oologah Lake Leader, Oologah, OK, "Breakfast on the fly," 8/3/06, Bill Snyder
Nature photos have a tough time competing against children and emotion-laden events, but this photo is exceptional. Capturing a hummingbird's wings without a total blur and finding the bird next to a flower rather than a feeder makes this a memorable shot.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Community News, Aledo, TX
BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 2,700
1st place-The White Hall Progress, Pine Bluff, AR, "A haunted visitor," 11/1/06, Ralph Fitzgerald
Good job capturing the expression of frightened girls. Nice lighting in a dark situation. Would like to see names in cutlines.
2nd place-The White Hall Progress, Pine Bluff, AR, "A mouthful," 5/24/06, Ralph Fitzgerald
This eye-catching photo, played large, drew the judges' attention. Shortcomings: focus is soft, needs more contrast and does not appear spontaneous.
3rd place-The Imperial Republican, Imperial, NE, "What's a county fair without kids...," 8/24/06, Russ Pankonin
The little girl's expression is sweet. Overall, though, in this same photo package is a wonderful shot of a kid losing balance after riding a sheep. If this had been entered, and played larger, the photo would have competed well for top honors in the category based on the spontaneous action, sharp focus and contrast.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Courier, Carterville, IL
BEST FAMILY LIFE/LIVING SECTION/PAGES
Daily Division
1st place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Natural Curiosity/Living Art," 4/23/06, 5/7/06, Kim Rawley
Great, compelling photos and local copy make these pages pop!
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Community and faith sections," 5/26/06, 10/20/06
Solid work in photos and copy, excellent photo composition.
BEST FAMILY LIFE/LIVING SECTION/PAGES
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "Bobbin & weaving & Death defying," 8/1/06, 11/14/06, Racheal Winter
Dynamic photos accompany the lead article and add super graphics to the featured article in both sections. I was impressed, as I am sure the paper's readers were when they saw these interesting articles. It's a step above the others.
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Family life/living section-Blown Away & My Friend Lyle," 2/22/06, 7/26/06, Johanna Love
Photos are exciting and crisp, and cropping is professional. The articles feature excellent topics and hold the reader's interest.
3rd place-The News-Gazette, Lexington, VA, "Africa/Hurricane Warning," 5/3/06, 5/17/06, Stephanie Blevins
Both features were excellent but not quite the same quality as first and second place winners. Few photos accompanied inside articles. It's a good start on a great section.
BEST FAMILY LIFE/LIVING SECTION/PAGES
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Mobridge Tribune, Mobridge, SD, "Just Folks family-life pages," 10/11/06, 11/1/06, Jo Hall
Stellar local content, covers a ton of the home front with a fabulous folksy appeal.
BEST SPECIAL NEWS,
SPORTS OR FEATURE SECTION OR EDITION
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Community review-Stories along the road," 3/26/06
Beautiful from photos to stories. "Stand-out" layout. A joy to read.
2nd place-Rome News-Tribune, Rome, GA, "Past times now and then," 8/2006, Pierre-Rene Noth
Fascinating! Layout well done!
3rd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Panorama," 3/5/06
Beautiful photos that capture people to tell stories. Excellent writing.
BEST SPECIAL NEWS,
SPORTS OR FEATURE SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "One year later," 8/23/06
This is really an excellent example of compelling journalism at its best. The stories are full of emotion and honesty. This section paints a fascinating picture of what happened, where recovery stands now and what still needs to be done.
2nd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, "The greatest generation," 11/9/06
This is a wonderful idea for a special section. The stories are fascinating and a must-read for everyone who appreciates history as told by those who lived it.
3rd place-The St Louis American, Saint Louis, "Salute to excellence," 9/14/06
The St. Louis American produced a fine special edition that pays tribute to African Americans who have made a difference. The stories capture the spirit of these fine people being honored.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; The Las Cruces Bulletin, Las Cruces, NM
BEST SPECIAL NEWS,
SPORTS OR FEATURE SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "Discover Yamhill Valley," 4/22/06
Great visitors' guide. Nice ad copy along with clear, concise editorial writing.
2nd place-Mustang Times, Mustang, OK, "Hometown Heroes," 6/28/06
Great editorial copy. It's nice to have this much documented. So much of it gets lost.
3rd place-Rochester Business Journal, Rochester, NY, "Monroe County Schools Report Card," 6/2/06
A nice all-around section. Easy to read-great info.
BEST SPECIAL NEWS,
SPORTS OR FEATURE SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-The Flume, Bailey, CO, "Let healing begin/It wasn't supposed to happen that way," 10/6/06, Cate Malek, Tom Locke, Thomas Cooper and others
A small staff, faced with covering a breaking news story of international interest, wisely brought in extra help, then produced an outstanding special section without the support of advertising. Good selection of stories. Letters allowed the community to participate. This is community journalism at its best.
2nd place-The Citizen of Morris County, Denville, NJ, "Football 2006," 9/6/06, Bob Decker
We've seen a lot of prep sports-preview sections through the years, but this is one of the best, especially for a weekly of this size. Consistent layout throughout. Even the posed pictures were interesting, especially Mountain Lakes captains on Page 28. We also liked the way the ads were handled.
3rd place-Mobridge Tribune, Mobridge, SD, "Mobridge centennial edition," 5/31/06
A monstrous effort for a paper this size. Comprehensive. Great section fronts. Layout sort of routine.
Honorable Mention(s)-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN; The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA
BEST SPECIAL NEWS
SPORTS OR FEATURE SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-The Imperial Republican, Imperial, NE, "Havana-a city trapped in time," 5/4/06, Russ Pankonin
Great commitment and originality in content and photos made this the winner. I just wish you could have used more color!
2nd place-Curry County Reporter, Gold Beach, OR, "Gold Beach Visitors' Guide," 5/10/06, Molly Walker
Chocked full of great information. Good writing, nice use of photos and ads. Made us want to visit!
3rd place-The Mendocino Beacon, Fort Bragg, CA, "Medical & emergency guide," 10/26/06
Very good idea-useful for your readers. Photos instead of crude art would have helped tremendously.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Community News, Aledo, TX
BEST SPORTS STORY
Daily Division
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Strong," 4/2/06, Samuel G. Mustari
Strong lead paints a picture and is followed by a well-researched and written inspirational story.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Aah-inspiring win," 11/12/06, Brian Howell
Clever lead and strong reporting.
3rd place-Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, Yankton, SD, "Home ice!" 1/30/06, Randy Dockendorf
Good coverage of a historical event.
Honorable Mention(s)-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO; The Daily Universe, Provo, UT
BEST SPORTS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Cold water no problem for lakes swimmer," 10/18/06, Michael Pearlman
By far the best one in the bunch. Very interesting subject that pulled me in from the beginning.
2nd place-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI, "Clippers stub out Vikes..." 1/14/06, 1/21/06, Chris Clough
Very clever twist to a sports story-made it very interesting to read. More than a play-by-play story. Hope the teacher was able to kick the habit.
3rd place-Northwest Current, Washington, DC, "Bubar, GDS baseball stun Maret," 4/19/06, Kevin Hilgers
Loved the come-from-behind angle. Well-written opening paragraph really drew me in.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Southampton Press-Eastern Edition, Southampton, NY; Washington Missourian, Washington, MO
BEST SPORTS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Mustang News, Mustang, OK, "Schwab chasing Oklahoma's 'best,' " 11/16/06, Glen Miller
Well-done.
2nd place-Regional News, Palos Heights, IL, "Time of sorrow, moment of opportunity," 8/24/06, Ken Karrson
Strong lede. Good transitions, though somewhat wordy and dulled by cliches.
3rd place-The Madison County Journal, Danielsville, GA, "Not to be taken for 'granite,' " 9/7/06, Ben Munro
Good quotes, told from an interesting angle.
BEST SPORTS SECTION/PAGE
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, 2/26/06, 10/12/06
Well organized, easy to follow with a good mix of preps, colleges and pros. Boxing feature was outstanding, why not make room for kids instead of a paid ad?
2nd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, 2/18/06, 10/1/06
Re-design improves section by utilizing left rail for teasers. New headline font is tough to read, needs more leading. New scoreboard page is a plus, though older section more readable. Color ad atop fantasy column is atrocious.
BEST SPORTS SECTION/PAGE
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, 2/22/06, 10/18/06, Jacob Adams
Strong design set a good first impression and the content did not disappoint. Photos were solid. A generous newshole allowed for strong photo play, like a full-page color photo layout on wrestling. Many pages would have been better, however, with one less photo. Covers and open pages tended to have a little too much going on. Everything in the section was legible and easy to read. Writing in this section was right at the top of all papers in the category. Writers strove to avoid dull leads without going too far.
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, 2/15/06, 10/18/06, Michael Pearlman
Great reproduction, strong photography and layout and a clean, organized section helped Jackson Hole stand out immediately. Writing is consistently solid, although a few stories were longer than needed. Good prep coverage and features. Design is pedestrian but doesn't get in the way. Everything was legible and easy to read. Good use was made of bold facing and white space to help a scanning reader. Loved the calendar, one of the best looking sports calendars I've seen. Good use of decks helped headlines convey the story quickly and clearly.
3rd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, 2/23/06, 10/5/06, Jay Kroshus
Solid writing got this paper into the winner's group. Photo play on inside pages really helped bring the whole section to life. Better cropping would have given images an even better score. Excellent use of color and generous newshole helped this paper, too. Everything was legible and easy to read. Headlines were just OK, and some were a little undersized. Design is good and didn't get in the way.
Honorable Mention(s)-South Washington County Bulletin, Cottage Grove, MN; The Southampton Press-Eastern Edition, Southampton, NY
BEST SPORTS SECTION/PAGE
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000,
1st place-Mustang News, Mustang, OK, "SportsWeek," 9/14/06, 10/19/06, Glen Miller
Strong photos, in-depth coverage of high schools give this section must-read status. The Buzz is a nice feature. Feb. 2 submission was too busy, jamming four stories on the section front.
2nd place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, 2/9/06, 10/12/06
Nicely laid out section that competes despite a lack of color. Graphics are easy to understand, pictures adequate.
3rd place-Warren County Record, Warrenton, MO, 2/9/06, 10/5/06, Tim Schmidt
Dominant photos make this section attractive. Bigger headlines would round out the package.
BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY OR SERIES
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more,
1st place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Making it look easy," 7/8/06, Robert S. Johnson
You have a nice way of combing the talent of Gonzalez from all sorts of angles, plus some analysis, without having the story break down. Nice building up of story interest; kept me interested through the end.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "NFL dreams," 4/24/06, 4/25/06, 4/26/06, 4/27/06, 4/28/06, Pat Graham and Bill Wilson
Great draft stories about the draft without it being about the draft. Nice humanization, the stories don't take themselves too seriously, which is to say they read well and simply, and carry a tone that seems to fit the subjects.
3rd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Following her dreams," 1/16/06, Robert S. Johnson
Nice timeline story that seems to hint at more. By not giving away everything up front, you give reader a reason to keep tuned. And the ending was simple and fits well.
Honorable Mention(s)-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO
BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY OR SERIES
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-The Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, KS, "No one more purple than TJ," 10/1/06, Mark Janssen
Janssen did a wonderful job of painting the perfect picture of TJ. The amount of detail made me feel like I knew him myself.
2nd place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, "Financial advisor trades ties for tights," 5/12/06, Ben Mook
Well-told, interesting story. I didn't have any questions about it after I finished reading it.
3rd place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Southmont High School junior follows in father's footsteps," 7/20/06, Sam King
Excellent subject matter. The last quote used really made this one.
Honorable Mention(s)-Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, Yankton, SD
BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-Hood County News, Granbury, TX, "Quietly making..." 12/23/06, Rick Mauch
What a role model for others, at such a tender age. Well written; story never dragged, from start to finish. A clear winner.
2nd place-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI, "Still swinging away," 9/9/06, Korey Mallien
Very interesting subject and well written. His attitude takes all excuses away from weekend duffers.
3rd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Sixth (man) sense..." 11/30-12/6/06, Gerald Garner Jr.
Nice subject matter. Would've liked to have seen more on the players, though.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Herald, Puyallup, WA; The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA; The Tribeca Trib, New York
BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Stepping back on skis," 4/12/06, Michael Pearlman
Gripping story, well told.
2nd place-Gaylord Herald Times, Gaylord, MI, "Actions speak louder," 10/7/06, Jeremy Speer
Uplifting tale, though better proofreading might have caught missing word. Good recognition of a good story.
3rd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Riding America's Spine," 7/19/06, Michael Pearlman
The author has a knack for the offbeat. Good quotes, though the lede needed some punching up.
BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-The Madison County Journal, Danielsville, GA, "From the high school gridiron to the Hollywood gridiron," 5/25/06, Ben Munro
Great story. I found it interesting how stamper went through sort of a combine. Unique story idea.
2nd place-The Fountain Hills Times, Fountain Hills, AZ, "Sassy soccer sisters," 2/8/06, Ryan Winslett
I liked how this story read like a conversation between the sisters. Nice job.
3rd place-Grant County Herald Independent, Lancaster, WI, "Little known big shots," 7/6/06, 7/13/06, 7/20/06, 7/27/06, 8/17/06, A.J. Gates
I've seen papers do series like this before, but never with this kind of depth. Excellent.
Honorable Mention(s)-Mustang News, Mustang, OK
BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY OR SERIES
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-Warren County Record, Warrenton, MO, "Quest for success," 12/21/06, Tim Schmidt
I loved the tattoo, snake, football theme in this story. That's how a feature is done!
2nd place-The Kerkhoven Banner, Kerkhoven, MN, "After fighting for life...," 12/20/06, Ted Almen
Very interesting story. Writer did a great job of portraying Timmons and his struggle.
3rd place-Warren County Record, Warrenton, MO, "Driven to succeed," 3/30/06, Tim Schmidt
I felt like I had watched that fateful race. Excellent story.
Honorable Mention(s)-Warren County Record, Warrenton, MO
BEST SPORTS COLUMN
Daily Division
1st place-Lahontan Valley News & Fallon Eagle Standard, Fallon, NV, "Greenwave fan to the very end," 2/10/06, Steve Ranson
Well-written. We should all be so lucky when it comes our time to go, doing something we love.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Piedra keeps hitting," 6/18/06, Patrick Ridgell
Told the story well. Another example of how those we sometimes idolize in sports, are just humans like the rest of us, dealing with tragedy, heartbreak, etc.
3rd place-The Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, KS, "Endearment pours out to Snyder," 8/20/06, Mark Janssen
Nice tribute to a great coach, who continues to impact others in retirement.
Honorable Mention(s)-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO
BEST SPORTS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "Amity school board blows it," 5/16/06, Allen Moody
This writer takes the school board to task in a glimpse of high school politics. His pointed column details the lessons far beyond the field.
2nd place-Carteret County News-Times, Morehead City, NC, "Why stop with carrying her across the threshold?" 10/20/2006, Craig Ramey
Ramey brings a humorous yet in-depth look at an alternative sport. His column expands on the standard fare often explored.
3rd place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "Dewey's absence deepens Dayton's strong devotion," 9/19/06, Brian Gjurgevich
A small town sports legend comes to life and the reader almost knows him by the end. This is a telling description of what devotion is.
Honorable Mention(s)-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA; The Week, Delavan, WI
BEST SPORTS COLUMN
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Press and Standard, Walterboro, SC, "Preston Hogan," 12/15/06, Brantley Strickland
Columnist's knowledge of friend, player shines through, truth and honesty.
2nd place-Poynette Press, De Forest, WI, "The upside," 10/4/06, Dana Spychalla
Although you might not agree, she makes a good point that shan't be taken too seriously, fun and different.
3rd place-Oakland Independent, Oakland, NE, "An atrocity at WPCC," 3/30/06, Dewaine Gahan
Tells it like it is, strong opinion, column has passion, way it should be.
Honorable Mention(s)-El Defensor Chieftain, Socorro, NM; Mobridge Tribune, Mobridge, SD
BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Daily Division
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Out at the Plate," 10/24/06, Bret Hartman
This picture has everything! Composition, emotion, action, color, wow! This is a great shot!
2nd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Winning run-Vince Young," 1/5/06, Kelly Lacefield
This picture tells so much. The fallen defender; the triumphant defender. Lighting was an issue.
3rd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Falcons nicked," 9/23/06, Joshua Buck
You have to smile when you see this. Clean, crisp and a fun image for your paper.
Honorable Mention(s)-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO; Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO
BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 12,000 or more
1st place-The Herald, Puyallup, WA, "Rams' playoff hopes take a hit," 10/26/06, David Sandler
Picture tells the story, crisp, ball can be seen, says it all.
2nd place-Washington Missourian, Washington, MO, "Using her head," 4/29-30/06, Bill Battle
Crisp photo, fun, can see the impact of the ball on her head.
3rd place-Carteret County News-Times, Morehead City, NC, "State champions galore!" 10/20/06, Craig Ramey
Feel the emotion, shows there's more to sports photography than just the action. Picture tells the story.
Honorable Mention(s)-Central City News, Baton Rouge, LA
BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 8,000-11,999
1st place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "McMinnville's Mychal Lemon can't get control of the ball in Mac's end zone," 9/2/06, Chrissy Ragulsky
In a close category from top to bottom, the "eyes" have it. Facial expressions on the players earned the top prize. Nice shot.
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Rodeo de Taos," 6/29-7/5/06, Gerald Garner Jr.
Clear, action-packed shot that just narrowly missed earning the top prize.
3rd place-Hood County News, Granbury, TX, "Battle of the badges," 9/13/06, Mary Vinson
Facial expressions were priceless.
Honorable Mention(s)-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI; La Tribuna, Greeley, CO; The Southampton Press-Eastern Edition, Southampton, NY
BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 5,000-7,999
1st place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "State champion," 5/14/06, Joe Duty
Dramatic close-up of a state finalist captures not only news but driving force of will-to-win.
2nd place-Mustang Times, Mustang, OK, "Josh Cooper leaping," 9/6/06, Shelly Holinsworth
Can't beat this one for timing, though should have been cropped left.
3rd place-Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, Omak, WA, "Chopping wood," 11/15/06, Chris Thew
Great shot, ball and all four hands are in view.
BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-4,999
1st place-Mustang News, Mustang, OK, "Diving for pay dirt," 9/21/06, Glen Miller
Captured the perfect moment. Great anticipation. Night football is hard to shoot, but the photo is sharp.
2nd place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, "Litchfield quarterback Kent Johnson," 9/14/06, Lyle Diekmann
Super sharp, perfectly timed, great framing.
3rd place-Gasconade County Republican, Owensville, MO, "On your head," 2/15/06, Dave Marner
Would have liked to have seen this photo larger and as a solo shot. Good timing. Nice lighting for indoor shot.
Honorable Mention(s)-Lee's Summit Journal, Lees Summit, MO
BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-The Bigheart Times, Barnsdall, OK, "Hand in air; say a prayer," 7/26/06, David Crenshaw
A gem, expertly cropped, worth framing. Fluid action with horse's mane/tail crisp but the whole as a misty, Oriental-style, softly color-nuanced dream. A study in opposed faces (rider and horse), unfortunately printed across the fold.
2nd place-Iowa Park Leader, Iowa Park, TX, "It was awesome," 5/18/06, Kevin Hamilton
Close-up shot of state contenders gets added punch from the capital dome in the background.
BEST AGRICULTURAL STORY
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "We got the beets," 10/2/06, Douglas Crowl
Crisp, vivid writing, great photos and graphics combine for a good read. "Crouched like a catcher..." grabbed me.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Drying hopes," 7/14/06, Ben Ready
Again, clear, concise writing, research, quotes, great art in easily understood article on wheat producers.
3rd place-The Lebanon Daily Record, Lebanon, MO, "Mending fences, breaking barriers," 5/26/06, 5/27/06, Julie Turner
Beef tour story tied well to export issues. Beef and fish farming novel angle. Overall, too long, but maybe OK for event and complex topic.
Honorable Mention(s)-Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO
BEST AGRICULTURAL STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "Pump it up," 6/7/06, Mary Tutwiler
This is an example of how this type of story should be presented. Well researched with no obvious bias. Both sides were well represented.
2nd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, "Cranberry harvest varies..." 10/19/06, Tom Walsh
Nice job of mixing market ag concerns with a human angle. Well researched.
3rd place-Farm and Dairy, Salem, OH, "Second chance," 10/26/06, Janelle Skrinjar
More human interest than a pure ag story, was gripping and well worth the read.
Honorable Mention(s)-Hood County News, Granbury, TX; News-Register, McMinnville, OR
BEST AGRICULTURAL STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-The Franklin Journal, Farmington, ME, "Spinach sprouts serendipitously," 9/29/06, Sheila McMillan
This story must have been good news to spinach lovers last year during the E. coli scare. Good use of one local operation as an example to tell the story. Good use of sources: The father and son of the farm, a Bureau of Health person, three of the farm's commercial customers, a university dining services director and a supermarket spokesperson. I applaud you for covering so many bases. P.S. Great photo.
2nd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Farmer not sure pipeline, organic style can co-exist," 9/19/06, Jorge Sosa
This story shows two sides of an issue: the farmer whose land will be affected by the pipeline, and the pipeline company. Although more comment from the pipeline company, or other farmers who might be affected, would have enhanced the story, the writer did give the reader a good view of the farmer's dilemma and what effect the pipeline might have on his livelihood.
3rd place-Hood River News, Hood River, OR, "Keeping bees happy," 5/10/06, Esther K Smith
This lead is clever and is right on point, and the story refers back to the lead in the closing paragraph. Good job. Great imagery in the simple telling of how a beehive works. Stories don't have to be full of complex sentences and big words to be good writing. Good quotes from the apiarists. Statewide or national statistics about honey production would have enhanced this story.
BEST BUSINESS STORY
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Board of Trade Outlook Conference," 2/25/06
Stories clearly convey economic information for the readers. The information was presented in an easy-to-understand format, even with the use of figures. Packed with plenty of hard facts.
2nd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Soft housing market," 11/5/06, Maria St. Louis-Sanchez
Writer tackles an important economic issue and informs readers about foreclosures without getting bogged down in technical terms. The example used is one the readers can relate to. Excellent.
3rd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "New beginnings," 7/23/06, Tony Kindelspire
Well-written approach informs the readers of the new company. Background information about the employees helps to provide a fresh perspective. Solid research.
BEST BUSINESS STORY
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-Fulton County Daily Report, Atlanta, "Without Delta, can Phoenix rise again?" 4/14/06, Janet L. Conley
Exceptionally well-written story packed with information about Delta Air Lines. Story clearly outlines the economic impact to employees and the community-excellent approach!
2nd place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, "Privatopia," 1/20/06, Jen De Gregorio
Story examines the growing rise of gated communities and focuses on economic aspect. Well-developed story that uses a wide array of sources. Hot topic packed with information.
3rd place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, "Nobody else was doing it," 12/15/06, Caryn Tamber
Nontraditional story packs plenty of details into what many might consider a typical business profile. However, the writer takes an innovative approach in exploring the law firm's specialties. Very timely issue.
Honorable Mention(s)-Fulton County Daily Report, Atlanta
BEST BUSINESS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 12,000 or more
1st place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "Couret controversy," 12/6/06, Leslie Turk
Well-developed story tracks the twists and turn of an economic development project. Conversational tone conveys the legal aspects well. Very thorough approach-readers are quickly able to understand the issue.
2nd place-Community Impact Newspaper, Pflugerville, TX, "How Dell changed Round Rock," 12/2006, Christi Snow
Informative piece about Dell to show the impact to the community. Use of subheads helps to break up the text. Fresh perspectives show how the company changed the area. High reader interest.
3rd place-The Examiner, Beaumont, TX, "Tax abatements," 1/6-12/06, Jerry Jordan
Very difficult topic-written effectively. Explains tax abatements and how they relate to the community. Excellent job researching the topic.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Examiner, Beaumont, TX
BEST BUSINESS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 8,000-11,999
1st place-News-Register, McMinnville, OR, "It's a dirty job," Katie Willson & Laurent L.N. Bonczijk
Super effort on a difficult assignment. Stories cleverly told with humor, yet with descriptive analysis. Wish I could have read the rest of the series.
2nd place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "Green computers," 12/19/06, Sierra Jenkins
Who in today's business world doesn't have interest in this challenging topic? Your subject should take his vocation and run far.
3rd place-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI, "Close to home this time," 7/4/06, Joe Knaapen
Well-written article on little-known topic. Made even better for the reader with excellent photos.
Honorable Mention(s)-News-Register, McMinnville, OR
BEST BUSINESS STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 8,000,
1st place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Survival of the smallest," 3/28/06, Terry Davis & Jorge Sosa
Very good execution of a terrific story idea that any newspaper could undertake. Good use of quotes and anecdotes. Excellent job.
2nd place-Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Saint Louis, "Colossus," 7/24/06, Sylvia Hsieh
Outstanding coverage of a helper/hurdle for a distinct business sector. Great information, strong quotes, well written.
3rd place-Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Saint Louis, "Lewis Rice's margins of victory," 5/1/06, Heather Cole
Excellent analytical story driven and supported by data and facts. Could have used more quotes for human factor.
Honorable Mention(s)-Grant County Herald Independent, Lancaster, WI
BEST HEALTH STORY
Daily Division
1st place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "When is too old to drive?" 9/30/06, Brenna Humann
Thorough look at a growing national problem.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Bringing sexual addiction out of the shadows," 2/23/06, Pam Mellskog
Good piece on illness getting more attention.
3rd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Put your money where your toes are," 8/24/06, Pam Mellskog
Nice bread-and-butter feature on what everyone wears.
BEST HEALTH STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-Rochester Business Journal, Rochester, NY, "Chronic condition," 11/24/06, Will Astor
Timely, informative without being dry!
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Lost in thought," 12/13/06, Katharine Decker
Wonderfully presented, informative article that highlights the plight of many.
3rd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Finding Tristen's smile," 12/24/06, Brian Knox & Joe Knox
More than a story highlighting a person with a disease. This feature was informative, well written.
Honorable Mention(s)-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI; La Tribuna, Greeley, CO
BEST HEALTH STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Hood River News, Hood River, OR, "Lyme labyrinth," 8/16/06, Janet Cook
This is a great story that used all of the resources of the reporter to cover this topic-even touching on the victim's isolation from friends who thought she was on meth. It turned out to be Lyme disease.
2nd place-Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Saint Louis, "Birth of a lawsuit," 7/3/06, Geri Dreiling
Great descriptive use of a court case to document why some hospitals are banning the videotaping of childbirth.
3rd place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, "Suicide rate concerns local officials," 9/21/06, Kristin Holtz
Good analysis of an outbreak of suicide. A very difficult subject to cover in small communities.
BEST EDUCATION/LITERACY STORY
Daily Division
1st place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Inside Antelope Valley High School," 6/4/06, 6/5/06, 6/6/06, Christopher Amico
Great use of telling a positive story about local schools through students. Impactful stuff!
2nd place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Dual immersion programs..." 11/2/06, Alicia Coffman
Good work on a topical issue impacting communities everywhere.
3rd place-Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, Yankton, SD, "Small schools keeping up the fight," 2/2/06, Randy Dockendorf
Nice reporting and numbers-based presentation.
Honorable Mention(s)-Mesabi Daily News, Virginia, MN
BEST EDUCATION/LITERACY STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO, "Aprendiendo a aprender," 8/24/06, Mailyn Salabarria and Maria St. Louis-Sanchez
A simple story about a little girl's first day of kindergarten and the challenges the teacher faces, presented in an extraordinarily interesting and informative manner. Useful to parents and interesting for community.
2nd place-Tooele Transcript-Bulletin, Tooele, UT, "Recess vanishing in county schools," 11/23/06, Karen Hunt
Great introduction to the issue and well written.
3rd place-The Week, Delavan, WI, "Which would you choose?" 2/26/06, Mike Heine
Great presentation of a continuing debate in education.
Honorable Mention(s)-Northwest Current, Washington, DC
BEST EDUCATION/LITERACY STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, "Libre Academy graduates its first class," 6/8/06, Brent Schacherer
Easily the best in this category. An in-depth look at a different kind of school. Nicely written.
2nd place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, "Kindergarten concern," 1/19/06, Juliana Thill
Solid examination about a decision for all-day kindergarten. Good writing throughout.
3rd place-The Madison County Journal, Danielsville, GA, "The cost of education," 6/22/06, Zach Mitcham
"Cost" is a much-needed examination of financial requirements for education. The lede paragraph was overwritten.
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL STORY
Daily Division
1st place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, "Is our office headed for obsolescence?" 7/28/06, Dori Berman
This comprehensive look at how and why "green" office buildings are the wave of the future is well written and well researched. Excellent for the target audience but a story any reader would both enjoy and find useful.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "RMNP nitrogen levels growing..." 3/11/06, Douglas Crowl
Crowl provides a solid examination of the impact man made pollutants are having on a national park and what steps are being taken to assess the problem and find solutions. Readable, well researched and informative.
3rd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Warm memories," 9/30/06, Dan England
This makes the pursuit of environmental progress so human and is a tribute to Mrs. Venus, her late husband, and a truly effective and appropriate memorial. Very nicely written-sometimes I wanted to cheer, other times I wanted to cry.
Honorable Mention(s)-Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, Yankton, SD
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-San Francisco Bay Guardian, San Francisco, "It flows downhill," 8/9-15/06, Sarah Phelan
Comprehensive and richly sourced account that takes the reader into the bowels of a critical issue that has sweeping reach. Great writing, plenty of facts. Appreciate the attention given to alternatives.
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Elk or energy," 10/4/06, Cory Hatch
Engaging storytelling with a purpose makes the reader feel like they're alongside the writer.
3rd place-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI, "County examining septic systems," 7/26/06, Deb Fitzgerald
Crisp writing and a tight focus carry this update on a ubiquitous environmental problem.
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL STORY
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-Bellmore Life, Merrick, NY, "Wind energy-Blowing in the wind," 5/10/06, Laura Schofer & Douglas Finlay
Multiple sources-including scientists-and international perspectives provide real depth. The second story-balanced. Only drawback: poor headline.
2nd place-The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA, "Are egg industry jobs in jeopardy?" 5/10/06, 6/21/06, 10/4/06, DeAnn Komanecky
This story required following. Multiple sources help-and the space to provide depth. Solid, balanced effort.
3rd place-The Prescott Journal, Prescott, WI, "Water still safe decade later," 7/6/06, Erik Anderson
Follow-up is one key to provide good environmental coverage-as this piece demonstrates.
Honorable Mention(s)-Point Reyes Light, Point Reyes Station, CA
BEST PERFORMING ARTS STORY
Daily Division
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Leaving on a jet plane," 4/21/06, Susan Glairon
Thorough, frank feature about someone facing the challenges of succeeding as a songwriter. Skillful job capturing the work-a-day world life versus the artist's aspirations. Fine piece.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Success stories," 10/13/06, Valerie Singleton
Excellent, pithy but warm and inviting writings about three success stories. Excellent subject selections-just a first-rate package.
3rd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Deadly silence follows this band's thunder," 11/3/06, Chris Casey
Liked how this story went out and covered some spunky big band jazz musicians who play for the passion. Good story of local art/music under the radar.
BEST PERFORMING ARTS STORY
Non-daily Division
1st place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, "Doing the reggae," 9/13/06, Michael Colello
Wonderful piece! Great to see a DJ's love for music highlighted.
2nd place, tie-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI, "Something old, something new, all blues," 7/12/06, Chris Clough
Nicely done-great to read an in-depth art piece.
2nd place, tie-Idyllwild Town Crier, Idyllwild, CA, "Zydecosis," 7/27/06, Marshall Smith
Well-written, fun piece. It made me want to go listen to this band!
Honorable Mention(s)-La Tribuna, Greeley, CO
BEST REVIEW
Daily Division
1st place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Inside man," 3/31-4/6/06, Lavendar Vroman
A talented writer gives a good flavor of the subject without giving away too much.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Mann stands out in show," 1/28/06, Valerie Singleton
Singleton knows her subject and gives the reader a view of the concert from the inside.
3rd place-The Lebanon Daily Record, Lebanon, MO, "Stranger than fiction: Movie's literary premise makes for entertaining viewing," 11/19/06, Chadwick Watters
Decent review of an offbeat movie.
BEST REVIEW
Non-daily Division
1st place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Staying alive," 4/6-12/06, Virginia L. Clark
Wonderfully written-great transitions, explaining the poet's background and work.
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Logra Gibson exito pero falto algo en Apocalypto," 12/21-27/06, Jerry A. Padilla
Very well written-a unique approach to reviewing this movie.
3rd place-Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, WI, "Band proves accordion music can rock out," 2/23-31/06, Chris Clough
Interesting and fun review! I liked that the writer was honest-presented the band-not as a novelty act, but as artists.
Honorable Mention(s)-Mustang Times, Mustang, OK
BEST NEWSPAPER WEB SITE
Daily Division
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "greeleytribune.com,"
The key to excellence in online news delivery is speed and customization. GreeleyTribune.com is providing both with web updates throughout the news day and with a variety of opportunities for readers to choose how they want their news. Greeley Tribune also provided a wealth of multimedia options for web visitors to see, hear and interact with.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Longmont FYI.com"
Longmontfyi.com had the strongest multimedia elements as evidence in its slideshows with audio. The photojournalists and multimedia producers are putting together highly polished presentations that one would expect from a major metropolitan media outlet.
BEST NEWSPAPER WEB SITE
Non-daily Division
1st place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "sonomanews.com," Ryan Lynch
The Sonoma news web site has the pieces in place to provide innovation and web extras with the addition of its podcast feature. The design and tabbed browsing are welcome navigation tools for site visitors.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Community News, Aledo, TX
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Daily Division
1st place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, "Saving our schools," 3/26/06, 4/30/06, 6/4/06
Your staff took a negative and turned it into a positive by playing an active role with solutions rather than just criticism. Your efforts made a difference in your community and were evidenced by the improvement in test scores in the schools.
2nd place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, "Food drive," 4/9/06, 4/10/06, 4/13/06, 4/20/06, 4/25/06, Melanie Sidwell and Erin McCracken
Some talk the talk, but your paper "walked the walk." By leading and participating in the annual food drive, the Daily Times-Call made a difference in its community that will be felt by many.
3rd place-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA, "Section 8 and sex offenders," 2/7/06, 2/16/06, 2/17/06, 7/18/06, 12/31/06, Lisa Wahla Howard, William Warford
With your lead reporting, the Antelope Valley Press made a significant impact on the region by bringing abuses of the Section 8 housing issues. It made government accountable and made for a better community to live in.
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000 or more
1st place-Washington Missourian, Washington, MO, "Some friends to feed," 1/7-8/06, 1/28-29/06, 2/1/06, 2/25-26/06, 2/8/06, 1/14-15/06, 1/18/06, 1/27-28/06
Demonstrates how community service should be done.
2nd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Fire department fundraiser," 1/1/06, 1/26/06, 1/29/06, 1/8/06, 8/13/06
Provided support and allowed community to support fire service.
3rd place-The Alamance News, Graham, NC, "Publisher challenges secret & closed meetings," 2/2/06, 2/9/06, 11/9/06, 11/30/06
Nice to see a weekly publisher with the courage to take on this issue.
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
1st place-The Mendocino Beacon, Fort Bragg, CA, "School bond," 7/6/06, 9/28/06, 10/19/06, 11/9/06, Connie Korbel
This is what community service is all about in our role in the community. Your background and effort on this issue, in my mind, made the real difference in why the bond issue passed so resoundingly. You made a difference in your community!
2nd place-The Perry County Republic-Monitor, Perryville, MO, "Blood drive, banquet, events," 7/27/06, 11/14/06
Your three-pronged effort to help your community is what makes a true difference in your community.
3rd place-The Hennessey Clipper, Hennessey, OK, "Voter information guide," 10/26/06, 7/13/06, Bill & Barb Walter
As a community publisher who once worked in a paper with a staff of four, I can truly appreciate the work that you went to complete these voter guides. These guides truly assist the voters and provide a service they can get from no other media-period! Good job.
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
Daily Division, circulation 16,000 or more
1st place-Daily Times-Call, Longmont, CO, 6/16/06, 6/17/06, 11/7/06
Excellent writing and superior use of graphics put this paper in a class above the others. The sports section is great, and the crime page is a wonderful model of design creativity.
2nd place-Greeley Tribune, Greeley, CO, 6/23/06, 11/23/06, 11/24/06
This is a fine newspaper, loaded with interesting stories and features. The sports section is the strongest part of this paper. Treatment of ads is excellent.
Honorable Mention(s)-Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, CA
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
Daily Division, circulation less than 16,000
1st place-The Daily Record, Baltimore, 6/9/06, 11/9/06, 11/10/06
Very nice ads, the layout of the entire publication is great, easy to read. Headlines are great, bring you into the story. Photos are awesome!
2nd place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, 6/10-11/06, 6/12/06, 11/13/06
Advertising is good, very creative. Writing is good as well as the headlines. Public notices need some work.
3rd place-The Lebanon Daily Record, Lebanon, MO, 6/6/06, 6/7/06, 11/8/06
Nice color, writing is good. Need some help with layout and advertising. Get creative, all the ads look the same. Headlines are good.
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, 6/29-7/5/06, 11/16-22/06, 11/22-28/06
Wow, this paper is chuck full of good news and content! There is a lot here to keep readers engaged. Writing was consistent and solid with some good editorials and columnists. Sports coverage was strong. Headlines were solid and clear. The variety of glossy supplements was a real strength here, especially for a paper of this size (10,500). Salute to public servants section was a very nice touch. This paper is working at a high level. It would compare well to most medium-sized dailies. I got a very strong sense of place reading this paper. Impressive classified section for this category, using color well on cover. Commitment to color and visuals throughout the paper was another strength. Beautiful color double truck photo layout on rodeo was the kind of bonus you just don't see inside papers anymore. Sophisticated touches ranged from Larry Torres column logo (a mix of color and black and white) to Spanish language coverage. Layout throughout was clean and never got in the way. Overall, design was just OK, however, with lots of little inconsistencies. How could this paper improve? Nameplate and page flags are weak and lack structure. The paper could use a stronger refer strategy to make sure I don't miss all that good inside content. Supplements often didn't have strong design links to main paper and some had weak typography, like squeezed type in TV grids and poor selection of fonts for feature story headlines. Try exploring some alternative story forms and more breakouts.
2nd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, 11/2/06, 11/9/06, 6/29/06
I felt this paper had the best writing overall of the group and those scores brought this paper near the top quickly. The special section on World War II vets, The Greatest Generation, was hard to put down. Classy, compelling, heartfelt. Editorials were another strength. Very traditional design is generally good but just looks dated at times, and the classified section had huge page flags that didn't fit into the rest of the paper. Consider a design upgrade that respects your traditions and history. The paper had a very New England feel to it. I found myself wishing you'd make better use of photos on your huge, broad pages. It was hard not to award this paper first place-this is clearly a great weekly newspaper-but headlines, photos, design, advertising could have been a little better. Overall, I'd say the folks in Ellsworth are probably getting just what they want from their local paper.
3rd place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, 6/14/06, 6/21/06, 11/8/06
Strong, professional-looking design gives anyone picking this paper a good first impression. Good photography also helps. Best headlines of the group with many that spoke informally to readers ("Oh, the rain"). Organized, consistent, credible throughout. Loved the graduation section with pictures of (almost) every grad and the double-truck photo layout of local Little League games. That's what being an effective local weekly is all about! Both of these efforts were very well done. Best use of breakouts of the group. Some nice use of secondary art-little touches and accents brought pages to life-although cutouts were a little over used. Good use of indexing and refers to make sure I could find what I want. Again, it was hard to give a paper this good only third place. But I felt writing could be tightened. There were a lot of long, wordy leads. Lifestyles covers were good but a little over designed and didn't fit in with the look of other sections. Special sections didn't reach the high standards set in the first and second place winners.
Honorable Mention(s)-Idaho Mountain Express, Ketchum, ID; San Francisco Bay Guardian, San Francisco; The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
Non-daily Division, circulation 6,000-9,999
1st place-The N'West Iowa REVIEW, Sheldon, IA, 6/3/06, 11/25/06, 5/27/06
This is cruel. Don't make me choose between the Review, the Jackson Hole News & Guide and the Southampton Press. I don't like to make a final decision based on points, but I'll have to do it here. As always, the Review does so much, and it does it so well. I'm impressed with the story leads. I'm continually pulled in and want to read the article. The sports coverage continues to be superb. Competitors do some things better, but the points point to the Review.
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, 6/21/06, 11/1/06, 11/8/06
The News & Guide was a close second based on points. When I step back, look the winners over and think about which paper I would most want to read every week, it's the News & Guide. Such an impressive array of coverage every week. Lots of columnists and guest writers, good arts coverage, thorough news coverage. Another truly great newspaper.
3rd place-The Southampton Press-Eastern Edition, Southampton, NY, 6/29/06, 6/22/06, 11/23/06
It's a strange experience to compare a paper from Southampton with Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Sheldon, Iowa. It was obvious to me from the start that the Press was a contender. The Press has the best editorial pages in the class. The leads in many stories could be improved and use of headlines needs some consideration. Perhaps a new typeface would help to get away from the weak look that comes through on many pages. Overall, it's a great paper.
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
Non-daily Division, circulation 3,000-5,999
1st place-Litchfield Independent Review, Litchfield, MN, 6/22/06, 11/2/06, 11/9/06
Another outstanding example of a quality publication. Solid in every aspect. Most newspapers of any size should aspire to this level of excellence.
2nd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, 11/28/06, 6/13/06, 11/30/06
This is a near-perfect example of a community newspaper that sets the highest standards of journalism excellence.
3rd place-Hood River News, Hood River, OR, 6/21/06, 6/17/06, 11/29/06
Strong entry. Very good in every respect. From a design standpoint, we'd like more air, but that's being picky. It serves its community well.
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
1st place-Mount Desert Islander, Bar Harbor, ME, 6/22/06, 6/29/06, 11/2/06
Outstanding newspaper! Great headlines. Clean layout. Well done. Good use of fonts.
2nd place-The Community News, Aledo, TX, 6/16/06, 6/23/06, 11/3/06
Superior product! Good use of fonts, section heads. Nice use of photos. Clean ads.
3rd place-Curry County Reporter, Gold Beach, OR, 6/7/06, 6/14/06, 11/29/06
Good product. Could use some "white space." Nice section heads. Good use of photographs.
GENERAL EXCELLENCE, COLLEGE DIVISION
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-The Southwestern College Sun, Chula Vista, CA, 2/20-3/22/06, 3/23-4/21/06, 10/19-11/1/06
Stories were well written. Good use of student input throughout paper.
2nd place-The Orion/California State University-Chico, Chico, CA, 2/8/06, 2/15/06, 11/8/06
Great emphasis on students' opinions. Graphics use too much of a good thing.
3rd place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, 2/1/06, 11/7/06, 11/8/06, Kaylene Armstrong
Good writing, but headlines and byline usage was unappealing. Focus on college/student life was somewhat lacking.
Better Newspaper
Advertising Contest
BEST SINGLE AD IDEA - B&W
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-Echo Press, Alexandria, MN, "West Central Sanitation," 2/15/06
Good attention getter.
2nd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Now open - Best Donuts II," 1/26/06
Unique use of selling product as a border of ad.
3rd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Attention: Volunteer firefighter fish fry," 11/12/06
Good art work.
Honorable Mention(s)-Point Reyes Light, Point Reyes Station, CA; The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA
BEST SINGLE AD IDEA - COLOR
Daily Division
1st place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Take a vacation," 6/2006, Libby Egan
Good use of color. Great pictures.
2nd place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Shlootberry festival," 6/8/06, Shaylan Owen
Very unique. Neat catch.
3rd place-Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia, MO, "Columbia Regional Airport," 9/13/06
Neat ad.
Honorable Mention(s)-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN
BEST SINGLE AD IDEA - COLOR
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "Coquette," 2/8/06
Well, here's an ad that pops from the page, in pink no less. It doesn't take a huge amount of color to capture interest. A very interesting idea and quite simple to make up.
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Wild life," 5/25/06, Lisa Tredwin
Another great ad from this newspaper; I remember their great ads from last year. It's simple, clean and very eye-catching.
3rd place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "General Office Supply," 12/27/06
Great prospective on the ad photo, a boring subject made interesting. I would have moved the FREE over a hair to get it off the photo line.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA
BEST SINGLE AD IDEA - COLOR
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 10,000
1st place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Bend over backwards/Stephens, Bastian & Cartwright," 10/2006
Great idea! Good photos! Thanks for remembering the shadows! Worth copying!
2nd place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "JC Jewelers," 9/6/06, Lydia Wanner
Would have won first most years! We wish we could do as well! An outstanding idea that "blue" us away!
3rd place-Cody Enterprise, Cody, WY, "Don't let your child," 8/7/06, Pam Goodyear & Kyle Bogan
Strong photos, sized right! Handles lots of copy well! Good layout!
BEST SERIES AD IDEA - B&W
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "C'est Toi Supermodels Campaign," 2/8/06, 4/12/06, 6/14/06, 8/23/06
So nice to see an ad with women of all shapes and sizes - and it's still just as nice to look at if a young, skinny woman were in it! I like the different background patterns in each. These are fun ads, and simple. Good job!
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, Salon Marjorie, 5/25/06, 6/15/06, 2/2/06, Julie Osmanski
Nice large photos of similar quality and same footer in each ad. In the footer, watch for size and position as font sizes vary and position of "salon" and "Marjorie" differ. Also choose a frame or no frame. The layout/idea is great - just need consistency.
3rd place-Echo Press, Alexandria, MN, "Country Vet," 6/23/06, 3/10/06, 12/8/06
Cute dogs - that will get anyone's attention, and that's the purpose of an ad. Would have liked to see the same footer in all three ads.
BEST SERIES AD IDEA - COLOR
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-The Blackshear Times, Blackshear, GA, "PrimeSouth bank," 2/22/06, 3/1/06, 3/8/06, 3/15/06, 3/22/06, 3/29/06, 4/5/06
Excellent use of testimonials - with good photos and quotes of bank customers. Work on production; colors oversaturated; logo fuzzy.
2nd place-Echo Press, Alexandria, MN, "Broadway Medical," 6/9/06, 6/2/06, 5/5/06, 5/26/06, 5/12/06
Nice fresh, clean, attractive ads; good color scheme and series theme. Good use of local photos. Brief, informative copy.
3rd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Sleep sanctuary," 8/31/06, 12/21/06, 11/9/06, 11/30/06, 11/2/06
Interesting idea to use local people sleeping; nice brief bios of subjects. Tone down size of copy to open up some space.
Honorable Mention(s)-The Community News, Aledo, TX; The Taos News, Taos, NM
BEST SALES
PROMOTION SECTION OR EDITION
Daily Division
1st place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Brigham Young University Housing Guide 2006," 1/2006, Ian Bowles, Glade Cox, et al.
What a great guide for students to find housing. I loved the cover. Ads nicely done with lots of variety in apartment ads.
2nd place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Montgomery County directory," 4/30/06
Colorful with lots of interesting ads. Well-designed guide.
3rd place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Candid," 9/29/06
Loved the layout. Ads really stood out.
BEST SALES
PROMOTION SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation 12,000 or more
1st place-Brentwood Press, Brentwood, CA, "2006 Best of Brentwood," 6/30/06
This is creative, very well thought out, planned and executed. You involved the whole community. Class act.
2nd place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "Takin' Care of Business," 3/29/06
Well done! Brilliant photography. Classy, simple layout makes you want to read this!
3rd place-Valencia County News-Bulletin, Belen, NM, "Locals," 10/28/06
A nice read. Good photos. What a great way to get to know your locals and keep the feeling of community.
BEST SALES
PROMOTION SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation 8,000 - 11,999
1st place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Tradiciones," 10/19/06
Such a neat idea for a section. Great photos that really help to tell the story. A nice tribute and way to "give back" to the community.
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "A Taos wedding," 2/2/06
Great photos. Consistency throughout. Good size choice.
3rd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Festival of Trees & Wreaths," 11/30/06
Nice cover. Use of gutters is something not so standard and makes for a clean layout. Great photos.
BEST SALES
PROMOTION SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation 5,000 - 7,999
1st place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Home style," 9/10/06
Way and by far the most upscale, eye-catching cover and ad designs. Beautiful job throughout.
2nd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Athletes spring into action," 4/6/06
Dramatic front cover; brilliant execution of new way to do display small "spring preview" ads.
3rd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Readers choice 2006," 7/13/06
Nice local pictures as promotion on front cover. Nice concept and execution.
BEST SALES
PROMOTION SECTION OR EDITION
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 5,000
1st place-The Prescott Journal, Prescott, WI, "5th-graders section," 5/25/06
Creativity made this a BIG winner. The hand-drawn ads are ones people will read and remember. I made a photocopy to share the idea.
2nd place-El Defensor Chieftain, Socorro, NM, "Festival of the cranes guide," 11/2006
Great cover, layout, ad design and color put this section in the top three.
3rd place-El Defensor Chieftain, Socorro, NM, "How-to guide," 8/2006
A simple idea, nicely executed. I can see how it would stick around a reader's house.
BEST USE OF AD COLOR
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY, "Jones Boys Printing," 9/6/06, Stacey Walker
This is truly thinking outside the box! Brilliant colors reproduced extremely well by the newspaper make this a printer to be reckoned with. Only drawback was placing it next to another color ad. On its own page, it would leap off the page.
2nd place-Echo Press, Alexandria, MN, "Salon Alexis," Jan. 2006
Restrained use of color in this one reminds me of an old Charley Mauser maxim: "A lady doesn't use all her lipstick at one time." Very understated look makes the ad pop from the page.
3rd place-Community Impact Newspaper, Pflugerville, TX, "Beyond the Red Door," December 2006
Excellent reproduction brings depth to the wood in the door, and use of the vignette heightens the consumer's desire to open it. Nice job on the press!
Honorable Mention(s)-Livingston Parish News, Denham Springs, LA
BEST MULTIPLE ADVERTISER SECTION
Daily & Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA, "Discover magazine and brochure," May 2006
A magnificent effort which serves the community well. I especially like the included yellow pages. Good staff effort overall.
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "2006 Taos map," 8/31/06
Judge is a sucker for these kinds of community maps. They are useful, provide a community service and are fun to read.
3rd place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "Sonoma valley food and wine," 7/21/06
A very nice themed guide to food and wine. Features are helpful to wine amateurs, as are the menus. Nice, savable section.
Honorable Mention(s)-The St Louis American, Saint Louis, "Celebrating diversity calendar," 2006
BEST MULTIPLE ADVERTISER SECTION
Daily & Non-daily Division, circulation less than 10,000
1st place-The Waushara Argus, Wautoma, WI, "Kids design an ad," 4/19/06
A "Design an Ad" section is always going to have tremendous readership and savability. Solid advertiser participation.
2nd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Building for your health/Wise Regional," 7/22/06
A great effort to bring together lots of important information about health. Good editorial and advertising content. Solid staff effort.
3rd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Gobbler giveaway," 11/2/06
One of the best entries by this paper's staff, to get into stores, getting them involved. Congrats on all your multiple-advertiser entries. Good staff effort.
Honorable Mention(s)-Mustang News, Mustang, OK
BEST PUBLIC NOTICE SECTION
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Wise County Crime Stoppers/Sex Offenders," 10/26/06
Easy to scan - good info upfront.
2nd place-Brentwood Press, Brentwood, CA, "City of Brentwood, Your City, Downtown, Your Voice," 6/16/06
You've shown it doesn't have to be all text and lines - I like the color!
3rd place-The Villager, Greenwood Village, CO, "Public notice section," 11/9/06, 6/15/06
Good spacing - easy to scan without all the boxes!
Honorable Mention(s)-Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia, MO; The Courier, Carterville, IL
BEST CLASSIFIED SECTION
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-The Fountain Hills Times, Fountain Hills, AZ, 2/8/06, 2/15/06, 2/22/06
Good use of color. Classifieds are easy to read, not cluttered. Very appealing to the eye.
2nd place-Brentwood Press, Brentwood, CA, , 10/27/06, 11/3/06, 11/10/06
Good layout, color, quality of paper is good.
3rd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, , 10/26/06
Good layout - typeface is appealing and easy to read.
Honorable Mention(s)-Mount Desert Islander, Bar Harbor, ME
BEST USE OF LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN ADS
Daily & Non-daily Division
1st place-Mustang Times, Mustang, OK, "Mustang Optical," 8/30/06
An easy choice - Solid photo, great idea, done well!
2nd place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Helping one patient at a time," 6/29/06
Solid quality photo.
3rd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Feliz Navidad," 11/30/06
Two more solid photos would have placed this entry higher.
BEST NEWSPAPER PROMOTION
Daily Division
1st place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Front row fanatics," 9/5/06, 9/20/06, 10/5/06, 12/14/06, 12/15/06, Jesse Royston, Joseph Brady and Libby Egan
Really very creative.
2nd place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "45 questions/45 pizzas/45 winners," 3/10/06, 3/16/06, Geoff Brooks
Very creative.
3rd place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Sudoku is coming," 10/26/06, 10/27/06, 10/30/06, 10/31/06, 11/1/06, Seth Hill
Creative.
Honorable Mention(s)-Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia, MO; The Daily Universe, Provo, UT
BEST NEWSPAPER PROMOTION
Non-daily Division
1st place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Tradiciones," 8/3/06, 10/12/06, 10/5/06, 7/20/06, 9/7/06, Joanne Crass
Wonderful use of compelling quotes with striking photos. All-around great series.
2nd place-The Taos News, Taos, NM, "Enchanted homes," 5/18/06, 6/29/06, 1/5/06, 11/2/06, 10/12/06, Diane Lacy
I like the simplicity of the ads along with the enchanting photos.
3rd place-Sonoma Index-Tribune, Sonoma, CA, "Sonoma magazine," 11/10/06, 11/17/06, 11/24/06, 12/1/06, 12/8/06, Manuel Merjil
Unique color to fill up the white space - great layouts and type.
Honorable Mention(s)-The St Louis American, Saint Louis; The Taos News, Taos, NM
BEST SMALL-PAGE AD
Daily Division
1st place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Spiders! - Arab Termite & Pest Control," 8/15/06, Shaylan Owen
No explanation needed. Great visual.
2nd place-Journal Review, Crawfordsville, IN, "Arab - Beetles," 8/22/06, Shaylan Owen
Easy to relate. Good use of spot color.
3rd place-The Daily Universe, Provo, UT, "Sushi special," 8/8/06, Libby Egan
Very good layout - good match of font to client.
BEST SMALL-PAGE AD
Non-daily Division, circulation 10,000 or more
1st place-The Las Cruces Bulletin, Las Cruces, NM, "Roberto's - Red or green," 5/28/06, Aaron Moreno
Loved the ad - clean layout, easy to read. I just might copy it. Great ad!
2nd place-The Independent Weekly, Lafayette, LA, "PascaleSpa," 11/22/06
Makes you want to call for an appointment. Very well done!
3rd place-Brentwood Press, Brentwood, CA, "Gabby's Grind," 7/7/06
Nice all around ad - black reserve could have been a little smaller.
BEST SMALL-PAGE AD
Non-daily Division, circulation less than 10,000
1st place-Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX, "Decatur Donuts/Celebrating 13 years," 4/16/06
For a black and white ad - this was great creative, use of space.
2nd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Fall open house - Carr Flowers," 10/5/06, Colleen Piechowski
Bold use of color.
3rd place-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN, "Kiss icy steps goodbye! - ABC Seamless," 2/23/06, Scott Hurmemann
Lips to sell siding and gutters?
Honorable Mention(s)-Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, MN; Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson, WY
BEST ADVERTISING IDEA
Daily & Non-daily Newspapers
1st place-Iowa Park Leader, Iowa Park, TX, "We held it as long as we could," 8/10/06
Brilliant! Hands down, the best entry. Use of humor to soften blow of rate increase is nice touch. Visual impact stops us cold. Well done!
2nd place-Mount Desert Islander, Bar Harbor, ME, "Bar Harbor revaluation," 8/3/06, 8/17/06
Beautiful photos, clean easily-navigable layout made this appealing to reader. Advertisers got double exposure, lots of bang for their buck. Brite white cover was a good investment.
3rd place-The Ellsworth American, Ellsworth, ME, "Health Quarterly," 2/2/06, 5/4/06, 8/3/06, 11/12/06
Your effort and hard work made this a winner. A worthwhile subject that obviously appealed to both readers and advertisers. Loved the bag insert! Good consistent look. Cover could have more punch!
Honorable Mention(s)-The Hinsdalean, Hinsdale, IL; Wise County Messenger, Decatur, TX |
|