Winners, finalists and judges' comments

DIVISION I

(Newspapers with daily circulations of 12,000 or more)

Div. I Newspaper of the Year

Winner – Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, PA
It just has everything. It has a wonderful opinion page. It has a really strong voice. The sports page is deeply local with coverage of local teams and kids. It finds a bunch of other ways to get local people in the newspaper – in the neighbors and business sections, for example. Everything it presents just has a community feel, a sense of place. Even without the flood coverage, the newspaper is comprehensive and has all of the small details a reader looks for – contact information, interactivity. Above all, it is really working hard to support its community, which has had it share of struggles. The Tribune-Democrat plays a strong leadership role. It will help Johnstown find a good future.

Finalist – Record Eagle, Traverse City, MI
The newspaper was just so easy to look at, with great examples of enterprise. Its investigative story about a department store that throws its weight around local politics was exhaustively reported and well presented. It was a hell of a story. But it also has fun, as evidenced by a humorous feature and reader contest focusing on Christmas letters as the latest genre of holiday greeting.

Div. I Web Site of the Year

Winner – Ottumwa.com, Ottumwa Courier, Ottumwa, IA
The site is built to encourage people to keep coming back throughout the day. The Courier does an outstanding job on breaking news, as was demonstrated during a high-profile murder case in which Ottumwa really set a standard for wire service-like coverage. Also presents a strong variety of multimedia presentations.

Finalist – SalemNews.com, The Salem News, Beverly, MA
The site presents strong, professional multimedia packages that complement local coverage. Interactive graphics are packed with great information and detail.

Div. I Public Service Award

Winner - The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, PA (With significant contribution by Kecia Bal)
The newspaper presents a balanced look at an important subject. Identifies a significant problem in the community and takes an in-depth look that spotlights an unfortunate situation, living conditions and government reaction in human terms.

Finalist – The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, MA
This explains a complicated system of local government pensions, which is costly to taxpayers, and lays out a solution. It should be commended for presentation, detail and excellent use of graphics.

Div. I Reporter of the Year

Winner – Mark Fischeneich, The Free Press, Mankato, MN
Writing is wonderful. Stories cover all the angles with plenty of sources and plenty of good quotes. His stories are easy to read.

Finalist – Stephen Tait, The Daily News, Newburyport, MA
Stories give a good picture of the people in the community. Does a good job of telling both sides of a controversial story.

Div. I Columnist of the Year

Winner – Taylor Armerding, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, MA
A clear choice. His columns have a social conscience. He’s an independent thinker who makes compelling arguments and doesn’t pull punches. He writes with conviction.

Finalist – Bill O'Brien, Record-Eagle, Traverse City, MI
A strong watchdog for the community. He writes about issues of importance to his community and doesn’t shy from controversy.

Div. I Editorial Writer of the Year

Winner – Scott Underwood, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, IN
Does an excellent job of advancing an argument. Expresses a definite point of view with forceful writing. Editorials are fodder for the community to comment on and respond to.

Finalist – David Miller, Record-Eagle, Traverse City, MI
Editorials are well written, with contextual history of the issues. Writing is forcefully persuasive.

Div. I Sports Writer of the Year

Winner – Kayleen Cubbal, New Castle News, New Castle, PA
Writes with a strong voice and shows a connection with readers. Stories are accessible.

Finalist – Tom Housenick, The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA
Stories are well written and nicely told.

Div. I Features Writer of the Year

Winner – Mark Bennett, Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, IN
Shows a good choice of details, which help draw a portrait of his subjects. Stories show a strong foundation of reporting.

Finalist – Scott Meeker, The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO
An excellent storyteller who uses subtle narrative devises that keep readers interested. Selecting a winner was a struggle, as a number of entries in this categories exhibited only minor flaws.

Div. I Photographer of the Year

Winner – John Cross, The Free Press, Mankato, MN
Photos depict a variety of subjects – some humorous, some emotional. Images get at human feelings that go with moments such as soldiers heading off to war and returning home.

Finalist – Julie Lewis, The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY
A nice mix of photos gives unique perspectives on a basketball game, snowstorm and other routine events.

Div. I Designer of the Year

Winner - Gary Castor, The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO
Work shows a range of talent. He’s a versatile designer with an eye for detail. Good use of graphics. Designs do a nice job of tying Web site to the print edition.

Finalist – Jim Reilly, The Salem News, Beverly, MA
Work shows a wonderful use of art and a nice use of white space. Clean, compelling page designs are easy to navigate.

DIVISION II

(Newspapers with daily circulations of less than 12,000)

Div. II Newspaper of the Year

Winner – Gloucester Daily Times, Gloucester, MA
The newspaper is built upon strong local coverage with lots of news and information about what is going on the community – right down to its extensive calendar section. A good community feeling pervades most every page. Its feature photography is strong, as are its local editorials. The Times’ coverage of a devastating downtown fire was amazing, down to the local editorial that accompanied the newspaper’s first day of coverage. The stories and photos were exhaustive.

Finalist – Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, Lockport, NY
This is a good-looking newspaper with a nice design, good graphics and good stories. It shows enterprise and tenacity, as well as a commitment to local coverage in elements such as the society column. The Chatterbox column is simply amazing in the way it conveys a sense of community. It brings back the old days of country correspondents. It constantly invites reader contributions and interaction with contact information sprinkled through the newspaper.

Div. II Web Site of the Year

Winner – Reporter.net, The Lebanon Reporter, Lebanon, IN
Multimedia presentations serve stories well. Strong breaking news coverage. A variety of work samples show success in meshing print and online editions, as well as plenty of coverage that is unique to the Web.

Finalist – CullmanTimes.com, The Cullman Times, Cullman, AL
Site is creative, edgy and professional. Reporter who anchors the weekly “Update” almost sounds like a professional TV anchorwoman.

Div. II Public Service Award

Winner – Greenville Herald-Banner, Greenville, TX
Entry is an example of enterprise reporting at its best. The staff showed great tenacity in tracking down public records despite recalcitrant public officials.

Finalist – Washington Times-Herald, Washington, IN
Dogged work turned what might have been a routine government story into a major case involving a county official.

Div. II Reporter of the Year

Winner – Kelly Foreman, Richmond Register, Richmond, KY
Reporter puts obvious effort into her stories. Work is ambitious. Topics are strong and explore important issues in the community.

Finalist – Kristen Grieco, Gloucester Daily Times, Gloucester, MA
A strong writer whose stories put readers inside the news.

Div. II Columnist of the Year

Winner – Bob Belcher, Corsicana Daily Sun, Corsicana, TX
Writes about local and national issues. Columns reflect a strong voice, with a mix of humor and worthwhile insight.

Finalist – Phil Riddle, Weatherford Democrat, Weatherford, TX
Columns are consistently funny and engaging.

Div. II Editorial Writer of the Year

Winner - Rowe H. Ray, San Marcos Daily Record, San Marcos, TX
Two solid editorials give clear context and arguments about issues important to the community.

Div. II Sports Writer of the Year

Winner – Jamie Wachter, Thomasville Times-Enterprise, Thomasville, GA
Entry shows a good variety of subjects and strong writing.

Finalist – Mike Hutsell, The Evening News, Jeffersonville, IN
Strong writing. Deserves credit for covering a dance team.

Div. II Features Writer of the Year

Winner – Chris Morris, The Evening News, Jeffersonville, IN
Writer does a good job of storytelling, taking ordinary people and events and making them interesting.

Finalist – Toni Hopper, The Duncan Banner, Duncan, OK
Samples show good, descriptive writing throughout.

Div. II Photographer of the Year

Winner – Chuck Branham, The Evening News, Jeffersonville, IN
Demonstrates good technical skills, the ability to capture emotion. Photographer has an eye for the human dimension of the news without being predictable.

Finalist – Tricia Neal, Commonwealth Journal, Somerset, KY
Tells a familiar story in a way we haven’t seen before.

Div. II Designer of the Year

Winner – Amy Huffman-Branham, The Evening News, Jeffersonville, IN
Clean design features strong photos, serves each story. Entry shows a mix of design approaches and a diversity of subject matter. Strong design elements are applied not just to the lead package, but to the whole front page.

DIVISION III

(Non-daily newspapers)

Newspaper of the Year

Winner – The Sentinel-Echo, London, KY
It represents the community with a good mix of big news and little news. It’s an attractive newspaper. It’s also not afraid to dig into a story, as shown by an in-depth package on county expenses, what they mean, how they got to that point. The package shows the newspaper’s connection to its community and also its investigative spirit. It benefits from a talented staff and a strong design. Everyone in the community should subscribe to the newspaper, especially if they have children or grandchildren.

Finalist – Andover Townsman, Andover, MA
The Townsman is a local news cenutar with coverage that provides substance and excellent interaction with its community, as shown by the phenomenal number of letters to the editor that appear in its pages. It is impressive that in the belly of a media market as heavy as Greater Boston, the Townsman is such a strong, significant community newspaper.

Div. III Public Service Award

Winner - The Leeds News, Leeds, AL (With significant contribution by Jennifer Brady)
The newspaper and its reporter planned and executed a series of stories that attempt to explore a problem and provoke change. Bringing attention to this issue benefits the community.

Div. III Reporter of the Year

Winner – Tara Kaprowy, The Sentinel-Echo, London, KY
Writing is clear and concise. Entries show enterprise and a straightforward storytelling style with descriptive details that give readers a sense of community.

Finalist – Tammie Toler, Princeton Times, Princeton, WV
Writer catches a sense of community to tell the story.

Div. III Columnist of the Year

Winner – Jeff Kaley, Waurika News-Democrat, Waurika, OK
Columns are amusing and well written with a kind of voice that brings readers back.

Finalist – Tammie Toler, Princeton Times, Princeton, WV
Columns are written from the heart, with a sense of human emotion. Writing is strong.

Div. III Editorial Writer of the Year

Winner – Willie Sawyers, The Sentinel-Echo, London, KY
A good writer who doesn’t mince words. Editorials have a strong voice, offer solutions instead of just criticism.

Finalist – Debbie Blank, The Herald-Tribune, Batesville, IN
Style is concise, making it easy for readers to understand the position of the newspaper. Editorials focus on local issues.

Div. III Sports Writer of the Year

No Award Given

Div. III Features Writer of the Year

Winner – Tara Kaprowy, The Sentinel-Echo, London, KY
Samples show a strong variety. Stories are easy to visualize, bring readers to the scene. A good storyteller.

Finalist – Robert Bridges, Suwannee Democrat, Live Oak, FL
Nice work, with good leads, from a talented writer.

Div. III Photographer of the Year

Winner – Denis House, The Sentinel-Echo, London, KY
Good photos reflect strong emotions. Especially talented in sports photography.

Div. III Designer of the Year

Winner - Derek Micah Armstrong, The Sentinel-Echo, London, KY
Clearly understands the rules of design and can execute a strong news page. Also understands how to bend the rules to create a compelling features front.

MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

Winner – Johnstown Magazine, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, PA
Magazine exhibits good flavor of community. Continuity throughout editions. Especially loved the feature about sexy people.

Finalist – Allegany, Cumberland Times-News, Cumberland, MD
Good covers and a strong sense of community.

The Judging

Judging took place in March and April. Winners were announced April 11, 2008. Judges had the option of naming no winner or finalist in a category. Judges did not participate in deliberations involving their own newspapers.

Judges were: Cindy Allen, managing editor of the Enid (OK) News & Eagle; Kelly Hawes, managing editor of the Pharos-Tribune of Logansport, IN; Chip Minemyer, editor of The Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown, PA; David Olson, editor of The Salem News of Beverly, MA; Cathie Shaffer, editor of the Greenup (KY) County Times; Carol Stark, editor of The Joplin (MO) Globe; Bill Thomas, editor of the Traverse City (MI) Record-Eagle; John Veasey, editor of the Times West Virginian of Fairmont, WV; Tom Lindley, national editor of CNHI News Service; J.B. Bittner, deputy national editor of CNHI News Service; Chris Muldrow, CNHI vice president of Internet operations, and David Joyner, CNHI executive news editor. Bill Ketter, CNHI vice president of news, served as chairman of the juding panel.