Once again the Battlefords News-Optimistand Regional Optimistnewspapers have scored with Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association awards.
The papers received four first place awards and 11 nominations in total for the 2016 Better Newspapers Competition, which were announced this week.
Two individuals earned particular honours for their 2015 work. Reporter Jayne Foster received first place for Best Educational Coverage K-12 Series of Stories as well as Best Feature Story. Foster’s story, Bruce McEachern: One life-changing moment — a segment in the Everybody Has a Story series — not only topped the other entries in the category, but earned a mark of 100 per cent.
The judge’s comment: “One great story. I felt like I got to know McEachern.”
As well, freelance photographer Averil Hall received two first place awards for Best People Photo and Best Feature Photo. Hall’s photo of the mutton busting event at the Trailblazers Amateur Rodeo at Leoville last summer also achieved a perfect score from the judges.
She also finished second for Best Sports Photo and third for Best Wildlife Photo.
There were a number of other categories in which the newspapers finished second or third.
The Battlefords News-Optimistfinished second for Class B Best Overall Paper - Circulation 1,200 to 1,999.
And the News-Optimistalso finished third in the category of Class B Best Front Page.
In the category of Best Series of Advertisements, Cheryl Panton finished second and Vicky Clayton finished third for the Regional Optimist.
Former sports reporter Craig Beauchemin finished third for Best Saskatchewan Recreational Story or Series of Stories.
Our sister publication the Unity/Wilkie Press Heraldwas also honoured for their coverage. Helena Long finished first for Best Agricultural Coverage Single Story or Feature, and first again for Best Business Writing.
She finished second for Best Habitat Conservation Writing and second for Best Black and White Photo.
