It was a banner night for the Estevan Mercury and its staff as the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association announced the winners of its 2014 Better Newspapers Competition Saturday in Saskatoon.
The Mercury was named the best overall paper in Class C, which includes newspapers with a circulation of 2,000 to 3,900, and was also deemed by judges to have the second best front page and editorial page.
In the comments from the judges, the Mercury was praised for its strong design and "plethora of community news and features that informs its readers of what is happening in their community.
"It has a good mix of hard and feature stories supported by effective advertising. The Mercury's sports section is strong and the use of action photos draws attention to these pages."
With respect to the editorial page, the judges were impressed with The Mercury's layout and focus on issues of local importance. The front page was docked points for being a bit busy, but was credited for strong headlines.
Individually, Mercury employees were also recognized. Trinda Jocelyn captured first place for best advertisement for an ad featuring Trimount Development's Northpoint condo project which judges noted had a great visual design.
Mercury co-editors Norm Park and Chad Saxon were the co-winners of the Editorial Writing Excellence Award. The judges appreciated the "hyper-local" ediorials on matters such as the ongoing recovery struggles in Roche Percee and the efforts to twin Highway 39.
Mercury reporter Jordan Baker was also recognized with a second place finish for the best Saskatchewan Recreational Story Award for his story on a local fitness group.
The Better Newspapers Competition is held annually by the SWNA. The Mercury last captured the Best Overall Paper Award in 2012.
