The Dispatch took the first place award for best front page design and second place for agricultural reporting in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest. Winners of the 2015 contest were announced this week.
The winning front page design is for the Dispatch’s Dec. 11, 2015 issue, whose top headline reads “GAGE QUITS.” The award recognizes graphic designers Stephanie Woerhmann and Roger Black, along with publisher Dan Pulcrano, whose centerpiece photo of a sheep accompanies a news story on the City Council’s approval of plans to annex 721 acres of farmland north of the city for a housing development. With 10 months left in his term, former mayor Don Gage announced he was retiring from the council just before the annexation vote was taken.
Dispatch reporter Roseann Hernandez Cattani took second place honors for best agricultural reporting with her Dec. 25, 2015 story about grower Jeff Martin, “Despite the drought, the county’s only olive oil producer had a great year.”
The Dispatch vied against newspapers in its circulation range throughout the state to win the front page and agricultural coverage awards.
Sister papers the Morgan Hill Times and Hollister Free Lance also received CNPA honors, including a first place for best sports page or section (Free Lance), a second place for breaking news (Times), and second place honors for best columns, sports action photo and feature photo (Free Lance). In all, the Times earned three CNPA awards and the Free Lance earned seven.
Sister paper the North Bay Bohemian took first place honors at CNPA for best writing, along with four other awards. Awards were also given to sister papers Metro Silicon Valley, Good Times Weekly and the Pacific Sun.
In all, the associated papers won 21 awards from the CNPA, a trade group founded in 1888 that represents the daily, weekly, monthly and campus papers of California.
