LONG BEACH
– The Gilroy Dispatch captured 11 awards over a broad range of
news categories – three first-place and eight second-place honors –
in the annual California Newspaper Publishers Association Better
Newspapers Contest. The Dispatch earned the most honors of any
newspaper in its class.
LONG BEACH – The Gilroy Dispatch captured 11 awards over a broad range of news categories – three first-place and eight second-place honors – in the annual California Newspaper Publishers Association Better Newspapers Contest. The Dispatch earned the most honors of any newspaper in its class.
Only two other newspapers in the state, the Los Angeles Times and the Contra Costa Times, won more awards. The LA Times won 22 and the Contra Costa newspaper earned 12.
“It’s exciting to be in the company of the state’s metro newspapers,” said Publisher Steve Staloch, who called the awards “impressive.”
“This is a testament to the quality journalists at The Dispatch who provide our readers with the best possible local news.”
The Dispatch’s first-place awards were earned in the following categories: Local Spot News, Photo Essay and Special Issue. Second-place awards were for Editorial Pages, Editorial Comment, Sports Story, Lifestyle Coverage, Spot News Photo, Feature Photo, Illustration or Info Graphic, and Best Web Site.
“We’re thrilled. It’s a credit to the hard-working staff at the newspaper and to the community of Gilroy which supports the newspaper in so many ways,” said Editor Mark Derry. “We’re fortunate to live and work in a great news town and to have the tools to produce a lively community newspaper every day.”
The newspaper’s annual Pride section “New Horizons” which is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of Gilroyans won a top honor in the Special Issue category. Coverage of an intense manhunt spearheaded by the Gilroy Police Department won first in Local Spot News and Photographer Chris Riley’s essay “With a Joyful Heart” on a Gilroy girl who overcame physical disabilities to play soccer also won first place.
The Dispatch’s two sister papers also took home several awards.
The Morgan Hill TImes won two first-place and two second-place awards, and the Hollister Free Lance won two second-place awards.
The awards were handed out Saturday afternoon at the annual CNPA convention aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
