SAN FRANCISCO
– Garlic town’s daily newspaper fared well statewide Saturday in
the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers
Contest.
SAN FRANCISCO – Garlic town’s daily newspaper fared well statewide Saturday in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest.
The Gilroy Dispatch received eight awards for journalistic excellence – three second-place finishes and five first-place prizes. Renowned editors and journalism professors formed the eight-member panel that evaluated competitors.
The successful showing surpasses the six CNPA awards won last year, which included an overall general excellence award.
“What is left to say but ‘wow’ when a news team sweeps eight journalism awards, including five first place,” Publisher Bill Barry said. “This comes on top of The Dispatch receiving first place in overall general excellence the prior year.”
The Dispatch won first-place awards in the following categories:
• Editorial Comment
• Local Spot News
• Columns, Commentary, Criticism
• Arts and Entertainment Coverage
• Lifestyle Coverage
Second-place awards were won by The Dispatch for:
• Environmental or Ag Resource Reporting
• Sports Photo
• Photo Essay
City editor for The Dispatch is Jodi Engle, lifestyles editor is Dave Steffenson and James Mohs is chief photographer.
“It all adds up to great leadership by Editor Mark Derry and the winning news team of The Dispatch. We’re all very proud of Mark and the entire Dispatch news staff,” said Barry, who has been group publisher for Pacific-Sierra Publishing, South Valley Newspapers since March 2002.
South Valley Newspapers publishes The Dispatch, Morgan Hill Times and Hollister Free Lance among other niche publications. All three took home state awards Saturday.
The Times garnered the highest CNPA honor – a general excellence award – in the weekly newspaper division with circulations of 4,300 and under. The twice-weekly publication also won first place for Local Spot News and second place for Editorial Comment and Photo Essay.
The Free Lance was honored with four second-place finishes in Editorial Pages, Arts and Entertainment Coverage, Sports Story and Front Page.
Other Pacific-Sierra publications that won Saturday include the Santa Cruz Good Times.
Good Times won first place in the Business or Financial Story competition and second for Public Service. The contest features three divisions – daily, weekly and college – with multiple circulation levels within each category of the daily and weekly divisions. The Dispatch competed in the category for daily newspapers with circulation of 10,000 and under.
The awards were announced at the CNPA’s 115th Annual Convention at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.
