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Times wins 7 awards at state contest
News · February 11, 2016
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation Better Newspaper Contest recognized the West Branch Times Friday with seven awards spanning writing, photography, design and graphics.
The newspaper earned five first-place and two third-place awards in the Weekly Class 1 division, reserved for newspapers with circulations of 1,135 and under.
“These honors are affirmation that we’re doing good journalism in West Branch — and being good caretakers of a newspaper with 140 years of history in the community,” West Branch Communications Co-Publisher Jake Krob said.
Krob alluded to a history of quality in the Times and sister newspapers in the company, both through awards and community support.
“I’m proud of our West Branch team — as I am of our 40 employees at our other six Eastern Iowa weeklies who work tirelessly to cover their communities,” he said.
Judging was conducted by members of the New York Press Association.
The awards include:
• Best Sports Photo — Third place (43 entries): The photo, called “Grunt work,” was taken by Gregory R. Norfleet and shows high school junior Jake Evans pulling a pickup truck uphill at a football camp. “Now that looks difficult,” the judge wrote. “This photo immediately grabs my attention and makes me wonder just how hard it must be to pull that truck. The photographer captures pain in the athlete’s face in this shot.”
• Best News Photo — First place (31 entries): The photo, called “Color Run,” was taken by Norfleet at the end of a 5K sponsored by the Fine Arts Connection, showing runners throwing up colored powder to celebrate. “Very colorful; caught my eye. I wouldn’t want to be the parents to clean the clothes.”
• Best Front Page — Third place (19 entries): The judge said they liked the “nice use of large photos on cover, small start to stories then tease to keep reader turning the page.”
• Best Breaking News Story — First place (13 entries): The story, written by Norfleet, was headlined “Teen in custody after tense standoff,” regarding a confrontation between West Branch Police Chief Mike Horihan and a teenager carrying what was later determined to be a pellet gun. “Comprehensive coverage of an armed standoff between police and teen from an inside perspective of the police chief involved in it,” wrote the judge.
• Best Use of Graphics — First place (Five entries): Judge comments state that “while some of your colors were a bit intense, your informative timeline put you over the top. Overall, the content of your graphics was excellent.”
• Excellence in Editorial Writing — First place (Four entries): A judge stated that the writer, Norfleet, has “smart editorials with strong points taking up true community journalism issues: school board candidates, emergency communications and cost of education. Bullet points make it easier to read and digest as a general reader.”
• Best Editorial Page — First place (Three entries): The judge commented that “Mid-year redesign looks great. Editorial topics and historical features draw the readers in.”
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation awards points based on placings, and the Times finished with 21 points, seventh overall of the 28 papers which won awards in Weekly Class 1.
Two sister newspapers also won awards this year.
The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun garnered awards in the Weekly Class 2 division with first place for Best Ad Featuring Grocery/Food/Entertainment; second place to Jake Krob for Best News Photo; second place to Krob for Best Feature Photo; and Best Ad Featuring Automotive, Boats, Aircraft, Tires, Gasoline, Etc. The Sun also won second place in Best of Class Advertising.
The Tipton Conservative earned a third-place award for Ryan Stonebreaker for Best Blog.
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