The Northeaster newspaper swept our circulation category in awards for Photo Story, and won second place in General Excellence at the Minnesota Newspaper Association convention Jan. 25. First place in General Excellence went to the Southwest Journal, and third to the Prior Lake American, of the Southwest News Media chain.
The General Excellence award compared us to many suburban chain newspapers and, we assume, about 30 other “weeklies 5,000+ circulation” who won at least one award at the convention. Judges liked the Northeaster’s editorial pages and commented that “some of the inside pages feel a bit cramped, but on the other hand, readers get a lot to look at. The Northeaster left judges with an overall feeling of a serious newspaper with multiple, well-executed components.”
That’s what we aim for! Thanks to the crew who made it possible (freelance reporters listed on page 2, Alex Schlee in layout and Vince Brown in photo production) and the readers who keep
challenging us to do our best.
The contest period covered September 2016 through August 2017.
Below: The Northeaster won all three places in the Minnesota Newspaper Association Photo Story competition in our circulation category. Mike Madison took the top spot, documenting Hydro- Illuminata in October 2016. Margo Ashmore, Carol Jensen and Mike Madison’s coverage of the rainy 2017 Art-A-Whirl®, above, came in second, and Mark Peterson, Alex Schlee and Karen Kraco’s Open Streets 2017, at left, took third. Universally, the judges complimented the use of color and a “trend of not just telling but showing.” Art-A-Whirl® photos “tell a story not just with the…obvious, but also with the photos others would not think of taking,” and Open Streets, “…great movement. Wicked!” (Northeaster file graphics)
