On Friday, March 9, 2018, two Fillmore County Journal employees attended the Midwest Free Community Publications (MFCP) conference in Des Moines, Iowa, and hauled back 14 awards.
The membership of MFCP encompasses 141 free distribution publications in nine states in the Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The Fillmore County Journal won 14 awards in advertising, editorial, and digital categories.
• 2nd Place – Best Home Page or Landing Page (www.fillmorecountyjournal.com)
• 2nd Place – Best Overall Website (www.fillmorecountyjournal.com)
• 3rd Place – Best Original News Story
• 2nd Place – Best Original Feature Story
• 1st Place – Best Original Sports Story
• 3rd Place – Best Original Editorial
• 1st Place – Best Grocery Ad (“Easter Cheapies” 8-Page Section for Harmony Foods, Preston Foods, Rushford Foods)
• 2nd Place – Best Grocery Ad (“Give Thanks for Home Cooking” 8-Page Section for Harmony Foods, Preston Foods, Rushford Foods)
• 3rd Place – Best Grocery Ad (“Merry Markdowns” 8-Page Section for Harmony Foods, Preston Foods, Rushford Foods)
• 3rd Place – Best Agriculture Ad as part of a Separate Section (National Ag Week)
• Honorable Mention – Best Agriculture Ad as part of a Separate Section (Farm Safety Week)
• 2nd Place – Best Holiday Promotion (Tasty Temptations Cookbook)
• 3rd Place – Best Advertising Promotion distributed separately from newspaper (Visit Bluff Country Magazine)
The Fillmore County Journal finished in First Place overall, bringing home the General Excellence Award for papers that carry news.
These awards reflect on the talent of the Fillmore County Journal team in the areas of editorial content, layout, advertising design, and digital presence.
And, these awards would not be possible without the involvement of Journal readers and advertisers.
In January 2018, the Fillmore County Journal was recognized at the Minnesota Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest with three third place winners in the categories of Website, General Reporting, and Advertising Excellence for weeklies over 5,000 circulation.