At the 157th annual convention held in Brooklyn Center, Minn., in early February, the Journal staff raked in 17 awards in the categories of news reporting, advertising excellence, and online presence. Judges evaluated each newspaper compared to others of the same size circulation in the State of Minnesota, awarding first, second and third place winners in each category.
Here’s how the Fillmore County Journal stacked up, and what the judges had to say.
• 3rd Place – General Reporting, comment: “Solid newspaper of record. Heavy on meeting coverage. Keeps readers in multiple communities informed about what their elected officials are doing.”
• 3rd Place – Classified Advertising Section, comment: “The Professional Guide looks like a great seller! Good job on beefing up your classifieds with a display directory!”
• 2nd Place – Website, comment: “This website is easy to navigate and visually appealing. I love the variety of local news, from sports and opinion to news-you-can use and photo galleries.”
• 3rd Place – Self-promotion or House Ad.
• 2nd Place – Online Advertising.
• 1st Place – Human Interest Story, comment: “A big story told so well. It’s thorough, chronicling Eddie Swartzentruber’s path to reconcile his upbringing, faith, culture, community and the history of his people with the vision of what he wants his life to be. An excellent piece.”
• 2nd Place – Local Breaking News Coverage, comment: “Interesting story on something that I’m sure doesn’t happen a lot in that small town. Glad it came to a happy conclusion. Would have been nice to get people’s reactions to what was going on, but was an interesting read.”
• 3rd Place – Hard News – Coverage of Court/Crime.
• 2nd Place – Investigative Report, “Tin, Rust & Swindle” story.
• 2nd Place – Columnist, “Peering at the Past” by Lee Epps, comment: “Local history columns are a wonderful addition to any paper, and I suspect it isn’t just the older readers who look to them for a good story. This one has a reportorial tone rather than getting folksy or injecting a lot of personal observations, and that’s a legitimate approach.”
• 1st Place – Design Portfolio, comment: “Best submission containing a variety of ads and page layout. Ads are easy to read, fun to look at and stand out well. The basketball schedule is a must see! Overall, page design is done well.”
• 1st Place – Special Section, Veterans Day Section, comment: “This is the entry that had the most human connection by interviewing the descendants of the Gold Star mothers.”
• 2nd Place – Special Section, Fall Home & Garden, comment: “This again had the emotional connection by making the story not just about beauty but also functionality for the subject’s mother. That element made it a more interesting read.”
• 3rd Place – Special Section, Small Business Saturday, comment: “Good organization. Writing should be stronger.”
• 2nd Place – Best Magazine, Visit Bluff Country Magazine, comment: “An in-depth and nicely packaged magazine spotlighting bluff country in SE MN. Lots of great information. Well designed and attractive. Very thorough!”
• 1st Place – Best Magazine Photography, Visit Bluff Country Magazine, comment: “A colorful look at things to do and animals that call Bluff County home. The animals catch the eye and encourage you to look further.”
•3rd Place – General Excellence, comment: “This newspaper really has something for everyone in the community. It is loaded with local content in practically every capacity.”
• 2nd Place – Lynn Smith Community Leadership Award, comment: “This is a good example of how a local newspaper can help a bad situation.”
As noted with these awards, the Fillmore County Journal swept the special section category, winning first, second, and third place. Lee Epps was recognized for his weekly column “Peering at the Past.” Visit Bluff Country Magazine received multiple awards relating to content and visual impact. The newspaper website www.fillmorecountyjournal.com continues to win awards each year based on the uniqueness compared to many other news websites, thanks to the hyperlocal focus and content presentation under the direction of Website Administrator Michelle Quanrud – general manager of SMG Web Design. And, the newspaper as a whole won third place in the category of General Excellence.
The Fillmore County Journal is a local family-owned newspaper with offices in Preston and Caledonia, employing the talents of nearly 40 local editorial staff, graphic designers, salespeople, web designers, and drivers.
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