February 17, 2005

‘News’ receives six awards in contest for Ohio weeklies

The Yellow Springs News won six awards, including two first-place prizes, in the 2005 Osman C. Hooper Newspaper Show, the principal contest for weekly papers in Ohio. This is the fifth consecutive year the News has received at least five awards in the Hooper Show.

The results of the contest were announced Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Ohio Newspaper Association’s annual convention in Columbus. The association and its Weekly Newspaper Committee sponsored the Hooper Show, which included papers published between Aug. 1, 2003, and July 31, 2004.

Expanded this year to include free-distribution newspapers, the 2005 Hooper Show was the largest ever, with 91 papers competing. The newspapers were divided into five divisions, based on total circulation. The News, with an average circulation of 1,804, competed against 17 other newspapers in the division representing the smallest of Ohio’s weeklies, or papers with less than 2,501 circulation.

This year, the News won two first-place awards, three second-place prizes and a third-place award.

The News received first-place awards in the “Editorial” and “Special Sections or Editions” categories.

The paper’s entries in the “Editorial” category were written by editor Robert Mihalek and reporter Diane Chiddister. Submissions were judged on the overall quality of writing, clarity and local impact.

One of Mihalek’s editorials, “An unfriendly business decision,” published on Aug. 21, 2003, criticized Village Council for agreeing to amend its lease with Caboose Bike & Skate, and offered other solutions to fix conflicting agreements Council had signed that were related to the Caboose and the bikepath. The other submission that Mihalek wrote, “Support Home, Inc.’s request,” published Dec. 24, 2003, criticized Council for not approving at the time a resolution supporting an effort by Yellow Springs Home, Inc., to secure state grant monies, and suggested that Council “go on record as supporting affordable housing” and Home, Inc. (Council did pass a resolution supporting Home, Inc.’s grant application later, in January 2004.)

The editorial by Chiddister, “Countering the Klan,” published on April 15, 2004, commented on the coming literature drive by the Ku Klux Klan in Yellow Springs two days later. The editorial encouraged “villagers to look deep in their hearts, find out if they truly value diversity and, if they do, take steps to help this town live up to its heritage —- to even expand it.”

The judge in the “Editorial” category said of the News, “Exceptionally good writing characterizes these editorials, particularly the one headed ‘Countering the Klan.’ The other two give reasoned advice to the Village Council.”

The News received a first-place prize in the “Special Editions or Sections” category for the 2003–04 “Guide to Yellow Springs.” The ’03–04 “Guide” had a theme based on summertime in Yellow Springs and featured photographs and short interviews of people engaged in activities that characterize summer in the village. The “Guide” also included advertising and articles on the community’s many organizations and institutions.

The judges said that the “Guide” was an “easy choice as best special section in this group. This is a strong effort to package vital community information in an attractive tab. The design, layout, graphics and photography are outstanding.” The entire News staff plays a role in producing the “Guide,” which has been a consistent winner in the Hooper Show.

The News received second-place awards in the categories for “Local Features,” “Headline Writing” and “In-House Promotions,” or advertising a newspaper publishes within its pages to promote itself.

In the “Local Features” category, the News submitted articles by Chiddister and reporter Lauren Heaton. Chiddister’s articles profiled Rick Walkey and Ali Thomas, published on Aug. 7, 2003; and Chettie Winter, published on Feb. 19, 2004. Heaton’s article profiled Tom Vondruska and was published on May 13, 2004.

The three articles showed an “intimate focus on local characters,” the judges said. “Writing is very strong and the subject matter…is fresh.”

The judges in the “Headline Writing” category said that the News had “strong heads throughout the paper. Good heads are found on news, editorial and sports pages.” This category was judged on the creativity and effectiveness of headlines.

The judge in the “In-House Promotions” category praised one of the News’s entries as “eye-catching.” This category was judged on the best use of space for in-paper promotions.

This was the first year that the “Headline Writing” and “In-House Promotions” categories were included in the Hooper Show.

The News received a third-place award in the “Advertising” category, which was judged on the design and content of paid advertising in a newspaper. The judge in the “Advertising category” said of the News, “Overall the layouts were spacious with crisp registration.” This is the fourth year in a row that the News has received an award in the “Advertising” category.

The 2005 Hooper Show included 12 categories. Three awards were given in most categories. The contest was judged by journalism professors at Ohio colleges or universities and professionals in the media or communication industries.