Daily News shines at state newspaper awards

Published 4:17 am Wednesday, July 12, 2017

The Daily News won 19 first-place awards, as well as General Excellence, Editorial and Advertising Sweepstakes and the Newspaper of the Year for Division 4, at the Louisiana Press Association convention in Biloxi, Miss., on Saturday.

“It is always a humbling experience when our peers in the newspaper business recognize the hard work that we do,” Daily News publisher Justin Schuver said. “I believe that we won these awards because we always make it our goal to produce the best possible newspaper that we can — for ourselves, for our readers, and for our advertisers. All of the staff members at the Daily News take pride in these accomplishments.”

The Daily News earned a total of 57 awards, including its first, second and third-place finishes. Awards included both advertising and editorial/news. All judged work was published during the 2016 calendar year.

The first-place awards included:

  • Best Front Page — Staff.
  • Best Editorial Page — Staff.
  • Best Single Editorial — Staff, for “Board, superintendent must work as a team.”
  • Best News Story — Jesse Wright, for “Responders recognized.”
  • Best Breaking News Story — Jesse Wright, for “Fires destroy 2 parish homes.”
  • Best News Coverage — Staff.
  • Best Continuing Coverage of a Single Event — Jesse Wright and Justin Schuver for March 2016 flood stories.
  • Best Sports Photo — Chris Kinkaid, for his photo of Pine’s Dillon Morris leaping over the Pope John Paul II catcher to score a run.
  • Staff Generated Color Ad — Kim Gerald, for Gayle’s Jewelers.
  • In-Paper Promotion — Kim Gerald, for Garage Sale.
  • Best Self-Promotion Outside Print — Staff, for the “Care and Share” program.
  • Best Classified Section or Page.
  • Best Success Story of an Ad — Kim Gerald, for Bella’s Paw Spa.
  • Best Non-Traditional Use of Space Ad — Kim Gerald, for Southern Sass Dance Company.
  • Best Special Section, Advertising — Staff for Profile 2016: Rising Above.
  • Best Overall Website — Staff.
  • Best Online Advertising Single Ad, Static — Kim Gerald, for Main Street Grocery.
  • Best Online Advertising Single Ad, Animated — Kim Gerald, for Zellco Federal Credit Union.
  • Best Online Advertising Campaign — Kim Gerald, for Our Lady of the Angels Hospital.

The Daily News competed in Division 4, which includes newspapers with a circulation of 3,000 to 4,999. There were 23 eligible newspapers in that division.

The LPA held its convention in conjunction with the Mississippi Press Association’s convention. Both events were held at the Golden Nugget Casino and Hotel in Biloxi.

The Texas Press Association judged this year’s LPA contest.