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Chronicle earns top spots at Press Association

By Staff | Aug 23, 2013

WHEELING The Chronicle earned several awards at the West Virginia Press Association Conference in Wheeling Aug. 10 including third place for General Excellence in Division IV and second for General Excellence for Advertising in Division IV.

General Excellence awards honor outstanding achievement by circulation division, in the 2013 West Virginia Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.

“This competition displays the quality of journalism in West Virginia. From the largest daily newspaper to the smallest weekly newspaper, West Virginian residents benefit from the outstanding and dedicated work of journalists working in the Mountain State,” said Don Smith, executive director of the West Virginia Press Association. “Community journalism remains the centerpiece of the newspaper industry in West Virginia. The West Virginia Press Association is proud to recognize and honor these outstanding journalists and newspapers.”

The results of the annual competition, which honors excellence in newspaper journalism were announced last Saturday during a banquet at Oglebay Resort.

Newspapers across the state compete in four circulation groups, two each for daily and weekly newspapers. The contest has 25 categories, ranging from Coverage of Government Affairs to Best Sports Feature Writing and Best Editorial Page. In 2013, 40 newspapers entered 2,216 entries. The overall awards for General Excellence are based on awards won in the basic categories.

For General Excellence, the West Virginia Press Association recognized three places in each division. The newspapers recognized for General Excellence in editorial coverage in 2013 were as follows:

Division I (Dailies over 16,000 circulation): First place, Charleston Daily Mail; second place, The Charleston Gazette; and third place, The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington.

Division II (Dailies 16,000 and under): First place, The Inter-Mountain, Elkins; second place, Times West Virginian, Fairmont; and third place, The Exponent Telegram, Clarksburg.

Division III (Weeklies over 4,000): First place, Hampshire Review, Romney; second place, The Times Record, Spencer; third place, Spirit of Jefferson, Charles Town.

Division IV (Weeklies 4,000 and under): First place, The Record Delta, Buckhannon; second-place, The Princeton Times; third-place, The Shepherdstown Chronicle.

To achieve the third place General Excellence, the Chronicle accumulated points earned by placing in the basic categories. Adding to the point values were first place wins for Best Newspaper Design, Best Photography Feature by Kelly Cambrel and Best Single Editorial by Toni Milbourne. Numerous second and third place finishes added to the point total.

In the advertising portion of the competition, The Chronicle was chosen as the top winner in five categories including Best Classified Section, Best House Ad, Best Small Ad Campaign by Kayleen DiMinno, Best Single Black/White Ad Under Page by Kim McDonald, Best Process Color Ad Over Page by Kayleen DiMinno and several second and third place finishes by the advertising staff.

For General Excellence, the West Virginia Press Association recognized three places in each division in advertising. The newspapers recognized were as follows:

Division I (Dailies over 16,000 circulation): First place, The Dominion Post, Morgantown; second place, The Register-Herald, Beckley; and third place, Parkersburg News and Sentinel.

Division II (Dailies 16,000 and under): First place, Times West Virginian, Fairmont; second place, The Inter-Mountain, Elkins; and third place, Bluefield Daily Telegram.

Division III (Weeklies over 4,000): First place, The Times Record, Spencer; second place, Spirit of Jefferson, Charles Town; and third place, Weston Democrat.

Division IV (Weeklies 4,000 and under): First place, The Fayette Tribune, Oak Hill; second place, Shepherdstown Chronicle, Shepherdstown; and third place, Princeton Times.

In addition to the awards given to individual newspapers, the industry also recognized The Dominion Post as the Newspaper of the Year. The newspaper excelled in the advertising division earning first place in General Excellence in the West Virginia Press Association’s Advertising Competition. The Dominion Post also scored very well in the editorial competition. It’s combined high overall score in the two contests earned The Dominion Post the 2013 Newspaper of the Year title.

“This is an incredible achievement and is a tribute to the management and staff of The Dominion Post,” said Don Smith, executive director of the WVPA.

Ed Given, publisher of Braxton Citizens’ News in Sutton, was honored with the Adam R. Kelly Premier Journalist Award by the West Virginia Press Association during the convention.

WVPA President Don Smith, who announced the selection, said Given is a tremendous example of a community journalist. “Ed Given understands that community journalism isn’t just about reporting on a problem. It’s also about helping solve the problem. He knows that a community journalist is both: a journalist and also a part of the community.”