Congrats, News reporters, on MPA wins
The News newsroom doesn’t do what it does for accolades. It does it to make sure you, dear reader, have the information you need to make decisions about the best ways to change your community for the better (and, occasionally, to tell a story that might entertain you).
That said, it’s nice to receive a little pat on the back from our peers in the industry, and the Michigan Press Association has done just that.
In its annual Better Newspaper Contest ceremony held via videoconferencing software Zoom last week, the MPA gave Bill Speer — who retired last month after decades as Alpena News publisher — its first-ever Award for Distinguished Service. We can’t think of a more deserving recipient than Speer, who also served on the boards for the MPA and the MPA Foundation.
Also winning last week were:
∫ The entire News newsroom, which took second place in the Special Section awards for its 2019 Progress edition, which dug into the past, present and future of Northeast Michigan businesses.
∫ News Assistant Manager Editor James Andersen, who took a first-place Sports Writing award for “Parents fuming over missing kids photos,” a story on a photo company that failed to produce youth baseball photos bought and paid for, and a second-place Sports Column award for “Posen’s Momrik as passionate as ever 10 years after heart attack,” a story on Posen girls basketball coach Karl Momrik.
∫ News staff writer Julie Riddle won a third-place Best Feature Story nod for “Everybody’s happy at an elk hunt,” a story on the 2019 fall elk season and a successful hunter.
If you see a News reporter, make sure to congratulate them. Like everyone, the Year of the Virus has been a tough one for our reporters, and the accolades help to make things a little better.
Congrats, team!