For the second straight year, The Citizen news staff has been recognized with five awards in the Michigan Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
For the 2015 competition, Members of Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association reviewed 3,833 entries submitted by 113 Michigan newspapers.
The Citizen submitted entries in numerous categories in the Weekly B division, among publications with circulations between 7,001-15,000.
In the feature photo category, The Citizen Photographer Patrick McAbee took the top award out of 18 entries for ‘Who Knows?? a close-up shot of a screech owl at Ortonville’s Creekfest. Judges commented, ‘Excellent photo thanks to the angle and the depth of field. The expression on the child in the background is priceless.?
The most competitive single category in the Weekly B division was feature story, with 49 entries and judges commented, ‘With so many entries, multiples by some of the same writers, it was difficult to choose only four.?
However, The Citizen Editor David Fleet was among the honorees, winning second place among 49 entries for ‘My Life as a Navy SEAL,? telling the story of Matt May, a Goodrich High School graduate who retired after 25 years in the Navy’s special forces unit. Judges commented, ‘Extensive narrative that keeps reader’s attention.?
Staff Writer Susan Bromley was recognized with three awards this year. In the government/education category, she won first place out of 13 entries for ‘Religious Diversity Journeys,? a series exploring various religions studied by a group of Brandon Middle School students. Judges commented, ‘I really enjoyed this series of stories following students studying different faith groups. This is what community newspapers should do: offer readers a window into aspects of their community they may not know.?
Bromley took second place out of 34 entries in the news enterprise reporting category, which seeks stories that demonstrate in-depth exploration of an issue with strong news value that helps the reader better understand a facet of life, the community, or issues surrounding news events. Bromley’s entry, ‘Hope after heroin,? contained several stories that detailed the battle against the destructive drug, including one woman’s fight against addiction, the struggles of two mothers? one who is trying to save her child and the other who has lost her child to heroin, as well as law enforcement’s point of view on the scourge. Judges commented, ‘Heroin is always relevant, and while I preferred more stats about the problem in Michigan, the first person accounts are always engrossing and rarely the same story told twice. Very interesting.?
Bromley also had a third place win in the photo story category, among 12 entries, for ‘Strawberry Fields,? which captured a day at Middleton Berry Farm in Brandon Township. Judges commented,
‘A great mix of young and old, tidy and messy. What a fun look into an everyday activity.?
The five wins in the 2015 Better Newspaper Contest extends The Citizen’s MPA awards streak to seven consecutive years. Since 2005, The Citizen has won 31 awards in this contest, all in weekly B division competition. The Citizen staff is honored to have the opportunity to tell your stories. If you have a story to share, please contact us at 248-627-4332 or by e-mail at citnews@citnewspaper.com.
In case you missed them, links to this year’s winning stories will be posted at The Citizen Newspaper’s Facebook page.