Wednesday Journal won 10 awards, including Best Editorial Page and Best Feature Section, in the annual Illinois Press Association Best of the Press contest. The awards were presented last Friday during a luncheon in Springfield.
In recognizing the Journal’s Viewpoints section, judges wrote, “This section is a complete package of opinions presented in a dramatic and lively style. The endorsement editorials are winners because they are well reasoned and take stands.” In the period covered by the contest, Viewpoints was edited by Katharine Grayson.
In comments about the paper’s feature section, judges wrote, “Great cover stories and engaging ledes. … Photos really add to story, in some cases capturing a moment, in others making a moment come to life. Mix of art, movies, music and compelling columns.” The LifeLines section is edited by Laura Stuart.
Overall, four newspapers owned by Wednesday Journal, Inc. won 33 awards, the most by any single publisher in Illinois. Two Journal-owned papers, the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and the Forest Park Review, were honored with first-place finishes in General Excellence in their respective circulation categories.
“The number of awards we earned this year, and over the years, tells us that our model of publishing the most locally focused neighborhood papers we can create resonates with our peers. In a time when weekly papers are becoming ever more regional and generic in their approach, we will go a different route,” said Publisher Dan Haley.
The Journal was also honored by the IPA for its news reporting (Bill Dwyer), government beat reporting (Grayson), sports column (Brad Spencer), sports photo (Josh Hawkins), personality profile (Lydialyle Gibson), overall design, arts section and school board coverage (Drew Carter).
Pioneer Press’ Oak Leaves newspaper, which covers Oak Park, won three awards including a first place honor for feature photography.
