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SDN staff members win awards in statewide competition |
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Tuesday, 01 July 2008 |
SDN Staff Reports
Members of the Starkville Daily News staff took top honors for sport news reporting, sports coverage and were recognized among the state's top daily newspapers for public service at the Mississippi Press Association's annual convention last weekend.
The Daily News staff won 11 awards in the MPA's 2007 Better Newspaper Contest.
The contest recognizes outstanding front page, lifestyles, sports and photography coverage among Mississippi's daily and weekly newspapers, with 23 daily newspapers and 45 weekly newspapers submitting a combined 2,708 entries for the 2007 competition.
Daily News Editor Brian Hawkins won a first place award for spot news reporting for coverage of a September 2007 mobile home fire which claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl.
Former Sports Editor Travis Downey won first place awards for best sports feature story for a profile on now-retired Mississippi State head baseball coach Ron Polk and for best game story for coverage of the baseball Bulldogs' Super Regional win in June 2007 that sent the team back to the College World Series.
Hawkins, News Editor Paul Sims and reporters Shoshana Brackett and Kelly Daniels were honored with a second place award for best in-depth/investigative reporting for local angle coverage of last spring's massacre at Virginia Tech University.
The Daily News was honored with a third place finish for the Community Service Award for the newspaper's coverage and sponsorship of the July 2007 "Politickin' in the Park" event, which drew more than 60 county and state candidates for elected office to the Mississippi Horse Park for an old-fashioned political forum and fair.
The newspaper staff was joined by the Greater Starkville Development Partnership in sponsoring the event, and was the only small daily newspaper in the state recognized for community service efforts, finishing behind the The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson and The Sun-Herald in Biloxi-Gulfport.
Other awards received by Daily News staff members included:
• Third place, best sports column — Don Foster, sports editor emeritus.
• Third place, best front page — Brian Hawkins.
• Honorable mention, best sports section — Travis Downey and sports reporter Aaron Seidlitz.
• Honorable mention, best lifestyles section — Lifestyles Editor Gwen Sisson and former Lifestyles Editor Emily Jones.
• Honorable mention, best design.
• Third place, best headline — Brian Hawkins.
"We are extremely proud of our news staff for winning these awards. They represent many hours of hard work and dedication, as well as a continuing commitment to pursue excellence in all we do," said Daily News publisher Don Norman, who, along with Hawkins, attended the MPA convention last week. “The recognition among our peers is gratifying, particularly for community service.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 July 2008 )
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