NASHVILLE — Newspapers in Middle and West Tennessee took top honors in the Tennessee Press Association State Press Contests.
Chester County Independent in Henderson, Southern Standard in McMinnville, The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, and The Tennessean, Nashville, received Sweepstakes Awards at the association’s summer meeting here. The University of Tennessee co-sponsors the contests.
Awards are given in four circulation categories, two for non-daily publications and two for dailies. Sweepstakes Awards are based on total points accumulated, with six points for first place, down to one for sixth.
The Tennessean accumulated 76 points and won first place honors in sports, make-up and appearance, local features and best sports photograph.
Chester County Independent, a non-daily in the under 5,200 paid circulation group, won five first place awards and had a point total of 59. Its top honors were in sports, public service, makeup and appearance, best news story and community lifestyles.
The Daily News Journal took the Sweepstakes Award, with 52 points, for daily papers under 25,000 circulation, winning a first place in promotion of newspapers.
The Southern Standard, with 44 total points, took the Sweepstakes Award in the non-daily, 5,200 and above circulation. The McMinnville paper took first place honors in best single editorial, promotion of newspapers, best single advertisement and best feature photo.
Eighty-three TPA-member newspapers submitted 1,214 entries in the 60 divisions of the contests. The Indiana Press Association judged the entries.
The Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville won five top awards – sports, make-up and appearance, community lifestyles, best single features and best special issue or section.
Kingsport Times-News won for editorials, community lifestyles, best single editorial and best personal column.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel also took four first-place awards – best single feature, best personal humor column, best news story and Sunday editions.
Winners of three first-place awards were: The News-Examiner, Gallatin, make-up and appearance, general excellence and editorials; The Greeneville Sun, public service, local features and best single editorial; and The States-Graphic, Brownsville, general excellence, editorials and best news photo.
The Chattanooga Times/Free Press won for best news photo and best feature photo. The Erwin Record also won two first place honors – local features and best personal column, and The Jackson Sun two for public service and general excellence.
Other first place winners were: The Courier-Chronicle, Humboldt, best special issue or section; Buffalo River Review, Linden, best single editorial; Overton County News, Livingston, best personal humor column; Weakley County Press, Martin, best sports photo; The Lake County Banner, Tiptonville, best single feature.
The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens, best single advertisement; Cleveland Daily Banner, best personal humor column; The Daily Herald, Columbia, best personal column; The Daily Times, Maryville, best news story; The Mountain Press, Sevierville, general excellence; Union City Daily Messenger, editorials; The Covington Leader, sports.
The Dickson Herald, best single feature; The LaFollette Press, best personal humor column; The News-Herald, Lenoir City, best news story; Memphis Business Journal, best personal column; The Milan Mirror-Exchange, local features; and The Courier, Savannah, public service.