NASHVILLE — Newspapers across Tennessee won top awards in the Tennessee Press Association’s 2006 newspaper contests, co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee.
The Tennessean in Nashville, the Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville, LaFollette Press and the Erwin Record won the General Excellence top awards at the association’s annual luncheon event July 21 in Nashville at the Sheraton Music City hotel.
General Excellence honors are based on total points accumulated for all award categories.
The Louisiana Press Association judged a total of 1,287 contest entries from 83 association papers.
Awards were given in four circulation categories — large and small daily publications and large and small non-dailies.
UT has co-sponsored the annual contest since 1940.
UT’s Edward J. Meeman Foundation awarded $100 prizes to eight newspapers at the ceremony for their accomplishments in editorial writing and public service journalism. The foundation was established in 1968 at UT to fund the contests as well as journalism scholarships.
Newspapers receiving Meeman awards were The Tennessean in Nashville and the Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville, public service; The Tennessean, The Lebanon Democrat, The Dickson Herald and Independent Herald in Oneida, best single editorial; Memphis Business Journal and The Courier-News in Clinton, editorials.
The Tennessean also earned the most first-place honors with six. It won for best personal column, best single editorial, best special issue or section, best spot news story, public service and sports writing.
Winners of five first-place awards:
• Chattanooga Times Free Press, for best feature photograph, best personal humor column, best sports photograph, make-up and appearance, and promotion of newspapers;
• Southern Standard, McMinnville, for best education reporting, best news reporting, local features, promotion of newspapers and public service.
Winners of four first-place awards:
• The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, for best news photograph, best single feature, local features and Sunday editions;
• The Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville, for best education reporting, best news photograph, make-up and appearance and public service;
• LaFollette Press, for best spot news story, best news photograph, best sports photograph and best single feature.
Winners of three first-place awards:
• News Sentinel, Knoxville, for best education reporting, best news reporting, and community lifestyles;
• The Standard Banner, Jefferson City, for best feature photograph, make-up and appearance, and sports writing;
• Memphis Business Journal, for best personal humor column, community lifestyles, and editorials;
• The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, for best spot news story, editorials, and local features.
Other first-place award winners:
-The Daily Herald, Columbia, best single feature and sports writing;
-The Lebanon Democrat, best news reporting and best single editorial;
-The Daily Times, Maryville, best personal column and best sports photograph;
-The Courier-News, Clinton, editorials and sports writing;
-Independent Herald, Oneida, best education reporting and best single editorial;
-Smithville Review, best news photograph and best news reporting;
-Bristol Herald Courier, editorials;
-Johnson City Press, best single advertisement;
-The Newport Plain Talk, best special issue or section;
-The Oak Ridger, best personal humor column;
-The Mountain Press, Sevierville, community lifestyles;
-Shelbyville Times-Gazette, best feature photograph;
-The Dickson Herald, best single editorial;
-Manchester Times, best personal column;
-The Courier, Savannah, best special issue or section;
-Robertson County Times, Springfield, best single advertisement;
-The Bolivar Bulletin-Times, best special issue or section;
-The Cordova Beacon, best personal column;
-The Erwin Record, best single feature;
-Chester County Independent, Henderson, local features;
-The Chronicle, Humboldt, best sports photograph;
-Carroll County News-Leader, Huntingdon, best spot news story;
-Herald and Tribune, Jonesborough, community lifestyles;
-Macon County Chronicle, Lafayette, make-up and appearance;
-The Democrat, Madisonville, best personal humor column;
-Weakley County Press, Martin, best feature photograph;
-Mt. Juliet News, public service.
A complete list of winners is available by visiting http://www.tennessee.edu/news/TPA2006.pdf
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Contact:
Charles Primm, UT Media Relations (865-974-5180)
Robyn Gentile, Tennessee Press Association (865-584-5761)
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