The Sequim Gazette earned 22 individual awards in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2016 Better Newspaper Contest.
Reporter Matthew Nash, special sections editor Patricia Morrison Coate, editor Michael Dashiell and former reporter Alana Linderoth were among those honored as the professionals recognized top industry work at Washington non-daily and small daily newspapers at the association’s annual convention, held in Wenatchee from Oct. 13-15.
With 59 participating newspapers, this year’s WNPA Better Newspaper Contest saw 2,142 entries, including 1,256 news division entries. Stories, photos, page designs, advertisements and digital content from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016, were submitted; contest judges were working professionals with the New York Press Association.
The Sequim Gazette, a Sound Publishing newspaper, is in Group 3, the second-largest of the WNPA’s four circulation groups. Group 3 includes Port Townsend’s The Leader, the Lynden Tribune, the Mason County Journal, Whidbey News-Times and others.
“I am extremely proud of our team here at the Sequim Gazette,” said Terry Ward, regional publisher of the North Olympic Peninsula and Kitsap County Sound Publishing publications.
“It takes absolutely everyone in our organization to make our products successful … news, graphics, press, pre-press and post-press, distribution, mailroom, sales, accounting and admin, circulation, transportation — and we can’t forget our readers and advertisers,” Sound Publishing president Gloria Fletcher said.
“A great community newspaper is a reflection of the community we serve, and we’re fortunate to serve a community that allows us to showcase the struggles, triumphs and perseverance of this outstanding community,” Fletcher added. “Without the support of our community, this award-winning journalism wouldn’t be possible.”
In all, Sound Publishing publications brought home over 320 awards, with 118 of those being first place.
See www.wnpa.com.
Writing, page design
Patricia Morrison Coate
• Third place, “By the bay, by the bay, by the beautiful bay,” Living on the Peninsula, Summer 2015)
Matthew Nash
• Second place, Feature Writer of the Year (Group 3)
Alana Linderoth
• Second place, Best Education Story (“Sequim’s most vulnerable,” Dec. 2, 2015)
• Third place, News Writer of the Year (Groups 1-3)
Michael Dashiell
• First place, Best Feature Page Design (Dec. 16, 2015)
• First place, Best Sports Page Design (Oct. 21, 2015)
• Second place, Best Sports Personality Profile (“The Magnificent Seven,” Oct. 21, 2015)
• Second place, Best Front Page Design (Aug. 19, 2015)
• Third place, Sports Writer of the Year (Group 3)
• Third place, Best News Story-Long (“A young man’s struggle, a mother’s grief,” April 22, 2015)
• Third place, Best Sports Page Design (Nov. 25, 2015)
Photography
Matthew Nash
• First place, Color Portrait (“Sunshine Couple,” Sept. 23, 2015)
• Third place, Spot News (“Residents Rescue Horse From Dungeness Creek,” Aug. 12, 2015)
• Third place, Color Feature (“A Whole New World,” Sept. 30, 2015)
Alana Linderoth
• Second place, General News, (“Protesters Aim Shame at Shell,” April 22, 2015)
Michael Dashiell
• First place, Color Feature (“Let It Slide, Cowboy,” Aug. 26, 2015)
• First place, Black and White Sports Action/Feature (“Wolves Get a Win,” Sept. 23, 2015)
• First place, Spot News (“Fire Takes Barn at Graysmarsh,” Nov. 4, 2015)
• First place, Online Photo Essay (“Graysmarsh Lane Fire,” Nov. 4, 2015)
• Third place, Black and White Sports Action/Feature (“Making His Pitch,” March 30, 2016)
• Third place, Color Sports-Action (“Pressure? What Pressure?” April 8, 2015)
• Third place, General News, (“Eyes on Graduation,” June 17, 2015).
