The Commercial Dispatch received eight awards in the Mississippi Press Association”s annual 2010 Better Newspaper Contest Saturday night in Biloxi during the MPA”s 145th annual convention.
First place plaques were awarded to the paper for news, investigative reporting, features, lifestyles and special editions. The Dispatch also won second place for General Excellence and front page design, and third place for sports pages.
News Editor Garthia Elena Burnett won Best General News Story for “Turning the Tide in Crawford,” a March 6, 2010, story about the residents of Crawford and their attempts to revitalize the town as population dwindles.
“This is a well-done piece,” MPA judges wrote in their comments. “Well-researched and well-written. There are such good quotes. They”re used well.”
The Best In-Depth Investigative Reporting award went to Dispatch Editor/Publisher Birney Imes, former Managing Editor Steve Mullen and Reporter Tim Pratt for their coverage of the decline of Cadence Bank.
“Solid coverage of a key community business story,” MPA judges said. “Includes in-depth reporting, Q and A with a central player, editorial comments and breaking coverage.”
Starkville Bureau Reporter Jason Browne captured Best Feature Story for “The N-Word,” a July 24, 2010, article which examined the usage of the controversial term, from its roots to modern day use.
“This is a great story on a controversial topic,” MPA judges said. “It was treated with great respect and sensitivity, yet it told both sides of the issue. Well done.”
Best Lifestyle Page went to Dispatch Lifestyles Editor Jan Swoope, Photographer Kelly Tippett and Page Designer Adrian Bohannon.
The paper also won Best Special Section for its annual Progress edition, a 96-page glossy magazine spotlighting the best of the Golden Triangle.
“These awards only affirm the obvious — that we have a talented, dedicated group of journalists putting out a quality newspaper,” Imes said Saturday night. “I”m really proud our folks have received this well-deserved recognition.”
The Dispatch competed in the MPA”s “B” category for Mississippi newspapers with circulations between 9,000 and 20,000. The fourth-generation, family-owned daily has been in publication for 132 years.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.