Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Staff of the New Rockford Transcript celebrated their awards after the banquet on Friday, May 12 at Spirit Lake Casino, from left to right: Intern Isabella Garr, Kyrie Dauenhauer, Publisher Amy Wobbema, Tawnia Miller and Nathan Price.
Your local newspaper brought home 27 awards in the annual Better Newspaper Contest, announced at Spirit Lake Casino during the 137th annual North Dakota Newspaper Association Convention on Friday, May 12.
The Transcript competes in the mid-size weekly category, which includes 18 newspapers. The awards reflect journalistic work completed in 2022, for anything from news and editorial writing to photography and advertising design.
The top award received by the Transcript was second place in General Excellence. Judges of this award review entire issues of each newspaper and decide whose body of work represents the standard of excellence in reporting, photography, design, advertising and editing. The Transcript was second only to the Tioga Tribune for the second year in a row.
Transcript staff earned five first place awards in the contest. Nathan Price earned two of those, namely for his government reporting in 2022. His article, "Oberon voters officially contest city's election" in the July 4 edition earned first place in Government Reporting. His series on upgrades to the New Rockford water plant, which included five articles from May to December, received the top award for Government Reporting Series.
Publisher Amy Wobbema garnered the other three top awards: for her sports column "Mom pride at courtside," about her experience at state volleyball; for informational graphics highlighting N.D. ag statistics on National Ag Week; and for the Holiday Subscription Offer ad in December, which was the best promotion of the newspaper-readership, according to the judges.
Your local news team received eight second place awards. Highlights include second place in both front page design and overall sports coverage. The special news section about the Rockets' trip to the State Class B Volleyball Tournament also earned second place. Other second place awards are listed below:
• News photo: Paving the way (street construction), Nathan Price
• Entertainment/Liquor Ad: DPRCA "I'm Just Wild About Harry" cast party, Amy Wobbema
• Apparel Ad: Team Boyd 2022 fundraiser, Amy Wobbema
• Financial Ad: Community Credit Union "New Year, New Equipment," Amy Wobbema
• Signature Page: Eddy County 4-H Achievement Days, Sydney Carr and Kyrie Dauenhauer
Staff received nine third place awards, including one each for their agricultural coverage during National Ag Week and for the newspaper's website, newrockfordtranscript.com.
The other individual and team third place honors are as follows:
• Political Ad: Dale Rosenberg for Eddy County Commission, Sydney Carr
• Special Ad Section: Wells County Fair, Amy Wobbema
• Reporting Series: Daycare opens in Brown Memorial, Amy Wobbema
• Government Reporting: "Full house at special assessment hearing," Amy Wobbema
• Government Reporting Series: New Rockford street project, Amy Wobbema and Nathan Price
• Online Coverage of Breaking News: Burglary at Hanson's Bar and Eagles Club, Nathan Price and Amy Wobbema
• Portrait Photo: Wonder Lanes bowling alley's new proprietor, Nathan Price
The Transcript received honorable mention awards for editorial page coverage and for overall design excellence.
The picture story recapping the 4th of July festivities also earned an honorable mention, as well as Nathan Price's photo of roping longhorns at the Sheyenne Stampede.
Publisher Amy Wobbema finished her term as president of NDNA, and passed the gavel to Cole Short, editor of the Hillsboro Banner.
