Volume 34 – Number 1
An information publication of the South Dakota Newspaper Association, Brookings, SD BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST EDITION
June 2020
SDNA contest awards presented via Zoom Results from South Dakota Newspaper Association’s contest to spotlight some of the best work done by newspapers across the state last year were announced Thursday, May 14. The results were announced during an online virtual meeting with SDNA members because the association’s annual convention was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Awards were given for both advertising and news/editorial categories. The contest’s top awards were given for General Excellence, a measure of the newspaper overall – reporting, writing, photography, opinion, design, advertising. The SDNA General Excellence Awards are recognized as the measure of a newspaper’s overall quality and commitment to journalism. The 2019 General Excellence winners included: • Weekly newspapers under 900 circulation: Brandon Valley Journal • Weekly newspapers 901-1,300 circulation: Fall River County Herald Star, Edgemont • Weekly newspapers over 1,300
circulation: Freeman Courier • Daily newspapers under 7,000 circulation: Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan • Daily newspapers over 7,000 circulation: Argus Leader, Sioux Falls Also presented were the 2019 Sweepstakes Awards. The Sweepstakes Awards are given to the newspaper in each circulation category that accumulates the most points based on individual awards earned. First-place awards are worth 100 points, second place 70 points and third place 40 points. The points are tallied for awards won in both news/editorial and advertising portions of the Better Newspapers Contest. The 2019 Sweepstakes winners included: • Weekly newspapers under 900 circulation: Brandon Valley Journal • Weekly newspapers 901 to 1,300 circulation: Fall River County Herald Star • Weekly newspapers over 1,300 circulation: Freeman Courier • Daily newspapers under 7,000 circulation: Black Hills Pioneer,
Spearfish • Daily newspapers over 7,000 circulation: Argus Leader, Sioux Falls Awards for Outstanding Young Journalists (age 29 and under) also were
announced. Argus Leader reporter Brian Haenchen was awarded in the dailies category and Beth Fennel of the Dakota Dunes-North Sioux City Times was awarded in the weeklies category.
SDNA Executive Director David Bordewyk holds up a winning entry during the virtual awards presentation on May 14.
Productivity, personal skills define honorees for 2019 OYJ award The 2019 South Dakota Outstanding Young Journalists include a sports reporter who is called a “force of nature” by his editors and a reporter whose inquiry about a job at the local weekly newspaper was a Godsend, according to the publishers. Argus Leader reporter Brian Haenchen was named top young journalist among the state’s daily newspapers while Beth Sherard, a reporter at the Dakota Dunes/ North Sioux City Times, was honored among weeklies. They were chosen from among several nominations submitted by editors and publishers this year. Any journalist under the age of 30 working at a South Dakota newspaper is eligible for the award. The SDNA Outstanding Young Journalist Award was started in 2000. The honorees that first year were Steve Buchholz of the Rapid City Journal and Jeremy Waltner of the Freeman Courier. Argus Leader newsroom bosses Cory Myers and Stu Whitney had plenty of good things to say about Haenchen. “Brian has been a force of nature on our high school sports beat, combining writing/reporting and multimedia skills with the sort of fast-paced productivity that sets a high standard in our newsroom,” they wrote in their nomination letter. “Embracing our sports objective to transcend mere game coverage, Brian looked beyond the playing field to capture some of the state’s most poignant stories in 2019.”
story down to its pertinent facts. She can write about anything – from interstate accidents and executive profiles to library story hour. She shoots compelling photos and knows how to prepare them for publication. But most importantly, she has cultivated relationships with everyone from the police chief to the custodian of the courthouse. She has a rare talent for making people around her feel comfortable enough to trust her with their information. When she calls, they pick up the phone.”
Beth Sherard Dakota Dunes-North Sioux City Times
Brian Haenchen Argus Leader
Among them were stories about the community of Burke rallying its football team in the aftermath of a tornado that destroyed parts of the school and town, a behind-the-scenes look at the traumatic brain injury suffered by a Britton-Hecla football player, and in-depth reporting about the controversy surrounding a buzzer-beater in the state high school basketball tournament. “Part of Brian’s effectiveness is his ability to use video, photos and social media to help package stories in a way that engages readers, keeps them hooked and leads to increased digital subscriptions. In short, he is carrying out our new-era
business plan and making us better every day,” Myers and Whitney said. Susan and Bruce Odson said they felt like they hit the jackpot when Beth Sherard walked in the door. “Imagine our surprise back in 2014 when a woman stopped in at our office, said she was moving to town and was looking for a job. Hmmmm… young, personable, with degrees from the University of South Dakota in English and contemporary media and journalism. How long do you think it took us to hire her?” they wrote. The Odsons added: “Beth has fulfilled all the expectations we had for her. She knows how to distill a council or board
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David C. Bordewyk ..........Publisher/Editor Sandy DeBeer .................Pagination Published bi-monthly by South Dakota Newspaper Association, 1125 32nd Ave., Brookings, SD 57006, and at additional office. Telephone: 800-658-3697 Periodicals Class Postage paid at Brookings, SD 57006. SOUTH DAKOTA NEWSPAPERS is the official trade publication for the South Dakota Newspaper Association, representing daily and weekly newspapers in the state. Postmaster: Send change of address to South Dakota Newspaper Association, 1125 32nd Ave., Brookings, SD 57006
2 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST 2 COLUMN AD Stand alone 2 column ad for a single advertiser. Judged on the basic idea, layout, typography, copy and originality. BLACK HILLS All Weeklies 1st Place
PIONEER (ALBRE
CHT)
WINNER ADVOCATE María M Moletreno Entry Title: A’Cafellas “A Night of Dreams” 2nd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Jane Bachman Entry Title: Piano Lessons 3rd Place
CLEAR LAKE COURIER Nancy Greene Entry Title: Scentsy Open House All Dailies 1st Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER
WINNER ADVOCATE
Nikki Brower & Tracy Jonas Entry Title: Party Depot Judges comments: This is a great ad! So simple and clean, with a great use of color. It really stands out on the page.
2nd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Katie Heggem Entry Title: The Butcher Shop 3rd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Jami Albrecht Entry Title: Belle Fourche Vol. Fire Dept - Pancake Feed
BROOKIN
R
GS REGISTE
BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY Judged on organization and attractiveness of pages, headings, etc. All Weeklies 1st Place
All Dailies 1st Place
WINNER ADVOCATE
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
María M Moletreno Entry Title: Direct Sales Superstars
Advertising Staff Entry Title: Business Directory Pages
2nd Place
Judges comments: I like this one because it gives more detail of the businesses and ads are more creative
CLEAR LAKE COURIER Nancy Greene Entry Title: Spring open house 3rd Place
FREEMAN COURIER Tabitha Schoenwald
2nd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Greg Roe & Ad Sales Staff Entry Title: Internet Directory 3rd Place
ARGUS LEADER Staff Entry Title: Auctioneers
FREEMAN COURIER
CLEAR LAKE COURIER
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 3
BEST DIGITAL AD IDEA Judged on basic idea, layout, typography, copy and originality. All Weeklies 1st Place
All Dailies 1st Place
GRANT COUNTY REVIEW
ARGUS LEADER
Ashlie Schweitzer Entry Title: Mundwiler Funeral Home
Staff Entry Title: Lewis Drug
Judges comments: Beautiful use of subdued color to match a great photo. As festive as a funeral home ad could ever be.
Judges comments: Clean and simple design! Not typical of of most newspaper to digital ads. Nicely done.
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE 2nd Place
2nd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Justin Petersen Entry Title: Pizza Ranch
Katie Heggem Entry Title: Spearfish Rec Pass Sale
Judges comments: Great use of color, bright and tempting.
3rd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER (HEGGEM)
BLACK HILLS PIONEER 3rd Place
WINNER ADVOCATE
Inrid Hayward Entry Title: Blackstone - Bike, Trike, SUV
María M Moletreno Entry Title: TCWUD
BEST NEWSPAPER PROMOTION Judged on reader appeal, originality and creativenewss in promoting the newspaper. All Weeklies 1st Place
FREEMAN COURIER
BROOKINGS REGISTER
Tabitha Schoenwald FREEMAN COURIER
2nd Place
NEW ERA Megan Punt 3rd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Staff Entry Title: Eye Spy
All Dailies 1st Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Greg Roe & Billy McMacken Entry Title: Rake in the Savings Judges comments: This ad is great overall. But, I really love how natural the owl holding the newspaper looks. Great job blending those elements.
2nd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Advertising & Design Staff 3rd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Deb Townsend
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
4 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST SERIES AD IDEA Judged on the basic idea, layout, copy, typography, originality and continuity from ad to ad. All Weeklies 1st Place
FREEMAN COURIER Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: The Chislic House 2nd Place
TRUE DAKOTAN Cam Fagerhaug Entry Title: Springs Inn - Fresh series
FREEMAN COURIER
3rd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Whitney Stroeder Entry Title: Great Western Bank
All Dailies 1st Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Nikki Brower & Tracy Jonas Entry Title: Medary Acres Judges comments: I love the backgrounds and the font
2nd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Tom Stevens Entry Title: Paula’s Hearing Aid Services Judges comments: The ads spoke to different categories of people
3rd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Karmen McCain Entry Title: Lakeview Veterinary Clinic
BROOKINGS REGISTER
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 5
BEST USE OF COLOR Judged on appropriateness and clarity of the color in addition to the basic idea, copy, layout, typography and originality. All Weeklies 1st Place
All Dailies 1st Place
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Darrell Mohr Entry Title: Miners Cup
Inrid Hayward Entry Title: Rosie Ridley Bday
Judges comments: This ad is well done! It stands out on a page, and the colors are striking.
2nd Place
2nd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
POTTER CO. NEWS
Katie Heggem Entry Title: The Newman Center
Lacey Johnson Entry Title: Sunday Easter Buffet
3rd Place
Judges comments: I love how the bright spring colors really show against the red and black colors of the FCCLA story on the same page.
BROOKINGS REGISTER Nikki Brower & Tracy Jonas Entry Title: Medary Acres
3rd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Sheryl Grimes Entry Title: Fall River Health Judges comments: I like how you used the blue and yellow throughout, and your placement among text really helps draw the reader into it. This ad would be boring in grayscale.
POTTER CO. NEWS
BEST USE OF LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY Judged on graphic treatment of the photo’s “stand alone” appeal, and graphic treatment of the photo in relation to the entire ad. All Weeklies 1st Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC (McCAIN)
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE Darrell Mohr Entry Title: 1881 Bank_Beer Garden Opening 2nd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Justin Petersen Entry Title: Key Insurance Years in Review 3rd Place
POTTER CO. NEWS Lacey Johnson Entry Title: Happy Holidays! All Dailies 1st Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Karmen McCain Entry Title: Kelly Gross Insurance 2nd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Deb Townsend Entry Title: Costello Property Management 3rd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Sharon Mason Entry Title: Just for Looks
CUSTER C
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE
OUNTY CHRO
NICLE
6 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST SINGLE AD IDEA Judged on the basic idea, layout, copy, typography, originality. All Weeklies 1st Place
ROSHOLT REVIEW Colin A Tritz Entry Title: Hot Dogs! Get Your Hot Dogs! 2nd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Catherine Turner Entry Title: Ophthalmology Associates ROSHOLT REVIEW
3rd Place
CLEAR LAKE COURIER Nancy Greene Entry Title: Dairy Christmas Vet Clinic
MITCHE All Dailies 1st Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Katie Heggem Entry Title: The Knothole 2nd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Dawn Hatch Entry Title: Fisher Sand & Gravel 3rd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Laura Fosness Entry Title: Nepstad’s Flowers and Gifts
CLEAR LAKE COURIER
GEM) S PIONEER (HEG BLACK HILL
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE
LL DAILY R
EPUBLIC
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 7
BEST SPOT NEWS PHOTO Judged on news value, technical quality, composition and editing. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
TYNDALL TRIBUNE & REGISTER
FREEMAN COURIER
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
ARGUS LEADER
Becky Tycz Entry Title: Obey road closed signs
Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: Firefighter battles house fire
Alex Portal Entry Title: Couple safe after vehicle fire
Abigail Dollins Entry Title: Assessing the tornado damage
Judges comments: I’ll NEVER drive around a road closed sign after seeing this photo. Well composed with the car into the upper right corner, and road damage obvious.
Judges comments: This is a fantastic image! Great capture of an incredible fire. Love the silhouette of the firefighter. I’m glad you ran this as a large image on the page to truly show the drama of everything in this photo. Well done!
Judges comments: This photo has a lot going on. The flames are so vivid, and even the water is captured clearly. Your subjects are front and center. My only qualms are the cropping at the bottom, and I would like to see the faces of the firefighters. Still, under an event that wasn’t planned, it rises to the top.
Judges comments: This has great face and content. It’s also brilliantly composed.
2nd Place
DAKOTA DUNES-NORTH SIOUX CITY TIMES Beth Fennel Entry Title: Turtles Judges comments: So many turtles all in a row provide an unsuspected and unusual image -- the definition of news.
2nd Place
REPORTER AND FARMER
2nd Place
John Suhr Entry Title: Paddling to fun
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
Judges comments: While flooding is obviously devastating it’s nice to see an image of someone taking advantage and having a little fun. Nice capture!
3rd Place
HILL CITY PREVAILER NEWS
3rd Place
Gray Hughes Entry Title: It’s rally time
TIMBER LAKE TOPIC Robert Slocum Entry Title: Flooding Dam
Judges comments: Good work showing how your community is overwhelmed by bikes. Captures the essence of a big community event.
Judges comments: Love the unique angle this photo captures. Great use of technology to capture the flooding event from above.
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
TRUE DAKOTAN Cam Fagerhaug Entry Title: Mother Nature Meets Her Match Judges comments: This is the perfect example of being in the right place at the right time. An outstanding way to capture a memory in a harsh environment.
TY
E & REGISTER NDALL TRIBUN
Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: Back Home Judges comments: This photo rises amid tough competition, as we are getting so much emotion, body language and feel for what is happening in such a solemn moment. What makes it more than an ordinary funeral photo is the way you captured the saluting soldier, the coffin and the faces of the pallbearers.
3rd Place
2nd Place
RAPID CITY JOURNAL Adam Fondren Entry Title: Three arrested, gun found after suspect fires into bedroom near downtown Rapid City Judges comments: This is a tough photo to get and has a lot of good content.
3rd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Matt Gade Entry Title: Helping with sandbags Judges comments: Great face and content. A very clean read.
MADISON DAILY LEADER Larry Leeds Entry Title: Tears of Joy Judges comments: You capture the emotion of this moment very well. It would have been great to see the other player’s face, but I love how close and tightly this is cropped. A great photo that just faced tough competition, but definitely award worthy.
YANKTON DAILY PRES
S & DAKOTAN
2nd Place
SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY LEADER-COURIER Susan Odson Entry Title: A great place Judges comments: This is exactly what a photographer is looking for at a fair but very seldom finds it. Good work capturing the moment.
3rd Place
TRUE DAKOTAN Kristi Hine Entry Title: A heartfelt student salute Judges comments: This is indeed a special moment for the readers and children’s parents.
BLACK HILLS PIONEER TRUE DAKOTA
N (HINE)
REPORT
ER & FARM
ER
8 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST SPOT NEWS STORY Judged on quality of writing and thoroughness of fact reporting under deadline. Weeklies Under 900 & 901-1,300 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR
TIMBER LAKE TOPIC
Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: Hot Springs home declared total loss following fire on porch
Kathy Nelson Entry Title: Fire Destroys Landmark
Judges comments: Very compelling first-hand report from the frightened family whose home was destroyed by fire.
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
2nd Place
FREEMAN COURIER Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: Early more fire guts home
2nd Place
Alex Portal Entry Title: Couple safe after vehicle fire Judges comments: Fires always challenge a newsroom. This story has all the required elements and the photography is great, too.
2nd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
NEW ERA
3rd Place
Sarah Ebeling Entry Title: Inaccurate information leads to panic
REPORTER AND FARMER
Judges comments: Sometimes the story is that there’s no story. Good job tracking down a social media scare and showing how fear and panic can result from false information.
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Amanda Fanger Entry Title: Someone at the railroad dropped the ball
Rob Nielsen Entry Title: River Rampage Judges comments: Thorough coverage of a natural disaster.
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
RAPID CITY JOURNAL Arielle Zionts, Adam Fondren Entry Title: Murder suspect arrested after standoff in Rapid City 2nd Place
ARGUS LEADER Katie Nelson Entry Title: Two injured in Burke tornado 3rd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Daily Republic Staff Entry Title: DRENCHED.
3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Jodelle Greiner Entry Title: 2 indicted in death of toddler
3rd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
Judges comments: In-depth piece about the horrible crime. Nice work.
Jill Meier & Jamie Hult Entry Title: One way out Judges comments: Solid description of how flooding left one small town isolated.
TIMBER LAKE TOPIC
BEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT STORY Judged on news value, writing clarity, style and treatment of the subject, impact on local residents. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
VOLGA TRIBUNE
TRUE DAKOTAN
FREEMAN COURIER
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
ARGUS LEADER
Kathi Granum Entry Title: Business owners, residents meet to discuss forming local Chamber
Kristi Hine Entry Title: Concerned Citizens Fill City Hall
Tim L. Waltner Entry Title: Behl troubled by mayor’s response
Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: Tripp Finance Officer Accused Of Embezzlement
2nd Place
2nd Place
Patrick Anderson Entry Title: Native American victims of sex abuse at Catholic boarding schools fight for justice
PLAIN TALK
FREEMAN COURIER
David Lias Entry Title: Ordinance Establishing Bid #2 Approved On First Reading Monday
Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: Freeman Public tax request
Judges comments: This was engaging. Access to attendees was crucial to the piece and the individual voices gave this piece life.
2nd Place
GARRETSON GAZETTE Carrie Moritz Entry Title: Garretson City Council terminates Haarsma Construction Contract Judges comments: Interesting subject, covered well
3rd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL Jamie Hult Entry Title: City says ‘Dirt’ post on radium is fake Judges comments: Unusual subject and situation for a city to face. Covered well.
3rd Place
REPORTER AND FARMER 3rd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: Concern over CWD varies in county
Amanda Fanger and John Suhr Entry Title: Commissioners approve illegal motion
Judges comments: The reporter’s in-depth look at the finance officer’s alleged actions in this piece had potential to be boring or overwhelming to readers, but it was anything but. Breaking down each offense individually and giving readers an idea of the impact of the story brought it to the top of the list.
2nd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Deb Holland Entry Title: Educational Secretary: Look for other options
Judges comments: This seems to be a topic no one is talking about, and I never heard or thought about it until I read this article. It’s a whole new branch to sex abuse in the Catholic Church. You found compelling subjects for your story, filled it with interesting data points and made us dive deeper into the story. An outstanding job at digging into this issue.
2nd Place
ARGUS LEADER Patrick Anderson and Lisa Kaczke Entry Title: Jailed for being mentally ill: South Dakota looks for an alternative
Judges comments: This story offered an in-depth look at the impacts splitting the local school district and also explore a historical angle. Readers can easily understand the financial and social impacts to the community based on the thorough reporting done in this article.
Judges comments: This issue seems to be up for discussion, but I love how you took it deeper, provided so much data and thoroughly explained the stories of those impacted by this.
3rd Place
3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER
ARGUS LEADER
Matthew Rhodes Entry Title: School district to continue conversation on tribal culture
Danielle Ferguson Entry Title: How labor trafficking leaves S.D. workers with no money, no insurance and no freedom
Judges comments: The reporter managed to add new depth to an ongoing issue in this story that could have an impact on a local and national scale. Viewpoints from multiple people close to the situation helped balance the reporting and elaborate on the issue at hand.
Judges comments: This was a really tough category. I would have liked to see more numbers on how many cases or complaints have been filed, but this is a great workforce issue you found that no one is talking about. You brought this to light for the public, and this should serve as a great example for other labor reporters.
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 9
BEST NEWS SERIES Judged on excellence of writing, thoroughness and effectiveness of stories. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
LeeAnne Dufek Entry Title: Grow Castlewood - Football Field
Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: Niobrara: Signs Of Progress
2nd Place
GARRETSON GAZETTE Dave Baumeister Entry Title: Minnehaha Co. Treasurer Troubles
Judges comments: Without a doubt, the winner. Comprehensive and informative, this not only keeps the ball bouncing on a very major topic, but it also spins it around the stories of people. Strong, strong reporting and writing.
2nd Place
3rd Place
HILL CITY PREVAILER NEWS Leslie Silverman Entry Title: Holy Terror Days Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
PLAIN TALK David Lias Entry Title: Animal Feeding Operation Judges comments: Impressive and undoubtedly accurate account of Animal Feeding Operation’s attempt to expand. Readers could follow developing story and never leave their home, which is the goal of every news series. Outstanding reporting.
2nd Place
TRUE DAKOTAN Cam Fagerhaug Entry Title: Weather-wrought calving season Judges comments: There wasn’t much left to imagine, thanks to this first-person account. Exhaustive for the reader, as well. Good storytelling in presenting all facts, issues and multi-problems facing the ranching industry, especially when facing bad weather.
3rd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: Shopko to Bomgaars transition Judges comments: Well documented account of a chain’s demise, a strong word, granted, but ShopKo’s departure hurt many communities, Hot Springs included. Factually, well done.
BROOKINGS REGISTER Eric Sandbulte Entry Title: Nursing home struggles Judges comments: Nice work on a story that impacts so many people at one time or another. Good data on the overall state deficit, and nice work putting a local flair on it. And good job getting the small-town information in there. It would be great to get a local photo, too, but in this case, it still wouldn’t have pushed it into the No. 1 spot (and also, it’s not being judged on photos, anyway). But something to think about next time.
3rd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Cora Van Olson Entry Title: Hunhoff Murder Judges comments: Nice work, Cora. This is a good retrospective on an event that obviously had impact to your community. And it’s well-written, too.
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
ARGUS LEADER Shelly Conlon Entry Title: Ignored: South Dakota is failing deaf children Judges comments: Excellent coverage of an underreported demographic.
2nd Place
ARGUS LEADER Katie Nelson Entry Title: 18 years of officer-involved shootings Judges comments: Excellent deep dig on law enforcement and accountability
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
3rd Place
REPORTER AND FARMER
ARGUS LEADER
Amanda Fanger Entry Title: Fire ignites Judges comments: This series is solid, polished and reminiscent of reporting in a big city daily. The reporter captures everything in detail very well and is to be commended.
2nd Place
WEST RIVER EAGLE Alaina Beautiful Bald Eagle Entry Title: TransCanada; KXL pipeline Judges comments: A good, local description of an international issue. Articles were a little long but important information to a diverse audience.
3rd Place
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE Jason Ferguson Entry Title: Harry David Evans trial Judges comments: This series had more information than readers needed but the impact was there and justice was served.
PLAIN TALK
Jonathan Ellis, Joe Sneve and Danielle Ferguson Entry Title: Aaron McGowan investigation Judges comments: Great watchdog reporting on a public official.
ARGUS LEADER (CONTON)
10 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST PHOTO SERIES Judged on reader appeal, technical quality, composition and editing. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
RMER
REPORTER & FA
NEW ERA
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Staff Entry Title: Fair time faces
Deb Holland Entry Title: Raising bum lambs a labor of love
2nd Place
DAKOTA DUNES-NORTH SIOUX CITY TIMES Rochelle Pfeifer Entry Title: Christmas at the Homestead 3rd Place
Judges comments: These photos really tell a story, even without reading the article. In photos, you want faces, and you capture the faces (of lambs) with brilliance. I also love that you do not crowd the page with too many photos, that the images are clear and they are large. I would have loved to see photos of the people taking care of them, but this is everything to look for in a photo collection that tells a story. Well done.
ESTELLINE JOURNAL
2nd Place
Jenna Aderhold Entry Title: Estelline Rodeo Days
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Dick Kettlewell Entry Title: Fall River Rhapsody 2nd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: FALL RIVER COUNTY FAIR 3rd Place
TRUE DAKOTAN Kristi Hine Entry Title: Independence Day Parade Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
REPORTER AND FARMER Amanda Fanger Entry Title: Burning down the house (series)
Kelly Hertz and James Cimburek Entry Title: Riverboat Days 2019 Judges comments: It’s hard not to fall in love with that fireworks photo. There are a lot of great moments in this collection. You really captured the moments of the day. My biggest concern is how many photos were used. The more photos in a collection, the more opportunity to pick out flaws. There are cropping and quality issues in some images. I would have liked to see fewer photos that are larger. But overall, this is a great collection of the event.
3rd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: A Morning March Judges comments: I really liked this set. The framing and different angles on these photos really makes the collection dynamic. I think you could have done without some of the photos and made others bigger, giving them more prominence. But even in black and white, it still rises to the top.
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
Judges comments: Liked that there was a person in every photo. Great angles and cropping.
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
2nd Place
Judges comments: The is a very well reported story that shows great variety, depth, and many quality photographs. Well done.
FREEMAN COURIER Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: Fourth of July Judges comments: Wow, looks like a great time. Love the big pictures. This was a close one between first and second.
3rd Place
Matt Gade Entry Title: Dakota Bulldogs
2nd Place
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS John Davis Entry Title: NAHL champs
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE
Judges comments: This package has so many dramatic photographs of key moments. Well done.
Norma Najacht and Ron Burtz Entry Title: Flood of 2019
3rd Place
ARGUS LEADER Abigail Dollins Entry Title: ‘Football as therapy’
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS
Judges comments: This package has good variety on an interesting story.
PIONEER BLACK HILLS
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 11
BEST FEATURE STORY (PROFILE) Judged on excellence in feature writing that specifically profiles a person or a group of people. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Jamie Hult Entry Title: Lyft driver hits road during government shutdown
Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: Norton was a ‘courageous light’
Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: Crofton Girl Digs Into A Haunted Past
Luke Hagen Entry Title: A PERSEVERING PATH
Judges comments: crying. tearjerker, thoughtful, wonderful tribute
Judges comments: Strong writing, comments from many sources and a history lesson all in one - this was a solid feature!
Judges comments: You don’t meet a lot of kids who will work and go to school. You were able to paint such a vivid picture of this young man’s struggles and his determination to persevere. This piece rose immediately to the top for its storytelling, detail and ability for the reader to put themselves in Jose’s shoes. Well done!
Judges comments: This was very well written and a timely and interesting subject. Readers undoubtedly would sympathize with this young man’s entrepreneurial spirit and good attitude- and the writer deserves full credit for getting that across
2nd Place
2nd Place
TRUE DAKOTAN
2nd Place
Cam Fagerhaug Entry Title: More than a brand
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
3rd Place
LeeAnne Dufek Entry Title: Passion for flowers blooms into family business
PLAIN TALK
Judges comments: Enjoyable read. Subject came across as passionate about her work and excellent descriptions.
3rd Place
David Lias Entry Title: Bench Honors Beloved USD Educator Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
VOLGA TRIBUNE
WEST RIVER EAGLE
Abby Hopp Entry Title: A desire to serve; Nix named Firefighter of the Year
Alaina Beautiful Bald Eagle Entry Title: Fentress LeBeau
Judges comments: Great look at an individual’s commitment to her community. Well written with good flow
Judges comments: Great story and a real service to the community.
2nd Place
SISSETON COURIER Mimi Larsen Entry Title: Elli Nelson’s Long Journey to Freedom.... Judges comments: Engaging civilian war story.
3rd Place
GRANT COUNTY REVIEW Debbie Hemmer Entry Title: Rudebusch’s Research Skills Land Her on Oak Island
Dennis Knuckles Entry Title: BHSU football player Brett Lamb’s game plan to tackle leukemia Judges comments: I liked the slow walk through his realization it might be leukemia to getting diagnosed and figuring out next steps. It puts the readers in his shoes.
3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER John Kubal Entry Title: Overcoming obstacles Judges comments: Who doesn’t like a feel-good story like this? The reporter did a good job getting fun details to round out the reporting and make it even better.
2nd Place
ARGUS LEADER Danielle Ferguson Entry Title: Butch Oseby Judges comments: That headline! You can’t ignore a story like that. But what makes this piece really stand out is how you walked us through Butch’s struggles. Most people will never understand what it’s like to lose your right to vote, yet there are so many people who pay their debt to society and find out they have no voice. Thank you for writing a story that helps people understand this important issue, that people are fighting the oppression and that you can overcome it.
3rd Place
ARGUS LEADER Trevor Mitchell Entry Title: Meet the woman running the last video rental store in South Dakota Judges comments: I would have never thought I would be so interested in a story about a woman who runs a video store, but you proved me wrong. You took me inside of that business, made me realize how relevant these stores once were and showed me how important this venture is to Nancy. This story made me root for her, and that could only happen with a writer who knows how to give us a colorful portrait.
Judges comments: Fascinating
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
WEST RIVER EAGLE
HAMLIN CO. REPUBLICAN
12 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST FEATURE STORY (NON-PROFILE) Judged on effectivenewss of writing style, originality of apprach and human interest. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
WEST RIVER EAGLE
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
ARGUS LEADER
Jill Meier Entry Title: One heart unites two families
Alaina Beautiful Bald Eagle Entry Title: Grandson of Wounded Knee..
Alex Portal Entry Title: War cometh to the Black Hills!
Judges comments: A compelling and heartwarming story of tragedy turned to triumph -- well told.
Judges comments: Excellent writing. Impressive research. Well told from all angles and all participants. Especially enlightening for non-Indians. And much appreciated by all living on the reservation and all associated with the Indian people there, I’m sure.
Judges comments: Despite a few grammatical errors, the depth into which the writer went to capture the spirit of SCA and the individuals who are invested in it. The vocabulary thrusts readers into a medieval realm, making this “world” feel real, tangible, fun, authentic, and important.
Trevor Mitchell Entry Title: Sioux Falls’ first gay prom couple wanted normalcy. Instead, they left a legacy.
2nd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
2nd Place
ARGUS LEADER
Jamie Hult Entry Title: River Oak Mafia
2nd Place
Judges comments: An unusual and offbeat story about the value and importance of community, in this case the community of a neighborhood. You could have made this story routine, but chose to make it lively.
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE
2nd Place
Stu Whitney Entry Title: Mother reunites with son after 50 years
Katie Zerr Entry Title: Treating the people of Malawi
BROOKINGS REGISTER
3rd Place
3rd Place
NEW ERA
Judges comments: Great story about a great man. Story well told. Imagery right-on. Story of that magnitude could have been packaged better. A picture of the doctor would have been good, too. Impactful article.
Sarah Ebeling Entry Title: Together for one Heartbeat
3rd Place
Judges comments: Your story puts us right into the Pankratz living room to fully understand the emotions, from fear to joy, of a young person’s health condition. Nicely told.
Logan Karels Entry Title: Davis Makes Impact Raising Butterflies
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
GRANT COUNTY REVIEW Judges comments: I love the Monarch butterfly, now I know everything I want to know about the species. It’s good to know we have people around like Mrs. Davis and people around to tell their story. Nice job.
PLAIN TALK David Lias Entry Title: ‘It’s All A God Thing’ Judges comments: Amazing writing - very descriptive, personal, felt like I was in the store witnessing the events from when the organ arrived to the recent caroling events, thoroughly enjoyed reading
Eric Sandbulte Entry Title: New home, new mission Judges comments: From the beginning, the story illustrates these furry (and poky) animals as teachers, not just cute pets. It highlights the importance of wildlife education and appreciation/care of the places these creatures (in nature) call home and how they interact with the wild world around them.
RAPID CITY JOURNAL Tanya Manus Entry Title: Playhouse is a boy’s wish come true
BROOKINGS REGISTER
3rd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: TV Crew Captures Animal Vets’ Lives Judges comments: Readers get a zoomed-in view of a film process they don’t normally get to see. The writer does well creating a personal connection to these veterinarians—hometown folks who do good work for the community and now represent the hardy Midwest way on a TV show. The article is very well organized and told an interesting, cohesive story.
2nd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: Huntin’ hard-to-find Honkers Judges comments: Great use of details, held my interest even though I’m not a hunter
3rd Place
SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY LEADER-COURIER Susan Odson Entry Title: Breathing new life into an old cemetery Judges comments: Turned a fundraiser into a very interesting article, the use of history and adjectives helped visualize the cemetery
BEST FEATURE SERIES Judged on subject, originality, quality of writing and impact. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
PARKSTON ADVANCE
FREEMAN COURIER
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Karen Adkins-Runge Entry Title: Strunk, Wagner, Triebwasser
Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: The Dying Tree
Judges comments: purple hearts and heartache.
Judges comments: This is such a well-composed and beautifully executed story, and on such a unique subject. You have done a masterful job of identifying something your community cares about and telling its story. Incredible work.
Jaci Conrad Pearson Entry Title: Series on archaeological digs in Deadwood
2nd Place
ROSHOLT REVIEW Mimi Larsen Entry Title: Fifty years after Vietnam Judges comments: earthy and insightful.
3rd Place
ARLINGTON SUN Frank Crisler Entry Title: Space Race Judges comments: the space race, but presented in a way making it freshly interesting.
2nd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
2nd Place
Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: Turning ‘Heartbreak Into Action’
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE
3rd Place
Ron Burtz Entry Title: Christmas Around the World
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
Judges comments: Great, unique feature series that is not only seasonal, but involves so many members of your community. Well written and with great detail and perspective.
Cora Van Olson Entry Title: LCBHS Offers
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Wendy Royston Entry Title: Health care/overcoming adversity Judges comments: Powerful writing about compelling health issues faced by locals - this is a great feature series!
2nd Place
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS Kelda J.L. Pharris Entry Title: Family bonds after suicide Judges comments: Powerful stories from the community, told well. I was also glad to see the second story in the series had corrected some style issues (how mental health advocates prefer to phrase “died by suicide,” for example), which I saw as a sign of the reporter getting to know the subject matter even better. Good work!
3rd Place
3rd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
SISSETON COURIER
Erik Kaufman Entry Title: SD teacher-education focus
Mimi Larsen Entry Title: American Legion 100th Anniversary Series Judges comments: Incredible work here telling the story of our nation’s veterans. These features are in-depth and beautifully composed, tying together seamlessly and bringing faces to both the American Legion and our military conflicts. Excellent job.
Judges comments: The writing was good, and these teachers deserve attention. However, I felt the reporter missed some good opportunities to expand the stories beyond quotes from the main subject - what do their students think makes these teachers noteworthy? With the addition of some more color and details, along with comments from some students, these stories would be elevated even more.
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 13
BEST FEATURE PHOTO Judged on reader appeal, technical quality, composition and editing. Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
NEW ERA
NEW ERA
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Sarah Ebeling Entry Title: Congratulartory Hugs
Alex Portal Entry Title: Whatta blast
Judges comments: What a fantastic photo. It perfectly fills the frame and captures genuine emotion and an unforgettable moment between a brother and sister. Fantastic color balance and lighting. Your technique and eye are superb.
2nd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL Jamie Hult Entry Title: Dinglehopper Judges comments: Great action shot. Plays are notoriously difficult to shoot because of the harsh lighting, so I commend your nice color balance here. Good work.
2nd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Kelly Hertz Entry Title: Cookie Catchers 3rd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER Jaci Conrad Pearson Entry Title: ‘I caught one!’ Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
RAPID CITY JOURNAL
3rd Place
ESTELLINE JOURNAL Jenna Aderhold Entry Title: Santa’s Workshop in Estelline Judges comments: Love the candid nature of this photo, and how the frame is full to the brim. You can’t look away! Beautiful shot that is brimming with life and joy. You definitely captured a moment.
Adam Fondren Entry Title: Flaming lasso 12-28-19 Judges comments: Great capture of the action, interesting subject, nice composition and love the heat waves coming off all that flaming lasso. Great job!
2nd Place WEST RIVER EAGLE
ARGUS LEADER
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
PLAIN TALK David Lias Entry Title: Freezin’ For A Reason Judges comments: Photographer captured great expressions as well as freezing the movement of the water.
Abigail Dollins Entry Title: Local Ethiopians celebrate Meskel holiday Judges comments: Lovely portrait, could be posed or spontaneous, nice lighting and nice composition. I love the look on her face as she watches the others.
3rd Place
2nd Place
SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY LEADERCOURIER Susan Odson Entry Title: Smokey skies Judges comments: Photographer caught a wonderful sight and interesting environmental coloring.
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS John Davis Entry Title: Nature’s miracles Judges comments: Nice candid shot of the American coot in action, only wish the duck was running into the frame rather than out - but sometimes nature surprises us and we just have to start shooting!
3rd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: Pinewood Derby Time Judges comments: Photographer captured the excitement and enthusiasm of the children watching and waiting to see who would win.
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
FREEMAN COURIER Tim L. Waltner Entry Title: “Got The Glow” Judges comments: This was a real hard category to judge. Great pictures all around
2nd Place
REPORTER AND FARMER John Suhr Entry Title: Welcome to Bethlehem 3rd Place
WEST RIVER EAGLE Kimmy Scherer Entry Title: TJ Schmidt
RAPID CITY JOURANL
REPORTER & FARMER
14 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST HEADLINE WRITING Judged on creativity, accuracy and impact. Weeklies Under 900 & 901-1,300 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
BROOKINGS REGISTER
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Jamie Hult
Doug Kott
Luke Hagen
Judges comments: Catchy turn of the phrase on each headline. Nice use of play on words.
Judges comments: I love that these have personality and spunk. All of them are unique and clearly thought-out, and I’m a sucker for alliteration, so June 19th’s headline was a nice cup of “T” for me (see what I did there?).
2nd Place
ONIDA WATCHMAN Sheila Ring Judges comments: Catchy headlines that make you want to read more.
3rd Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN LeeAnne Dufek Judges comments: Great way to start each article. Draws the readers eyes in.
2nd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Marcus Traxler
2nd Place
3rd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
ARGUS LEADER
Kelly Hertz Judges comments: “Net Gain” and “One Man’s Trash is ...” are headlines for two VERY different subjects, so it’s nice to see the versatility this writer has. When headlines make me smile, I know I’m in for a good read from a good writer.
Staff
3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Jill Fier
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE Ron Burtz 2nd Place
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE
BROOKINGS REGISTER (FIER)
Judges comments: From musical references and a question to cleverly-used phrases (“by the books”), these headlines capture a reader’s attention and beckon them to read more. No matter what the article is about, it’s vital to catch readers’ interest so they’re motivated to learn something new by diving right in.
Jason Ferguson 3rd Place
FREEMAN COURIER Staff
BEST LEDE Judged on quality of writing, effectiveness and/or humor or cleverness. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
ONIDA WATCHMAN
TIMBER LAKE TOPIC
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Sheila Ring Entry Title: GPS reveals golden eagle’s range of migration
Robert Slocum Entry Title: Coyote Lede
Randy Dockendorf
Ellen Bardash Entry Title: Bon Homme County K-9 gets to work
2nd Place
ONIDA WATCHMAN Marileen Tilberg Entry Title: First kernels begin journey toward ethanol 3rd Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN LeeAnne Dufek Entry Title: “What dollar amount can you put on our kid’s heads and brains?” Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
TRUE DAKOTAN Cam Fagerhaug Entry Title: Local Beef Producers Rally for Fair Markets Judges comments: Writer captured today’s cattleman in the opening sentences so the reader could visualize the man and his world.
2nd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: City of Hot Springs working to resolve ordinance issue
Judges comments: Fantastic amount of detail in a short graph. The way the detail about the coyote is set up is expertly done and creates interest for the reader. This is a perfectly-executed lede. Great work.
2nd Place
REPORTER AND FARMER Amanda Fanger Entry Title: Horse falls in freshly dug grave at Webster Cemetery
Judges comments: A nice twist that draws the reader in...Stands out among entries that relied largely on reworking old phrases.
BROOKINGS REGISTER
Judges comments: What a great description of an employee that, if of the human kind, would be less than ideal for any job, and a clever way to give this youngster a unique identity.
Eric Sandbulte Entry Title: New home, new mission
2nd Place
2nd Place
Judges comments: A riveting image...that long pink tail! Had to read on to find out what creature that might be.
Judges comments: Perfect amount of detail and length here. It’s a great news lede that makes you want to read more. Great job.
3rd Place
3rd Place
Judges comments: This lede nicely sums up the story while avoiding cute twists or cliches.
WEST RIVER EAGLE Alaina Beautiful Bald Eagle Entry Title: Grandson of Wounded Knee Judges comments: Fantastic amount of detail, but it is hurt a little by some passive voice. Try to implement active voice when you can and keep paragraphs short, especially in historical pieces. Fantastic work.
MADISON DAILY LEADER Chuck Clement Entry Title: Duke Otherwise rocks the library
RAPID CITY JOURNAL Jim Holland Entry Title: D-Day vet remembers his longest day, 75 years ago Judges comments: Coupled with the title of the article, this lede eloquently describes something so many know to be true. It does such a great job of getting readers to tap into their personal emotions when thinking about that day in history, setting the tone right out of the gate for a powerful narrative.
3rd Place
ARGUS LEADER Danielle Ferguson Entry Title: ‘You are the foulest of them all’ Judges comments: The subject matter is hard, but its opening is powerful, personal and profound. It’s sometimes easier to write about tragedy in a detached way, much more difficult to dig into your own emotional depths as you write it, but this lede goes beyond telling the facts. It knits together an opening scene of a story readers can tell will be artfully written while remaining an unbelievably tragic reality.
Judges comments: Hot stove question, no doubt. We can only hope it got “panned” out.
3rd Place
SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY LEADERCOURIER Susan Odsonn Entry Title: Beating the odds Judges comments: The first sentence hurt -- for the reader, who could only imagine how it hurt for the athlete.
TIMBER LAKE TOPIC
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 15
BEST PORTRAIT PHOTO Judged on reader appeal, technical quality, composition and editing. Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
Weeklies Under 900 & 901-1,300 1st Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
ARGUS LEADER
LeeAnne Dufek Entry Title: Passion for flowers blooms into family business
Erin Bormett Entry Title: Bashir Ahmed
Judges comments: Beautifully composed and executed photo. Jessie looks comfortable and in her element. The picture is beautifully put together and edited. Great work.
Judges comments: This image is a strange marriage of meditation and, as evident by the sweat, strenuous and high-paced activity. An incredible angle, devoid background—it all evokes emotions that are hard to place but powerful.
2nd Place
2nd Place
TRUE DAKOTAN
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Kristi Hine Entry Title: Reed Engle Begins as WS Postmaster
Matt Gade Entry Title: Cailey Scott
Judges comments: Great lighting and composition here. The photo seems to have Reed right in the place where he is at home and the quality of the image is outstanding. Careful of poses -- the arm positioning looks a little unnatural and throws off an otherwise excellent picture.
Judges comments: The photo gives a “creature in its natural habitat” vibe, freezing a moment in time where this individual is at ease but determined (you can see that in her eyes), alone but still ready to pull down those goggles and get to work. The lighting is beautiful, from the dark water to the angles highlighted in her face.
3rd Place
3rd Place
HILL CITY PREVAILER NEWS
RAPID CITY JOURNAL
Gray Hughes Entry Title: Good Boy
Adam Fondren Entry Title: Motorcycle mechanic takes Iron Butt victory
Judges comments: Fantastic photo of someone who looks at ease and at home. Nice job getting a genuine smile and filling the frame. Excellent shot.
BROOK
INGS REG
ISTER
Judges comments: The colors of the vast background make me wish I could jump on her motorcycle and hit the open roads with that beautiful scenery around me. The contrast between near (Wendy, her motorcycle, and the trees) and far (the city in the back) run a nice parallel to the 12,000 mile-journey she’s just taken.
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
FREEMAN COURIER Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: Stell Nusz
UR FREEMAN CO
IER
Judges comments: Clearly a first. Tugs at your heart strings.
ARGUS LEAD
ER
2nd Place
REPORTER AND FARMER Amanda Fanger Entry Title: Mike Harms Judges comments: Definitely shows his personality. Looks like he loves his job.
3rd Place
WEST RIVER EAGLE Alaina Beautiful Bald Eagle Entry Title: Young powwow dancer
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Matthew Rhodes Entry Title: Geography is taste Judges comments: This is a good example of an active portrait. A portrait does not have to be a static situation, which are generally less interesting that people as they live life.
2nd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Cora Van Olson Entry Title: Rolling Down The River (Photo) Judges comments: This is an engaging portrait that also includes interesting and relevant context.
3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER John Kubal Entry Title: Overcoming obstacles Judges comments: This photo incorporates a lot of relevant content.
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
TRUE DAKOTA
N
16 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST EDITORIAL CARTOON All Daily & Weekly 1st Place
POTTER CO. NEWS Molly McRoberts Entry Title: Today’s Lesson In God We Trust Judges comments: This is a very good depiction of where modern education could be headed in todays social climate.
2nd Place
YANKTON COUNTY OBSERVER Jim Anderson Entry Title: Sociable vs. Socialist Judges comments: Good reminder of what socialism actually is.
3rd Place
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE Ron Burtz Entry Title: Graduation in the age of smartphones Judges comments: Interesting depiction on a generation of surrounded by technology.
POTTER CO. NEWS
BEST LOCAL COLUMN Judged on literary style, ability or cleverness of the writer, depth of the material or research, local interest and relevance to the community. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
YANKTON COUNTY OBSERVER
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
ARGUS LEADER
LeeAnne Dufek Entry Title: Just A Thought columns
Kristy Wyland Entry Title: 3 Hot Flashes
Kelly Hertz
Stu Whitney
2nd Place
Judges comments: Love the bits of humor mixed with more serious topics. Very real life and then you get a joke too.
Judges comments: This entry best meets the criteria for personal, local column. Wide-ranging subject matter examined from a personal point of view withut too much ornamentation.
Jenna Aderhold Entry Title: Jenna’s Journal
2nd Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
FREEMAN COURIER
BROOKINGS REGISTER
Becky Waltner
VOLGA TRIBUNE
Judges comments: Interesting twist on childhood favorites and on what 2020 could hold.
John Kubal Entry Title: Curmudgeon’s Corner
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS
3rd Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
Doug Wermedal Entry Title: Unforgettable vacation, close Christmas shave, and What to do with dad
3rd Place
SIOUX VALLEY NEWS Jerry Keiser Entry Title: Off the Road with Jerry
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
PLAIN TALK David Lias Entry Title: Between The Lines Judges comments: It’s easy to tell this columnist is writing from the heart. The message can be a bit long, but is well thought out and flows very well.
2nd Place
POTTER CO. NEWS Molly McRoberts Entry Title: Stop the Presses Judges comments: The columnist captures South Dakota very well and I hope the readers see the value there.
3rd Place
SOUTH DAKOTA MAIL Altman Studeny Entry Title: To Whom It May Concern Judges comments: Good overall message, especially the story about Sen Sen with its subtle humor.
Judges comments: Interesting snippets of life. Seeing the world around in a different light.
2nd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Luke Hagen
Scott Waltman
Judges comments: Curmudgeonly indeed! A little too discursive for my taste. A stright-ahead no meandering approach would be preferred.
3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Billy McMacken Judges comments: Worthy entry of coluimns on a wide range of subjects.
PLAIN TALK
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 17
BEST EDITORIAL WRITING Judged on reader appeal of the selected topic, composition, persuasiveness and display. Weeklies Under 900 & 901-1,300 1st Place
All Dalies 1st Place
POTTER CO. NEWS
ARGUS LEADER
Molly McRoberts
Stu Whitney
Judges comments: Thought provoking comments with lots of honesty behind them.
Judges comments: Excellent editorial writing. Straight-forward and to the point.
2nd Place
2nd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Jill Meier
Luke Hagen
Judges comments: Good support of local community while speaking truths of important behaviors that should be exhibited by everyone.
Judges comments: Good editorials. Write about local topics of interest with clear and concise opinions. Good work.
3rd Place
3rd Place
DAKOTA DUNES-NORTH SIOUX CITY TIMES
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
Bruce Odson
Judges comments: I really like the editorial asking the county commission to seek legal advice. Good work.
Judges comments: The writer did a good job of relating what is happening on the National stage home.
Kelly Hertz
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
FREEMAN COURIER Tim L. Waltner 2nd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
YANKTON COUNTY OBSERVER Brian J. Hunhoff 3rd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Katie Zerr
BEST SPORTS COLUMN Judged on literary style, ability or cleverness of the writer, depth of the material or research, local interest and relevance to the community. All Weeklies 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
YANKTON COUNTY OBSERVER
ARGUS LEADER
Brian J. Hunhoff Entry Title: Sports Talk columns
Brian Haenchen
2nd Place
CUSTER COUNTY CHRONICLE Jason Ferguson Entry Title: Wednesday Morning Quarterback 3rd Place
GRANT COUNTY REVIEW Logan Karels Entry Title: Logan’s Logic Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Kelly Hertz Judges comments: These are the ideal for a sports column. The one on a national topic is wellresearched, the local ones kept my interest even as an out-of-stater, and all were a perfect length: enough to make a point but never rambling.
2nd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Jeremy Hoeck Judges comments: It was so difficult to decide between first, second and third place. I like these because they’re written with just a little flair to the writing. Good local subjects too.
3rd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN James D. Cimburek Judges comments: Yankton can really punch above its weight in the sports department!
Judges comments: The columnist made the most of his wit and humor in each piece. He chose topics which felt important but wasn’t afraid to take advantage of his position as a columnist to poke fun and give reality checks to his readers. Entertaining, well-written, and engaging.
2nd Place
WATERTOWN PUBLIC OPINION Roger Merriam Entry Title: Dear Graham, Dream Comes True and Progress Isn’t Always Better Judges comments: The columnist was wise to openly draw on his experiences and expertise to show where he was coming from in his columns. His opinions were transparent and approachable, and it his columns went beyond most in terms of style and depth while maintaining a strong voice.
3rd Place
ARGUS LEADER Stu Whitney Judges comments: In terms of depth, it would be difficult to find a stronger columnist in this batch. Each column submitted offered a unique perspective on events that would otherwise be reported from a much more straightforward point of view. These columns would serve well to enhance a typical sports coverage package.
ARGUS LEADER (WHITNEY)
18 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST SPORTS REPORTING BEST SPORTS SERIES Judged on subject, originality and quality of writing. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
Judged on subject, originality, quality of writing and impact. Weeklies Under 900 & 901-1,300 1st Place
All Dailies 1st Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
ARGUS LEADER
Jill Meier Entry Title: Geriatric Hockey League
Randy Dockendorf Entry Title: Cloddy
Brian Haenchen, Matt Zimmer, Stu Whitney Entry Title: Gridiron Greatness
Judges comments: This piece stands out from the others for two reasons: the reporter’s spectacular writing and the many quotes from the players.
Judges comments: A good read that kept me interested throughout. Nice work getting in his background, the small towns in which he coached, etc. This is a story with universal interest, which is the mark of a great sports story.
Jill Meier Entry Title: 2019 AA State Basketball State Champions
2nd Place
NEW ERA Shane Merrill Entry Title: The end of a career Judges comments: Kudos to the reporter for gathering as many voices as he did in this profile of a retiring coach. While the quotes are more long-winded than they needed to be, they were essential to do the piece justice.
2nd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Jeremy Hoeck Entry Title: Whitcomb Handled Tragedies With Faith, Perseverance
Judges comments: Great writing, told the events without getting too wordy, good use of quotes.
2nd Place
NEW ERA Shane Merrill Entry Title: Big East Conference Judges comments: Told the story well.
3rd Place
Judges comments: A nice story that puts a different focus on an athlete. We, as an industry, are finding that these kinds of stories play well online because they have wide appeal. And that should be why we do more of them.
TEA WEEKLY
Jamie Hult Entry Title: Local nursing student lands WWE tryout
3rd Place
Judges comments: Informative
Judges comments: Fun story and good writing chops, better than I typically see in a paper of this size.
Jodelle Greiner Entry Title: Maidens keep rolling
3rd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY LEADER-COURIER Susan Odson Entry Title: Strength, hard work fuel title quest Judges comments: The athlete’s determination and drive comes across with great use of quotes and explanations. Very detailed article without an excess of words.
2nd Place
PLAIN TALK David Lias Entry Title: ‘Let Me Be Brave’ Judges comments: Enjoyed the father’s perspective to begin the article. Nice work with several sources.
3rd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: HOOPS HISTORY Judges comments: Great job digging up information from the past and finding athletes to contribute to your story.
BROOKINGS REGISTER Judges comments: Nice job documenting an interesting subject that has wide appeal. Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve read about roller derby in a local newspaper.
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
Jeremy Waltner 2nd Place
GRANT COUNTY REVIEW Logan Karels Entry Title: Baseball Umpire Bob Hansen 3rd Place
SISSETON COURIER Mimi Larsen Entry Title: Local woman competes in Boston Marathon
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
FREEMAN COURIER Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: The Freeman High Schools’ Postseason Run Judges comments: Great writing, great photos, great layout. Clearly number one.
2nd Place
Jacque Niles Entry Title: Dawn Seiler retires from coaching after 35 years, 600 wins
Robert Slocum & Kathy Nelson Entry Title: State Basketball Coverage
Judges comments: The reporter’s voice comes across strongly, emphasizing a unique angle of the coach’s retirement. The selected quotes were well-chosen and well-framed. The entire piece felt thoughtful and introspective but remained light-hearted.
2nd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Jeremy Karll Entry Title: Looking to grow girls wrestling Judges comments: The reporter was thorough and wrote clearly. He managed to give a nationwide view on a more local subject, creating an accessible point of view for almost any reader and addressing the issue from multiple perspectives.
ARGUS LEADER FREEMAN COURIER
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS
3rd Place Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
Anne Homan Entry Title: Tea Titans Basketball Run for State
Trevor Mitchell Entry Title: State officials took their grandfather’s fishing record away. Now, they’re pushing back. Judges comments: This article was unique and delved into an interesting issue, both in terms of history and community. The reporting was concise and to the point, but did not sacrifice depth despite the short length.
TIMBER LAKE TOPIC
Judges comments: A darn fine series, and very deserving of first place. (But nothing about the Freeman dynasty of the 1990s????) We could argue all day about what teams are left out, whether more nine-man teams should be included, etc. But that’s the point -- it encourages this kind of discussion. And that’s what great reporting does. This is a strong take on a subject that certainly must have been ravenously consumed by the state’s readers. I enjoyed it.
2nd Place
ARGUS LEADER Staff Entry Title: Coverage of College Gameday Judges comments: The difference between this package and the first place package is minimal, but the other gets the nod due to its uniqueness, whereas yours is straight up excellent beat reporting. Either way, it’s a strong package of content and shows your dedication not only to the beat, but also to your craft. Very nice work.
3rd Place
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Jeremy Hoeck Entry Title: Behind The Mask Judges comments: This is a unique take on an interesting subject. Your decision to step outside of regular coverage (gamers, previews, etc.) is what moves this into the place-winners. Nice job of thinking outside the box and covering something in your beat that has wide appeal -- young, old, men, women, etc.
3rd Place
YANKTON COUNTY OBSERVER Brian Hunhoff Entry Title: All Star Roster series FREEMAN COURIER
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 19
BEST SPORTS PHOTO Judged on reader appeal, technical quality, composition and editing. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Diana Holden Entry Title: Teams qualify for post season/state
Jason Gross Entry Title: Newell Labor Day Rodeo ends weekend events
2nd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
Judges comments: Photo beautifully freezes the wild action of the bucking bronco. The cowboy’s arm and horse’s tail draw the eye up, I like the angle the horse is at mid-buck. Really nice shot!
Jill Meier Entry Title: Olthoff lights it up for 22 points
2nd Place
Judges comments: Great job in stopping the action, including the incredible concentration on the player’s face.
Sean Welsh Entry Title: Rangers Hockey
3rd Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
BROOKINGS REGISTER Judges comments: Nice capture of the fast action as the player attempts to make the goal. Nice tight shot gets the viewer up close to the action.
LeeAnne Dufek Entry Title: Castlewood volleyball
3rd Place
Judges comments: A volleyball picture at this angle is very difficult to capture. It belongs with this elite group of photographs.
Kelly Hertz Entry Title: A Giant Leap
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR Brett Nachtigall Entry Title: Mutton Buster saved by belt loop Judges comments: What great timing on this shot -- and to get the animal in frame too is the cherry on top.
2nd Place
TEA WEEKLY Anne Homan Entry Title: Titans Are State Champions Judges comments: I know from experience how difficult it is to get as good a shot as this is at the moment of celebration. Well done.
3rd Place
TRUE DAKOTAN Kristi Hine Entry Title: Red, white, blue and barrels Judges comments: Plenty of great details in this photo, from the horse to the dirt getting kicked up.
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
REPORTER AND FARMER Amanda Fanger Entry Title: Webster Area Bearcat ninth grader Cael Larson 2nd Place
REPORTER AND FARMER John Suhr Entry Title: Bearcat girls place third in Region 1A, boys take sixth 3rd Place
FREEMAN COURIER
RALD STAR
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
PARKSTON ADVANCE Judges comments: What an incredible action photo. A picture this detailed is hard to capture at night, or anytime. Well done!
FALL RIVER COUNTY HE
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN Judges comments: This was a competitive category. I like the symmetry of this shot and the look on the gymnast’s face. Wonderful capture, very dramatic image.
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
ARGUS LEADER Cory Myers Entry Title: Falling into Night Judges comments: A captivating moment. With no ground and little definition in the black sky, only lights and part of a standard to accompany the athlete, it feels almost otherworldly. Like he’s alone in the universe, falling toward the unknown in a darkness lit only by two stadium lights. Beautiful!
2nd Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Matt Gade Entry Title: Baseball crash Judges comments: Who doesn’t love a moment in which a photographer captures an athlete’s hard work and skill still unable to come up with success—face planting, whether literally or figuratively. So goes life, right?
3rd Place
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS John Davis Entry Title: Northern celebrates
MITCHELL DA
Judges comments: The many different expressions of pure joy, victory, clebration— all captured as individuals of the team—show the true fabric of what being successful as a group takes, and what it feels like when achieved. It’s always cool to see teams huddled up, jumping up and down as they celebrate something, but this photograph captures the unique individual personality of each member of a single unit, one that has worked together well enough to rise to the top.
ILY REPUBLIC
TRUE D AKOTAN
Jeremy Waltner Entry Title: Menno Mad Frogs Baseball
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
20 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST SPECIAL SECTION/ISSUE Judged on the relevance of news/editorial content, advertising content, layout and design. Weeklies Under 900 & 901-1,300 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
3rd Place
All Dailies 1st Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
FREEMAN COURIER
ARGUS LEADER
Staff Entry Title: Lynx Fall Preview
Staff Entry Title: Happy Holidays/Christmas Greetings
Staff Entry Title: High School Football Preview
Judges comments: Well written section. Great show of support and team spirit by the advertisers.
Judges comments: This is a unique take on the traditional newspaper Christmas section featuring every little kids demands for the holiday. I appreciated asking different questions of each grade/class. The trivia throughout is also a nice addition. Holiday ads are a nice blend of older graphics and newer. Nicely done publication.
Judges comments: I enjoyed this section - easy to read, fun to look at. Nice layout. The photos by Abigail Dollins are fun and show some great characters on these teams. Great reporting as well. All around best section in this group.
2nd Place
NEW ERA Staff Entry Title: Turner County Fair Judges comments: A lot of content - both features and advertising in this section. You can definitely tell the county fair is a big event for this community.
2nd Place
GRANT COUNTY REVIEW Debbie Hemmer, Holli Seehafer, Ashlie Schweitzer Entry Title: Grant County Review Valley Queen 90th Anniversary
3rd Place
TEA WEEKLY Anne Homan and Kelli Bultena Entry Title: Titan Soccer Champs Judges comments: I’m sure this section was appreciated by the parents & players. Nice keepsake for all. Well done!
Staff Entry Title: Our Towns Judges comments: Definitely a contender. Lots of content and ads. Only concerns are the print quality very dark, heavy ink and registration. Could use a little white space throughout for visual appeal. Some pages are a little overwhelming with the layout.
2nd Place
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS Elisa Sand, Katherine Grandstrand Entry Title: Scholastic Stars Judges comments: Interesting project - well done! Nice layout, easy to read and follow.
Judges comments: This must have been a huge project. This is an extensive look at a local business. I may have missed it, but they didn’t appear to have an ad in this section, which struck me as odd. I hope they truly appreciate the work you put into this section as it was definitely a lengthy publication. My only issue with this section is the font choice for the headlines...tough to read didn’t really fit the style of the rest of the pub.
3rd Place
LENNOX INDEPENDENT Debbie Schmidt, Kelli Bultena, Anne Homan Entry Title: Celebrating the Lennox Municipal Band Judges comments: Nice layout of this section. Definitely a contender in this category.
ARGUS LEADER
BEST SPECIAL PUBLICATION A stand-alone publication judged on relevance of news/editorial content, advertising content and layout and design. Weeklies Under 900 & 901-1,300 1st Place
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
All Dailies 1st Place
ONIDA WATCHMAN
GRANT COUNTY REVIEW
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Staff Entry Title: Guide to Hunting in Central South Dakota 2019
Debbie Hemmer, Holli Seehafer, Ashlie Schweitzer Entry Title: Legion Post 100th Anniversary
Staff Entry Title: Welcome to Spearfish
Judges comments: Best overall for locally produced content and ads. Well organized and useful publication. Great job!
Judges comments: This publication was a tremendous project. So much history and information gathered and put together in a nicely designed package. Well done! Great keepsake!
Judges comments: Plenty of content with an attractive layout throughout this welcome guide. Well done all around!
2nd Place
2nd Place
2nd Place
TEA WEEKLY
LENNOX INDEPENDENT
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Anne Homan, Kelli Bultena Entry Title: Tea Community Guide
Debbie Schmidt, Kelli Bultena, Anne Homan Entry Title: Year in Review
Daily Republic staff Entry Title: January Farm and Ranch
Judges comments: Well organized and useful to the community both new and old. I enjoyed the unique layout. Nicely done publication.
Judges comments: What a unique idea! I really like this concept - definitely shows your community the value your publication brings by covering so many important events all year long. I hope your community appreciates having the yearly history of their town in one handy place like this. Congrats!
Judges comments: Nice plentiful publication featuring well written stories and great photos.
3rd Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN LeeAnne Dufek, Doug Kruiter Entry Title: Destination Lake Poinsett
3rd Place
Judges comments: Good and useful publication. Could use some layout adjustments to make easier to read. Overall, well done.
Staff Entry Title: Experience Freeman
FREEMAN COURIER Judges comments: Excellent design and layout of this welcome guide. Well organized, easy to read and very useful. Great job!
3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Staff Entry Title: Veterans Day Judges comments: Great section featuring local heroes! Plenty of local content. Nice keepsake for your readers and families. Layout is a little lacking compared to other publications submitted in this category, but overall, well done.
BLACK HILLS PIONEER FREEMAN COURIER
LENNOX INDEPENDENT
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 21
BEST PUBLIC SERVICE Judged for a distinguised example of public service by a newspaper through the use of its journalistic resources, which may include reporting, photography, editorials, columns and special sections/editions. All Weeklies 1st Place
FREEMAN COURIER Staff Entry Title: A Day in the Life Judges comments: This is a great project by your newspaper and a great benefit for your community. Plus, working with the university students makes it all the better. A great partnership and legacy for the newspaper, the community of Freeman and the students and professors at SDSU.
Explanation of project: One of the best things about being a community journalist is touching, not only the center, but also the finges of the community. We get to interact with not only the high profile individuals and events, but also the day-to-day ordinary things – people, places and happenings – that truly form the fabric of our community and then share that with our readers. But reflecting that diversity can be one of the most challenging aspects our job, particulaly in small towns and with small papers and small staffs. We’re stretched thin and tend to focus on what seems most urgent and pressing. Making time and space for those ordinary things takes deliberation and effort. The opportunity and challenge to do that in a new way resulted in a unique project way back in 1994 that grew out of a conversation I had the previous year with Frank Klock, who was teaching photography at South Dakota State
All Dailies 1st Place
ARGUS LEADER Shelly Conlon, Erin Bormett, Megan Raposa Entry Title: Ignored: South Dakota is failing deaf children Judges comments: Excellent package on government dropping the ball with deaf and hard of hearing children. Great package of digital materials as well. It shows that this took some solid work by the reporters. They did well. I like the call for action by the newspaper. With hope, state government and legislators will do the right thing. Good work!
Explanation of project: The Argus Leader’s investigation into deaf education in the state started with families. Worried parents shared their fears, their anger and the obstacles they were facing to get their kids an education. From there, reporter Shelly Conlon uncovered decades of neglect.
University. We launched a cooperative, collaborative effort between the Freeman Courier and the SDSU Journalism Department. We put together “A Day in the Life of Freeman” photography project in which his students, along with our local high school age students, recorded hundeds of images in Freeman on April 20, 1994. The project resulted in a special 40-page tabloid size section that became part of the Freeman Courier the following month. It was well-received and documented the community from sunrise to sunset and features images of people of all ages in a variety of activities. It has remained a keepsake and touchstone for 25 years. Amoung the 17 student photographers in that 1994 project were Frank Robertson (SDSU) and Jeremy Waltner (Freeman Academy). Fast forward to 2018 and Frank was now teaching at SDSU and Jeremy had become publisher of the Freeman Courier. Like Frank and me, they had become colleagues and friends and visited from time to time and one their conversations was about the 1994 project and how much fun it would be to do something like that again. And so they did just that. The 2019 “day in the life of Freeman” was modeled after the 1994 project. As was the case 25 years earlier, the Freeman business community was invited to help sponsor the project. As was the case 25 years earlier, students
from both SDSU and Freeman were invited to participate. And, as was the case 25 years earlier, they recorded images that documented the community from sunrise to sunset and features images of people of all ages in a variety of activities. But there were some notable differences. In 1994, the images were recorded on black and white film. In 2019, the images were all recorded digitally. In 1994, the final product was a 40-page black and white publication. In 2019 we printed a 48-page full-color publication that was also available online. The students also recorded video and there was considerable social media activity associated with the project. A website was created. You’ll get a complete look online at http://dayinthelifeofsd.com The 2019 publication was included with the Courier in May of last year.
South Dakota leaders have ignored the needs of deaf and hard of hearing children, leaving hundreds at risk of falling through the cracks and failing to get the free appropriate public education guaranteed to them under federal law. In a seven-part series predicated by a year-long investigation, Conlon (along with visual journalist Erin Bormett and editor Megan Raposa) dissects at every level the failings of government to provide proper accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing children. She explains how lack of federal funding undermines the state’s ability to provide services; how school districts are ill-equipped to determine what these kids need; how the constitutionally recognized specialty school tasked with educating deaf children was systematically dismantled; how workforce shortages leave interpreters few and far between; and, ultimately, how
all those decisions hurt kids in our state. Conlon’s reporting included combing through hundreds of pages of education documents, many of which would not have been made public without the help of parents. She also interviewed more than 80 people, many of whom were students and parents directly affected by shortcomings in the education system. And about a dozen open records requests contributed to a broader understanding of the scope of the issue. Since the series was released, legislators and the South Dakota's Association for the Deaf have shown interest in writing legislation to start righting the wrongs caused by years of ignoring deaf and hard of hearing children. Other current and former state officials have echoed the call to do more for these kids, and the Argus Leader Editorial Board also called on the state to do more to help.
While technology enabled a much broader and more comprehensive project, the core focus of “a day in the life of Freeman” was unchanged over that 25year timeframe. The focus was clearly on the day-today ordinary things – people, places and happenings – that truly form the fabric of our community. It also provided opportunity for journalism students to get a unique experience and learn that there are great reporting experiences in small, ordinary places. It was a fun project and a powerful way to bring us together as a community that will continue to resonate for another 25 years. Tim L. Waltner Retired publisher but still contributing writing/photographer/editor with the Freeman Courier
In the weeks following publication, the superintendent of both the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the School for the Deaf stepped down, and for the first time in a decade, the Board of Regents announced the School for the Deaf will have its own superintendent, rather than having one person oversee both specialty schools. We hope you share our energy and enthusiasm for this project. Links to the digital presentation of the package are included in the online section for this entry. You can also find the series here: https://www.argusleader.com/storytelling/ storystack/south-dakota-educationinvestigation-deaf-students-ignored/ Cory Myers News Director
22 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
BEST FOI PROJECT Judged for distinguised work by a newspaper to inform and educate the public about the importance of freedom of information issues. All Weeklies 1st Place
YANKTON COUNTY OBSERVER Brian Hunhoff Entry Title: FOI editorials Judges comments: An excellent collection of columns and editorials promoting the First Amendment and the publicÕs right to know. All important and relevant issues highlighted in these columns and editorials.
Explanation of project: A collection of Freedom of Information editorials written by Brian Hunhoff: 1) Editorial criticizing vulgar audience behavior during public input sessions at Yankton County Commission meetings. Excerpt: “Even tardy apologies are often
All Dailies 1st Place
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Ellen Bardash, Luke Hagen Entry Title: Talking with prisoners Judges comments: A comprehensive open records project and determined work by the reporter to land a jailhouse interview, only to frustrated and roadblocked by state officials along the way. Good work to highlight weaknesses in the records law in the state as well as the overt attempts by state officials to control the narrative. Keep up the good work!
Explanation of project: Angelo Cruz brought the topic of South Dakota being one of three states to allow life sentences for first-degree manslaughter to The Daily Republic’s attention in January 2019. He explained his nephew’s situation and said that newspapers across the state declined to write a story after speaking to him, and our newspaper told him from the outset that taking the time to get a full picture of how life sentences for manslaughter affected the prison population would be more impactful than focusing only on his nephew, Joaquin Ramos. There were two elements to this story that took a significant amount of time, which is why it wasn’t completeed until the end of August. One was getting in contact with someone who had been convicted of firstdegree manslaughter, the frustrating process of which is outlined in the explanation
just in time … but it’s been said life is easier when you can accept the apologies you never receive … hopefully the remaining county meetings of 2019 bring less heat and more light.” 2) Column based on Hunhoff’s keynote speech at a Sioux Falls naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens from 40 different countries. It highlighted America’s commitment to truth, open government, free press, free speech and the rule of law. Excerpt: “Thank you for taking the journey to this day. I hope all 237 of you will be active citizens. God bless you and God bless America the beautiful, which has been great since 1776. It became even greater and more beautiful today, because of you.”
3) Commentary about how the First Amendment is manifested in the Yankton area. Excerpt: “Truth is a powerful thing in the struggle for needed change. Facts and honesty are the natural enemies of government corruption and secrecy.” 4) Editorial about the importance of a new South Dakota law requiring the state to reveal the amount of money awarded in out of court settlements. Excerpt: “The public has a right to know where their hard-earned taxpayer dollars go.” 5) Sunshine Week message about great moments in open government. Excerpt: “’Why do you want to know that?’ is a question most reporters have heard when asking for public documents … the press
must sometimes teach Sunshine 101 to public officials on Main Street, USA.” 6) Editorial questioning local board’s decision to exclude one of its members from voting on an issue due to bias. Excerpt: “Measuring bias is a slippery slope. Add politics to the equation and it’s a straight drop.” 7) Editorial about importance of newspapers to good government. It showed how an Observer call to action helped bring improvements to two deadly Yankton County highways. Excerpt: “Yes, newspapers still matter in the Internet age. In large and small and often unnoticed ways, local papers have many positive impacts on their communities.”
column that ran along with the final story. The most time-consuming part of this was the spreadsheet in which collected data on people in South Dakota who have been convicted of first-degree manslaughter. Our newspaper started by asking Jill Gusso, the public information officer for the Unified Judicial System, to send a report of all South Dakota cases that resulted in a conviction for first-degree manslaughter. Our newspaper received a report that included the conviction dates and sentences for all sentenced since 1989, but was told we needed to pay to get names and/or case numbers, which we wanted to get all the informaiton we felt was necessary for this story. Our reporter, Ellen Bardash, spent probably an average of 30 minutes a day for the next seven months identifying the 186 people convicted of first-degree manslaughter in a 30-year period. This involved a lot of digging through old newspapers. For many, Bardash found an arrest date for a homicide or other piece of early case information, but there was no followup reporting for many of the cases. Since this was before UJS opened up its new search functions this month in January 2020, she then went to the courthouse and matched up to the sentence length and conviction date. If she found someone who was either in prison or had been at some point, she
then used the DOC’s offender database to find information such as release dates, sex, race and any sentence adjustments. This is a significant issue because in South Dakota, a state in which the judicial system, Department of Corrections and legislature are constantly indicating prisons are at capacity and there is no budget to build a new one, manslaughter sentencing laws often result in people being housed in a state-run prison for decades longer than they would be almost anywhere else in the country. It’s not a subject that, from what we’ve found, anyone else
has analyzed, and it’s something most of the people we talked to – many of whom study legal issues and incarceration issues – didn’t realize was abdormal in a national context. It’s also significant in that many of those who have been convicted of first-degree manslaughter were originally charged with murder and did so as part of a plea agreement, as the state has a pattern of taking very few cases to trial. - Luke Hagen, Managing Editor; Ellen Bardash, Cops & Courts Reporter
BEST NEWSPAPER WEBSITE BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Judged on news and information content, overall design and presentation, ease of use and navigation, interactivity, etc. All Weeklies 1st Place
All Dailies 1st Place
Recognizes newspapers that have used social media to expand or compliment news coverage beyond traditional print. All Weeklies 1st Place
All Dailies 1st Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Staff
Daily Republic Staff
TIMBER LAKE TOPIC
ARGUS LEADER
2nd Place
Judges comments: Easy to look at and navigate. Well organized. Best site by far in this category.
Robert Slocum
Staff
Judges comments: Impressive use of technology and social media.
2nd Place
NATIVE SUN NEWS Staff
2nd Place
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
2nd Place
3rd Place
Jami Albrecht and Paul Baker
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
Judges comments: Good use of photos with almost all stories. There is a lot of content but it is easy to navigate.
Staff
Staff
3rd Place
Judges comments: Great engagement from readers, they really appreciate the page’s content.
ARGUS LEADER
3rd Place
Staff
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
Judges comments: Plenty of content, site could use some better organization on the homepage and less “recommended content”. I understand having some of that, but there’s too much here.
Staff
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS Megan Rosendahl
South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020 • 23
BEST TYPOGRAPHY & DESIGN Judged based on the typographical quality and design of the entire enwspaper. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
NEW ERA
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
New Century Press; Sarah Ebeling
Gary Wood; Kelly Hertz
2nd Place
2nd Place
HAMLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
BROOKINGS REGISTER
Lee Anne Dufek
Billy McMacken; Jill Fier
3rd Place
3rd Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
BLACK HILLS PIONEER
Jill Meier
Letti Lister; Mark Watson
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
TRUE DAKOTAN
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC
Kristi Hine
Joni Harms; Luke Hagen
2nd Place
2nd Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS
Scherer Publishing; Brett Nachtigall
Kevin Shaw; Scott Waltman
3rd Place
3rd Place
TEA WEEKLY
ARGUS LEADER
Debbie Schmidt; Kelli Bultena; Anne Homan
Cory Myers
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Kelsey Majeske; Katie Zerr 2nd Place
REPORTER & FARMER John & LeAnn Suhr 3rd Place
FREEMAN COURIER Jeremy Waltner
24 • South Dakota Newspapers • Better Newspapers Contest Edition • June 2020
GENERAL EXCELLENCE Judged on the overall quality of the publication to include news content and scope of coverage, quality of writing, quality of editorials, use of photography, advertising variety and quality, reproduction, typography and design, and digital components. Weeklies Under 900 1st Place
Dailies Under 7,000 1st Place
BRANDON VALLEY JOURNAL
YANKTON DAILY PRESS & DAKOTAN
Jill Meier
Gary Wood; Kelly Hertz
Judges comments: Great community newspaper. Solid news coverage throughout. Well-edited. Organized nicely and inviting to read. Keep it up! Brandon is lucky!
Judges comments: A good-looking daily newspaper full of local news about Yankton. Attention to detail in everything – editing, heads, ads, design – the entire package. This is really good. Congratulations!
2nd Place
NEW ERA New Century Press; Sarah Ebeling
2nd Place
3rd Place
Letti Lister; Mark Watson
HILL CITY PREVAILER NEWS Charley Najacht; Gray Hughes
BLACK HILLS PIONEER 3rd Place
BROOKINGS REGISTER Billy McMacken; Jill Fier
Weeklies 901-1,300 1st Place
Dailies Over 7,000 1st Place
FALL RIVER COUNTY HERALD STAR
ARGUS LEADER
Scherer Publishing; Brett Nachtigall
Cory Myers
Judges comments: Top of class in a competitive group. Good work. Excellent balance of news coverage throughout.
Judges comments: Solid newspaper both online and in print. Aggressive news coverage and investigative reporting of important issues. Terrific sports coverage as well.
2nd Place
PLAIN TALK
2nd Place
Gary Wood; David Lias
ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS Kevin Shaw; Scott Waltman
3rd Place
TEA WEEKLY
3rd Place
Debbie Schmidt; Kelli Bultena; Anne Homan
MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC Joni Harms; Luke Hagen
Weeklies Over 1,300 1st Place
FREEMAN COURIER Jeremy Waltner Judges comments: This newspaper checks all the boxes – excellent local, balanced news coverage with sports, school, local government, etc. A great editorial page. Great photos. Great design and packaging. But more importantly, this newspaper pops with energy and community vibe. Wow! Look up community newspaper in the dictionary and there’s a picture of the Freeman Courier.
2nd Place
REPORTER & FARMER John & LeAnn Suhr 3rd Place
MOBRIDGE TRIBUNE Kelsey Majeske; Katie Zerr