Daily Herald wins big in Tennessee Press Association awards contest

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Updated ·2 min read
Sam Kennedy III, right, creep through the property to spot a buck while his children Sam Kennedy IV, left and Margaret Kennedy as well as their beagle, Whitey, follow his lead in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 29, 2022.
Sam Kennedy III, right, creep through the property to spot a buck while his children Sam Kennedy IV, left and Margaret Kennedy as well as their beagle, Whitey, follow his lead in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 29, 2022.

The Daily Herald won First Place in two categories for the second consecutive year at the Tennessee Press Association awards luncheon on July 21.

For the second year, The Daily Herald took home two First Place awards for Best Single Feature and Best News Reporting in its division.

Stories focused on rural farming and land loss in Tennessee, featuring Kettle Mills farm, as well as growth and character preservation in Maury County, focusing on the Campbell farm in Spring Hill.

The eighth generation of a Maury County farming family, Samuel Kennedy IV sits on his great great grandmother's headstone in a family cemetery located on the family's 210-year-old Kettle Mills Farm in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 18, 2022.
The eighth generation of a Maury County farming family, Samuel Kennedy IV sits on his great great grandmother's headstone in a family cemetery located on the family's 210-year-old Kettle Mills Farm in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 18, 2022.

Editor Kerri Bartlett accepted the awards presented by Randy Boyd, president of The University of Tennessee, which has been sponsoring the awards for over 80 years.

The recent accolades add to the recognition the paper earned last year, when The Daily Herald won five First Place awards in its division, including Best Education Reporting, Best News Reporting, Best Single Feature, Best Digital Presentation and Best Feature Photograph.

More: What's the cost of growth? Maury County grows as town grapples with preserving rural character

Each year, reciprocal judging is done with another state’s association. This year, the Virginia Press Association judged 1,077 entries from 71 of the Tennessee Press Association’s 131 member newspapers.

The Kennedy family, owners of Kettle Mills Farm, take their kids for a hike on their property in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 29, 2022.
The Kennedy family, owners of Kettle Mills Farm, take their kids for a hike on their property in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 29, 2022.

The University of Tennessee System and TPA gave top honors to newspapers across the state during the annual Tennessee State Press Contests awards luncheon held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Franklin.

The UT System has been co-sponsoring this event since 1940.

The Tennessee Press Association Newspaper Contest celebrates excellence in all areas of journalism, including reporting, writing, photography and more, Robyn Gentile, TPA Member Services Manager, said.

The Tennessean received the most overall wins, going home with 10 first-place awards. The Chattanooga Times Free Press won seven first-place awards, while the Kingsport Times News finished with six.

The Kennedy family cross a stream on their property while on a hike at their home in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 29, 2022.
The Kennedy family cross a stream on their property while on a hike at their home in Columbia, Tenn. on Nov. 29, 2022.

The Carthage Courier, The Standard Banner, The Knoxville Ledger, the Kingsport Times News and the Tennessean won the top general excellence awards in their respective divisions at the association’s ceremony.

Points were awarded for each entry and general excellence honors were based on the newspaper’s total points in their division.

“News organizations have an increasingly difficult responsibility to tell the stories that impact our lives – the good, and sometimes the not-so-good,” Boyd said.

“We are fortunate in Tennessee to have outstanding reporters, photographers and designers who work with great enthusiasm and a genuine commitment to public accountability, and I truly appreciate the high standards you hold for yourselves in reporting in a fair and ethical manner.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Daily Herald wins big in Tennessee Press Association awards contests