Joplin Globe nabs 16 awards in Missouri Press Association contest

Sep. 24—The Joplin Globe won 16 awards, including four first-place designations, in the annual Better Newspaper Contest put on by the Missouri Press Association.

The honors were cited last weekend at the MPA's convention at Lake of the Ozarks.

Globe Editor Andy Ostmeyer won first place for Best Serious Columnist. Judges wrote: "Andy Ostmeyer tackles national issues and events from a community perspective. When he wrote about the Capitol riot, he did it by raising questions that might have been going through his readers' minds. In a column on a spacecraft setting down on Mars, he pointed out that a Joplin firm made some of the essential parts, and in his best effort, he argued the best way for readers to get through the confusing and conflicting information coming from many sources was to turn to their local newspapers, trusted neighbors that have been there for years."

Page designer and staff writer Trey Vaughan won first place in the category of Best Page Design for a sports page previewing the start of football season. Judges said: "The reason I scored this the way I did was because it is SO loud and in your face, screaming 'Footballllll!' Bonus points for the brilliant ad placement at the bottom of the page. Perfect audience for that ad. FANTASTIC job."

The Globe's design staff also took first place in Best Overall Design. Judges wrote: "Strong stories. Lots of faces. Jam-packed with good information. Attractive presentation."

Joplin Magazine, published by the Globe, won first place for Best Magazine or Alternative Publication, specifically for the issue commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 2011 tornado. Judges said: "Tornado cover photo — who could resist turning the page? Ads incorporate the theme. Nice. Readers often don't differentiate ads from stories. Gripping photos of the aftermath. Effective timeline of memorial landmarks. Survivor tales — good variety of stories and types and sizes of photos. In memory: The names tell it all. Pet story — yes! Such an important part of this. Five things you probably didn't know about the tornado — would be a great sidebar idea to borrow for various types of stories."

Other awards were:

—Second place in Best Editorial for an editorial about the selling of Camp Mintahama in Newton County.

—Second place in Best Page Design to former Globe design editor Nathan Mills for a full-page graphic about the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

—Second place in Best Sports Photograph to photographer Laurie Sisk for a picture of a matchup between Carthage and Carl Junction.

—Third place in Best Newspaper in Education Project for the Globe's All-Area Academic Excellence Team, which annually recognizes outstanding high school seniors.

—Third place in Best Military story to staff writer Kevin McClintock for a story with the parents of Philip Svitaks, a Joplin resident who died in Afghanistan, to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

—Third place in Best Story About the Outdoors to Ostmeyer and McClintock for a story looking at the proposed Missouri American Water reservoir in Newton County.

—Third place in Best Business Story to McClintock for a story about EaglePicher's role in creating batteries for NASA spacecraft landing on Mars.

—Third place in Best Online Newspaper or Website.

—Third place in General Excellence. Judges wrote: "The strength of the 10-year anniversary coverage of Joplin's devastating tornado elevates the Joplin Globe into the winner's circle. The story shows true compassion, care for community and a deft writing touch. Day after day, this newspaper puts out a strong product, one its community can be proud of."

—Honorable mention in Best Coverage of Elections to reporter John Hacker for a story about an election in La Russell in which zero residents voted.

—Honorable mention in Best Editorial for an editorial about the Tulsa Race Massacre.

—Honorable mention in Best Story About the Outdoors to McClintock for a story about the reintroduction of the burying beetle in Southwest Missouri.

The Globe competes in a division with the Jefferson City News-Tribune, the Springfield News-Leader, the Columbia Daily Tribune, the Columbia Missourian, the Southeast Missourian and, occasionally, the Kansas City Star.