Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune wins four awards at Wisconsin Newspaper Association contest
WISCONSIN RAPIDS - From coverage of the Verso mill sale to a show of kindness after a tough loss, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune journalists had a busy year.
They were honored for their hard work last week at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation's Better Newspaper Contest. Daily Tribune staff members won a first-place award in the category of Sports Feature Photo, two second-place awards in the Ongoing/Extended Coverage and Feature Photo categories, and a third-place award in the Feature Story (Non-Profile) category.
Here is what you need to know about the honors the Daily Tribune received:
Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln girls basketball photo nets first place; Verso mill coverage honored
Photojournalist Tork Mason received a first-place award in the Sports Feature Photo category for his shot of two Lincoln High School girls basketball players comforting each other after their loss to Wausau West. A judge for the category praised Mason's photo, saying "nice moment instantly recognizable as the emotions of both winning and losing the big game."
Streetwise reporter Caitlin Shuda earned a second-place award in the Ongoing/Extended Coverage category for her series of stories on the Verso mill sale in Wisconsin Rapids, including Verso saying it would considering selling to Atlas; Verso announcing its proposed merger with BillerudKorsnäs AB; and a story recapping the company's tumultuous 2021.
Mason also received a second-place award in the Feature Photo category, for his shot of an exuberant dog at the Witter Park Aquatics Center Dog Day.
Rounding out the Daily Tribune's honors was a third-place award in the Feature Story (Non-Profile) category, for Shuda's in-depth story about the Sand Valley golf course.
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin journalists earn three awards.
The Daily Tribune is part of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, comprising 10 newspapers including the Appleton Post-Crescent, Green Bay Press-Gazette and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In addition to the Daily Tribune's four awards, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin won three awards, including one first place.
First Place, Ongoing/Extended Coverage: Staff, for the Home is Here series, a look at the changing demographics of northeast Wisconsin.
Third Place, Localized National Story: Madeline Heim, for her story about doctors' views of the impact of Roe v. Wade being overturned.
Honorable Mention, Community Engagement Award: Staff, for coverage of the Stock the Shelves fundraising effort to fight hunger in Wisconsin.
What are the WNA awards, and how are they judged?
The awards were given during a ceremony Friday that capped WNA's annual convention at the Madison Concourse Hotel in Madison. The WNA Foundation is a nonprofit organization created in 1980 that works to improve Wisconsin’s newspaper enterprises.
Each year, newspapers from across the state can submit entries in editorial and advertising, and are divided into most categories based on readership size and daily versus weekly publications.
The contest for 2022 received 2,230 entries from 106 newspapers. The Daily Tribune is in Division B, daily circulation less than 9,999.
The Arkansas Press Association judged this year's eligible entries, which were published between September 2021 and August 2022.
For more great Wisconsin journalism, peruse the WNA 2023 Better Newspaper Contest tab for a complete list of winners with judges' comments.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune wins 4 awards at WNA contest
