River News wins General Excellence and Best in Division top awards

Scoring 17 total awards and four first-place awards, The Northwoods River News took home the coveted Best In Division and General Excellence awards for its division among weekly newspapers for 2024, announced at the annual Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) Foundation’s awards banquet in Madison last week.

In awarding the General Excellence distinction for non-daily Division E, the judges said the newspaper’s commitment showed: “A lot of work and care goes into this newspaper. Layout and photography are very well done. Strong, well written content. A paper I am sure people look forward to receiving each week.”

It was a great follow-up to last year, when the River News also was awarded Best in Division and General Excellence in that division. That amounts to a double-double.

River News sports editor Jeremy Mayo said he and the River News staff were especially honored to win the general excellence/best in division awards not only because they underscored how the newspaper shined overall against its competition but because it spotlighted the talents and all-around skills of the newspaper’s entire staff.

“These are the awards we take the most pride in winning, because they really show the full spectrum of the newspaper — from editorial, to photography, to production, sales, circulation, the whole gambit,” Mayo said. “It really takes a team effort to pull it off. In a time in our industry where we’re constantly faced with needing to do more with fewer resources, it’s a testament to everyone’s dedication to wanting to provide the best possible product for our readers.”

Among the other first place awards, Mayo and Bob Mainhardt won first for Best Sports Pages, while the newspaper staff also took home first for Best Front Page. Renee Draszkiewicz, Al West, and Madeleine De Fore took top honors for Best Restaurant Ad.

It wasn’t the only time in recent years that the River News captured the top award for its sports pages.

“We were fortunate enough to win this category as well in 2020,” Mayo said. “To me, it’s a statement that local sports coverage still matters to our readers. At a time when other papers are shrinking their sports sections, we’re glad to buck that trend here and at The Lakeland Times. Readers come to us for the depth and context on big ticket and niche sports alike, and it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to provide that to them.”

Mayo said that top honor was especially satisfying to him.

“While winning awards isn’t the be-all, end-all, taking top honors for sports pages is extremely gratifying, personally,” he said. “And it’s always special to be recognized by your peers for a job well done.”

Much like general excellence, Best Sports Pages is an all-encompassing award on the sports front, Mayo stressed. 

“Everything has to be there — the storytelling, the photography, the facts and figures, etc. — in a manner that’s engaging to our readers,” he said. “A lot of credit needs to go to the co-winner here, Bob Mainhardt, who provides the vast majority of the pictures that enhance our stories. Also, thanks to our editing team, our production staff, and all the local sports teams and athletes who allow us to come in and tell their stories to our readers.”

Read local, trust local

River News publisher Gregg Walker said it was an honor to win, and he added that it was an even greater honor to lead such a gifted group of employees.

“I am so proud of each and every award won by our talented staff,” Walker said. “These days, as our industry continues to struggle, it doesn’t just require talent to thrive. It takes grit and determination, hard work and sacrifice and stamina, and I am honored to work with you. With these awards, know that I’m not the only one who sees each of you shine. Our communities do too, and so does the industry. Congratulations.”

Walker said the general excellence/best in division was a special win.

“A collection of individuals does not win such all-embracing awards,” he said. “Winning a best newspaper award in any category requires a team effort. It takes working together not just as individual co-workers but as a community and a family, and that’s exactly what these dedicated professionals do.”

As he did last year, Walker said he was optimistic about the future of local journalism, even in a time when many local newspapers have disappeared.

“There’s a lot of talk about newspapers losing the trust of the people,” he said. “That might be true on the national or even state level, but I know it’s not true on the local level. People trust these individuals who produce this paper, and they trust in them a lot.”

Walker says he sees the evidence of that in readership and subscription and advertising numbers, but even more by how many people reach out to the newspaper with story ideas and whistleblower tips, with letters to the editors and guest columns and more.

“The area’s trust in our newspaper and staff helps drive local democracy as well as deliver the news, and so to our readers and our community, we say thank you,” he said. “We could not have won these awards without your participation.”

Those winning second- and third-place awards helped put the River News over the top as well.

The newspaper added six second-place awards: Heather Schaefer for environmental reporting; Brett LaBore, Mainhardt, and Mayo for Photo Essay; Renee Draszkiewicz and Madeleine De Fore for Best Ad Idea (Series); LaBore for Sports Feature Photo; Mayo for Local Sports Column; and Mayo for Spot News Photo.

The newspaper also added six third-place awards: Heather Schaefer for Reporting on Local Education; Mayo for Sports News Story; Draszkiewicz and West for Best Small Ad; Mayo for Sports Feature Story; Draszkiewicz for Artistic Photo; and Draszkiewicz and De Fore for Best Use of Color.

An honorable mention went to Mayo for General News Photo.

At the convention, WNA president Kris O’Leary, who is publisher of the Tribune Phonograph, Record Review, Tribune Record Gleaner, The Star News and Courier Sentinel newspapers, said newspapers still play a vital role in society in an age where information is abundant yet often fragmented. 

“We need to be a beacon of reliable news and the integrity of our work is more important than ever,” O’Leary said. “We must champion journalistic ethics, uphold the values of accuracy and fairness, and strive to amplify the voices that need to be heard.”

The 2024 contest received 2,134 entries from 105 newspapers. Eligible entries were published between Sept. 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, and were judged by members of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. 

Scott Peterson, president of the WNA Foundation, honored those who participated.

“The annual convention is a reunion of our newspaper heroes, the people who work so hard to reach the community, to keep an eye on government, to tell the stories that need to be told, to connect business people with our readers, to make a difference in this world,” Peterson said. “You are doing the job newspapers were invented for, and, if you are here, it’s because you are among the best of the best.”

Richard Moore is the author of “Dark State” and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.