The 2024 National Newspaper Association (NNA) Better Newspaper Content nominations were judged, with The Village Reporter (Northwest Ohio Publishing LLC) having won fifteen awards and honorable mentions.
The contest attracted 1,513 entries, and 676 awards were won by 92 newspapers in 32 states.
This year’s winners were recognized during the NNA’s 138th Convention held this September in Omaha, Nebraska.
Best Multiple Advertiser Section
Honorable Mention
The Village Reporter – Honoring Years In Business
Forrest R. Church
Judge’s Comments: Great idea for a clean layout and great participation from the community.
Best Newspaper Promotion
Second Place
The Village Reporter – 800,000+ Photo Reprints
Forrest R. Church, Publisher
Judge’s Comments: Nice piece promoting a strong community service.
General Excellence
Honorable Mention
The Village Reporter
Forrest R. Church, Publisher
Judge’s Comments: Very colorful front page. Good preview section on front page to steer readers to stories inside. Superb sports section.
Photo – Best Photo Essay
First Place
The Village Reporter – Bundle Of Joy
Forrest R. Church, Publisher
Judge’s Comments: Just a huge bundle of joy! Basic photos, yet a terrific “bundle” not just for the parents, but the entire community!
Photo – Best Sports Photo
Third Place
The Village Reporter – Swimming Form
Jacob Kessler
Judge’s Comments: Perfectly captured dive.
Section – Best Family Life Living Section Pages
Honorable Mention
The Village Reporter – Embracing The Unexpected
Amy Wendt
Judge’s Comments: Nice selection of stories with a family feel to the entire paper. Solid writing. Consistent layout.
Section – Best Special News, Sports or Feature Section or Edition
First Place
The Village Reporter – 150 Years Of Fayette History
Forrest R. Church, Publisher; Jacob Kessler
Judge’s Comments: This was not just a piece of journalism. It’s also a piece of history in how it not only chronicles the history, but also how that history is seen. Great mix of old and new photos. The point of view of the children is a great inclusion.
Story-Series – Best Performing Arts Story
Honorable Mention
The Village Reporter – Bryan High School Theater Presents “Clue On Stage”
Jacob Kessler
Judge’s Comments: Clever way to tell the story! The layout, great photos and cutlines and a short brief article. You wrote to your audience and many of these younger people don’t want to read a long story, but they do want to be featured.
Story/Series – Best Coverage of Military Affairs
Third Place
The Village Reporter – Veterans Tribute
Forrest Church, Jacob Kessler, Anna Wozniak, Amy Wendt
Judge’s Comments: A great group effort that explored many facets of veterans’ and current military members’ service produced a section with substance.
Story-Series – Best Business Story
Third Place
The Village Reporter – Fish Farm
Jacob Kessler, Forrest R. Church, Publisher
Judge’s Comments: Great story… Overall, great job.
Story-Series – Best Sports Story
First Place
The Village Reporter – Edgerton’s Kayt Timbrook Reaches 1,000 Career Digs
Nate Calvin, Sports Director
Judge’s Comments: Well written, plenty of details, background info, multiple quotes. Loved the layout and photos of this entry much more than the other volleyball feature.
Story-Series – Preserving Local History
Second Place
The Village Reporter – 150 Years Of Fayette, Ohio History
Forrest R. Church, Jacob Kessler
Judge’s Comments: A massive project that paid off handsomely for readers. Great deep dive into a community’s story.
Story-Series – Preserving Local History
Third Place
The Village Reporter – 185-Year-Old Historic Cabin Has Deteriorated Past The Point Of Restoration
Forrest R. Church, Publisher; Rebecca Miller
Judge’s Comments: A sad current situation is put into perspective with good historical narrative. Nicely reported.
Best Use of Social Media for Breaking News
Third Place
The Village Reporter – Local Pastor’s Charges Dropped
Forrest R. Church, Publisher; Jacob Kessler, Writer
Judge’s Comments: Nice and short memo that is a perfect summary of the article to go along with the link, driving traffic to the website.
Best Use of Social Media for Breaking News
Honorable Mention
The Village Reporter – Suspect Found Dead
Forrest R. Church, Publisher
Judge’s Comments: Good post with short headline… Very nice post.
