Waupaca County Post wins two first-place awards for local reporting
All three MMC newspapers in Waupaca County earned state recognition for their efforts from Sept. 1, 2019, to Aug. 31, 2020.
Daily and weekly newspapers from throughout the state participated in the annual Better Newspaper Contest.
Members of the Texas Newspaper Association judged the entries.
The Wisconsin Newspaper Association announced the awards as part of its annual convention Friday, Feb. 19.
Due to the pandemic, the state convention was held virtually.
The Waupaca County Post competed in the Division E category, which is for weekly newspapers with circulation between 2,500 and 3,999.
The Clintonville Tribune-Gazette and New London Press Star competed in Division F, which is for papers with circulation of 2,499 or less.
Waupaca County Post
Senior Editor Robert Cloud won a first-place award for Reporting on Local Government.
Cloud covers Waupaca County government.
“Engaging and interesting stories,” according to the judges.
Angie Landsverk won first place and Cloud won second place for Reporting on Local Education.
Landsverk covers the Weyauwega-Fremont School District, and Cloud covers the Waupaca School District.
Landsverk and Cloud won third place for Local Reporting on a National Issue.
Cloud and Landsverk jointly covered the racial solidarity rallies held in Waupaca during the the summer of 2020.
Stories in the ongoing coverage included Landsverk’s June 18 story, “Solidarity in Waupaca,” and Cloud’s Aug. 6 and Aug. 13 stories, “Waupaca police arrest protester” and “Rally held in Waupaca.”
Greg Seubert, Landsverk and Cloud jointly won third place statewide in the category of Coronavirus Coverage.
Among the stories considered were the pandemic’s impact on grocery shopping, small retailers in Scandinavia, law enforcement, virtual commencement ceremonies at area schools and the cancellation of the county fair and other annual festivals.
“These were all great entries that show how the pandemic has affected a variety of stations in the community,” the judges said regarding the Waupaca County Post’s coverage of the pandemic.
Designer Cody Popp and Cloud won third place for Best Front Page.
Landsverk’s April 2, 2020, story on author Kathy Bresnahan’s visit to Weyauwega-Fremont High School, “Go out and make a difference,” received honorable mention in the General News category.
New London Press Star
Cloud garnered a second-place award for Ongoing Coverage for his articles on New London city government.
Among the stories recognized were his coverage of the library and riverfront development project, as well as controversies involving city staff.
Popp and Cloud won third place for Best Front Page.
Clintonville Tribune-Gazette
Popp and Cloud received honorable mention for Best Front Page.