Enterprise earns wins national recognition

The National Newspaper Association has recognized The Clarendon Enterprise for outstanding journalism during the NNA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.

The Enterprise was recently notified that it has received a second place award and two honorable mentions from the NNA, awards that will be presented during the association’s annual conference this October in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Editorials focused on anti-abortion activist Mark Lee Dickson’s efforts to pass an ordinance in Clarendon won the Enterprise Second Place Best Editorial in the Non-daily Division for papers with print circulations less than 2,000. The paper also received Honorable Mention in the same division for Best Reporting on Local Government for its coverage of the Clarendon City Council during Dickson’s efforts.

The Enterprise was also recognized with Honorable Mention for Front Page Design.

There were 1,546 entries in the Better Newspaper Editorial Contest and 196 entries in the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest for a total of 1,743 entries. There were 712 awards won by 102 newspapers in 33 states.

Judges praised the publications for engaging their community, keeping them informed, and providing commentary that keeps a paper at the heart of the community.

The Wyoming Press Association was awarded the sixth annual “Best of NNA” Award for their 119 winning entries, beating out California with 88 wins and Texas with 56 wins. This is their fifth award for excellence in editorial and advertising.

The winner’s book and a list of awards by newspaper are available here: https://www.nnafoundation.org/better-newspaper-contest.

Judging was performed primarily by active community newspaper editors and publishers, as well as retired university journalism professors and retired or former newspaper professionals. A judge said, “Stories like this remind readers why newspapers continue to play an important role in their daily lives.”

Established in 1885, the National Newspaper Association (NNA) is the voice of America’s community newspapers and is one of the largest newspaper associations in the country. The NNA Foundation (NNAF) is the educational arm of the NNA. Its mission is to promote news literacy, protect the First Amendment, and enhance the quality, role and capabilities of community newspapers and community journalists.