For the second year in a row, the Flathead Beacon won top honors among the state’s large weekly and small daily newspapers in the Montana Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were handed out Saturday night at the association’s annual banquet in Bozeman. The Beacon took home 29 total and 11 first-place awards, including the Division III Weeklies/Division I Dailies Sweepstakes, which recognizes the best newspaper in the division and is based on total points accumulated for placing in the various categories of the contest.
The Beacon received awards for best front page along with best business, agriculture and educational reporting. It was also honored for general excellence.
The Beacon won in the second-largest division. In Division II Dailies, the largest division, the Billings Gazette received the Sam Gilluly Sweepstakes Award as the best daily newspaper in Montana. The Dillon Tribune won among Division II Weeklies and the Bigfork Eagle took top honors in Division I Weeklies.
The following is a roundup of categories in which the Beacon placed:
FIRST PLACE AWARDS
Best Front Page: Flathead Beacon
Best News Graphic: Stephen Templeton
Best Business, Economy, Technology Reporting: Dan Testa
Best Agricultural Reporting: Molly Priddy
Best Educational Reporting: Keriann Lynch
Best Outdoors Section or Page: Flathead Beacon
Best Feature Picture: Lido Vizzutti, Flathead Beacon
Best Editorial Cartoon: Stephen Templeton
Best Online News Product: Flathead Beacon
General Excellence: Flathead Beacon
Sweepstakes Award (Weeklies Division III/Dailies Division I): Flathead Beacon
SECOND PLACE AWARDS
Special Section: Winter Guide
Niche Publication: Beacon Business Monthly
Best Headline Writing: Flathead Beacon
Best Business, Economy, Technology Reporting: Myers Reece
Best In-Depth Investigative Reporting: Myers Reece
Best Sports Picture: Lido Vizzutti
Best Outdoors, Nature Photo: Lido Vizzutti
Community Service: Flathead Beacon
THIRD PLACE AWARDS
Best Column Writing: Kellyn Brown
Best Justice System Reporting: Flathead Beacon
Best In-Depth Investigative Reporting: Dan Testa
Best Agriculture Reporting: Keriann Lynch
Best Educational Reporting: Myers Reece
Best Lifestyle Page: Flathead Beacon
HONORABLE MENTION
Best Sports Page: Flathead Beacon
Best Sports Event Coverage: Elizabeth Harrison
Best Advertising Series: Flathead Beacon
Best Innovative Online Idea: Lido Vizzutti