Standard honored by TPA, TSWA

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON News Editor for the Southern Standard

NUNLEY

The Southern Standard brought home a number of honors in the Tennessee Press Association 2006 newspaper contests, co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee. Overall, The Tennessean pulled in the most first-place honors in the large daily division, with six, while the Standard, along with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, were the only newspapers to take five first-place awards in their respective divisions.

The Standard took firsts for best education reporting, best news reporting, local features, promotion of newspapers and public service.

In addition to the TPA awards, the Standard sports department also received several honors on Friday at the annual convention of the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.

For the second straight year, sports editor Rob Nunley was named the Gary Lundy Writer of the Year in the TSWA?s Division III, which is made up of non-daily newspapers across the state. Additionally, the Standard took second place in the ?Best Special Section? category for its 2005 Fall Sports Preview, while Nunley finished second in the ?Best News/Event Writer? category and Dale Stubblefield earned second place in the ?Best Feature Writer? competition.

In other areas of TPA competition, which this year was judged by the Louisiana Press Association, the Standard took second in editorial writing, third for best single editorial, fifth for best personal column, best spot news story and sports writing, and sixth place in best sports photograph and best personal humor column. Divided into four circulation categories, the competition drew 1,287 entries from 83 association papers. During Friday?s luncheon at Nashville?s Sheraton Music City hotel, the Standard?s sister paper, The Smithville Review, took home first-place awards for best news photograph and best news reporting.

Standard publisher Patricia Zechman said she is pleased with the recognition the Southern Standard received from its peers. ?It?s an honor to work with such talented people as those within the Standard family and we?re pleased to bring the news and events of Warren County to our readers.

?Special congratulations go to Rob; it?s great to see staff recognized individually, and to be selected two years in a row as the best writer in the state, that?s a true testament to his abilities,? she stated.

?From all areas of the newspaper plant, the staff continually strives to bring a superior and comprehensive product to subscribers. We?re grateful for the support of this community and our advertisers in this continuing endeavor,? Zechman stated.