2002 Better Newspaper Contest — Sports Coverage
Division 2 Dailies
1st. The Paris News – Signed, sealed, delivered. A winner.
2nd. The Facts Clute – A consistently good sports section.
3rd. The Beaumont Enterprise – Dance stories great.
4th. Odessa American – Very consistent coverage.
Division 3 Dailies
1st. Seguin Gazette-Enterprise – This format gives you a very “metro” look. Nice color photo packages. I would like to see a little more variety in coverage, but cross country and volleyball stories were good. Since you don’t include a lot of wire stories, how about a nice agate package?
2nd. Waxahachie Daily Light – Was it just a coincidence that your lead page layout was almost exactly the same on both entries? I like the teaser photos at top of page. The sports ticker is a nice touch. Swimming?! Do they swim competitively in Texas? Yours is the only paper that gives evidence of it. I’m glad you included some intramural coverage. I’m also happy you provide an extensive AP agate package.
3rd. Plainview Daily Herald – I’d love to see some color on your pages, but realize this may be beyond your control. While not the most colorful belle at the ball, you more than make up for it by a wide range of coverage – girls tennis, cross country. Thanks also for including some AP stories and standings. While obviously the AP stuff is not judged, in my mind it factors into what you offer your readers as an overall package. I liked the stat packages and box scores on the local games. Not everyone provides this.
4th. The Huntsville Item – Nice use of color! I like the Nov. 10 football preview. I’m glad you sprinkled in some cross country and volleyball. I’d like to see you have more space so you can add maybe an AP agate package. Good use of the space you have.
Division 4 Semiweeklies
1st. Wise County Messenger – Excellent coverage. Stories, photos they all complemented each other. Very good.
2nd. Hood County News – Very well written and laid out. Photos add a nice touch. Good paper.
3rd. The Panola Watchman – Very nice, good use of action photos to complement the story. Headlines almost tell the story, good job.
4th. El Campo Leader News – Nice stories, well-written, nice to see a good variety of coverage. I like the layout. Nice job.
Division 5 Semiweeklies
1st. Mansfield News Mirror – Outstanding coverage of basketball tournament. Great range of coverage.
2nd. Moore County News-Press – Big time look! Very good pictures and articles.
3rd. The Gonzales Inquirer – I loved the armchair QB section. Great photos!
4th. The Highlander Marble Falls – Excellent sports page.
Division 6 Weeklies
1st. Duncanville Today – Nice layout and use of color photos. Good dominant photos above fold. Good writing. Strong overall.
2nd. Park Cities People – Crisp, clean layout, except for jumping stories. Try to avoid this practice – too distracting for readers. Very nice photos and I like the reserve box inset with scores.
3rd. Rockdale Reporter – Good photos and layout is solid. Liked the use of gray type as part of headline on NYC marathon runner. Great rodeo photos. Don’t jump stories though.
4th. Hondo Anvil-Herald – Photos are good, but too dark. Excellent headlines, especially “perched at the top.” Crop photos tighter and I think page layout and look will improve. Photo at top should jump off page at you! Excellent lead on bad night at ballyard story.
Division 7 Weeklies
1st. The Cameron Herald – Crisp, clean layout. Outstanding photos and good writing. Has the “feel” of a daily in terms of design.
2nd. The Madisonville Meteor – Excellent headlines, good, strong layout and great photography. Love the “Mustangs freeze Coldspring” headline. Also loved the VB photo in Nov. 7 issue. Overall excellent product. Hope your readers appreciate your effort.
3rd. The Kaufman Herald – Excellent layout and good, strong photos. Good writing and I like the “this week’s games” feature.
4th. River Cities Tribune – Excellent photos and I like the names in boldface. Good headlines and writing.
Division 8 Weeklies
1st. Copperas Cove Leader Press – Good range of coverage!
2nd. Pilot Point Post Signal – “Memories” good.
3rd. County Star News Shamrock – Lots of teams to cover.
4th. The Free Press Diboll – Well written. Good overall coverage.
Division 9 Weeklies
1st. Lancaster Today – You have an excellent sports page. The article on Black stepping down was well written and well placed. The color photography is so nice to have.
2nd. Ozona Stockman – Good sports page. I like your offensive players of the week box, and the stats/scoring by quarters. Night football (or any action) pictures are the hardest to take. You are doing a good job.
3rd. Lexington Leader – Overall very nice sports page. It’s nice to have color pictures. One thing on the articles, the numbers one through nine should be spelled out, except for scores. So it should read “Rogers ran for seven yards” instead of “Rogers ran for 7 yards.”
4th. Hico News Review – I like the big football pictures at the bottom of the page from a layout standpoint. When doing that try to get the sharpest and best picture you have. In the articles, the numbers one through nine should be spelled out, except for scores and records, according to AP style. Overall good paper!
Division 10 Weeklies
1st. Burnet County Citizens-Gazette – Very nice. Good stories with good action photos. Easy to read. Good variety of coverage for the different sports.
2nd. Benbrook Star – Well-written stories with fabulous pictures. You can almost hear the roar of the crowd. Wonderful coverage of this team. Only shortcoming is lack of any other sport. Congratulations!
3rd. The Eldorado Success – May 10 – Nice touch on the front page. Inset photos well defined. Cutline tells the story. Baseball story good. Placement of photos complemented the story. Nice filler photo of coach’s son on page 10. Would have been nice on same page as baseball story. Nov. 15 – Again photos complemented the story. Nice full-page layout of undefeated eighth grade.
4th. Little Elm Journal – Stories and photos went well together. Some photos did not reproduce well and took away from the overall view. Layout very good, easy to read. Headline verbiage good. Added to context of the story.
1st. The Paris News – Signed, sealed, delivered. A winner.
2nd. The Facts Clute – A consistently good sports section.
3rd. The Beaumont Enterprise – Dance stories great.
4th. Odessa American – Very consistent coverage.
Division 3 Dailies
1st. Seguin Gazette-Enterprise – This format gives you a very “metro” look. Nice color photo packages. I would like to see a little more variety in coverage, but cross country and volleyball stories were good. Since you don’t include a lot of wire stories, how about a nice agate package?
2nd. Waxahachie Daily Light – Was it just a coincidence that your lead page layout was almost exactly the same on both entries? I like the teaser photos at top of page. The sports ticker is a nice touch. Swimming?! Do they swim competitively in Texas? Yours is the only paper that gives evidence of it. I’m glad you included some intramural coverage. I’m also happy you provide an extensive AP agate package.
3rd. Plainview Daily Herald – I’d love to see some color on your pages, but realize this may be beyond your control. While not the most colorful belle at the ball, you more than make up for it by a wide range of coverage – girls tennis, cross country. Thanks also for including some AP stories and standings. While obviously the AP stuff is not judged, in my mind it factors into what you offer your readers as an overall package. I liked the stat packages and box scores on the local games. Not everyone provides this.
4th. The Huntsville Item – Nice use of color! I like the Nov. 10 football preview. I’m glad you sprinkled in some cross country and volleyball. I’d like to see you have more space so you can add maybe an AP agate package. Good use of the space you have.
Division 4 Semiweeklies
1st. Wise County Messenger – Excellent coverage. Stories, photos they all complemented each other. Very good.
2nd. Hood County News – Very well written and laid out. Photos add a nice touch. Good paper.
3rd. The Panola Watchman – Very nice, good use of action photos to complement the story. Headlines almost tell the story, good job.
4th. El Campo Leader News – Nice stories, well-written, nice to see a good variety of coverage. I like the layout. Nice job.
Division 5 Semiweeklies
1st. Mansfield News Mirror – Outstanding coverage of basketball tournament. Great range of coverage.
2nd. Moore County News-Press – Big time look! Very good pictures and articles.
3rd. The Gonzales Inquirer – I loved the armchair QB section. Great photos!
4th. The Highlander Marble Falls – Excellent sports page.
Division 6 Weeklies
1st. Duncanville Today – Nice layout and use of color photos. Good dominant photos above fold. Good writing. Strong overall.
2nd. Park Cities People – Crisp, clean layout, except for jumping stories. Try to avoid this practice – too distracting for readers. Very nice photos and I like the reserve box inset with scores.
3rd. Rockdale Reporter – Good photos and layout is solid. Liked the use of gray type as part of headline on NYC marathon runner. Great rodeo photos. Don’t jump stories though.
4th. Hondo Anvil-Herald – Photos are good, but too dark. Excellent headlines, especially “perched at the top.” Crop photos tighter and I think page layout and look will improve. Photo at top should jump off page at you! Excellent lead on bad night at ballyard story.
Division 7 Weeklies
1st. The Cameron Herald – Crisp, clean layout. Outstanding photos and good writing. Has the “feel” of a daily in terms of design.
2nd. The Madisonville Meteor – Excellent headlines, good, strong layout and great photography. Love the “Mustangs freeze Coldspring” headline. Also loved the VB photo in Nov. 7 issue. Overall excellent product. Hope your readers appreciate your effort.
3rd. The Kaufman Herald – Excellent layout and good, strong photos. Good writing and I like the “this week’s games” feature.
4th. River Cities Tribune – Excellent photos and I like the names in boldface. Good headlines and writing.
Division 8 Weeklies
1st. Copperas Cove Leader Press – Good range of coverage!
2nd. Pilot Point Post Signal – “Memories” good.
3rd. County Star News Shamrock – Lots of teams to cover.
4th. The Free Press Diboll – Well written. Good overall coverage.
Division 9 Weeklies
1st. Lancaster Today – You have an excellent sports page. The article on Black stepping down was well written and well placed. The color photography is so nice to have.
2nd. Ozona Stockman – Good sports page. I like your offensive players of the week box, and the stats/scoring by quarters. Night football (or any action) pictures are the hardest to take. You are doing a good job.
3rd. Lexington Leader – Overall very nice sports page. It’s nice to have color pictures. One thing on the articles, the numbers one through nine should be spelled out, except for scores. So it should read “Rogers ran for seven yards” instead of “Rogers ran for 7 yards.”
4th. Hico News Review – I like the big football pictures at the bottom of the page from a layout standpoint. When doing that try to get the sharpest and best picture you have. In the articles, the numbers one through nine should be spelled out, except for scores and records, according to AP style. Overall good paper!
Division 10 Weeklies
1st. Burnet County Citizens-Gazette – Very nice. Good stories with good action photos. Easy to read. Good variety of coverage for the different sports.
2nd. Benbrook Star – Well-written stories with fabulous pictures. You can almost hear the roar of the crowd. Wonderful coverage of this team. Only shortcoming is lack of any other sport. Congratulations!
3rd. The Eldorado Success – May 10 – Nice touch on the front page. Inset photos well defined. Cutline tells the story. Baseball story good. Placement of photos complemented the story. Nice filler photo of coach’s son on page 10. Would have been nice on same page as baseball story. Nov. 15 – Again photos complemented the story. Nice full-page layout of undefeated eighth grade.
4th. Little Elm Journal – Stories and photos went well together. Some photos did not reproduce well and took away from the overall view. Layout very good, easy to read. Headline verbiage good. Added to context of the story.
- Log in to post comments