2011 Texas Better Newspaper Contest - Editorials

Division 2
Dailies 7,000 to 99,999
1. The Kerrville Daily Times, Veterans deserve better: Great package! Memorial Day: Moving without smarm.
2. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, LP&L: Great piece. Love your format. Taxpayer Certainty Act: Your readers are very well served. Superior work!
3. The Lufkin Daily News, Appraisal District: Crisp and smart. Liquor license: Excellent take on the issues.
4. New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, Justice Center: A well-reasoned sober response to an outrageous policy. Flooding: Well researched and well written.

Division 3
Dailies Less Than 7,000
1. The Herald Banner, Greenville, It’s More Than A Game: Perfect. Speak Up: Again, perfect.
2. Waxahachie Daily Light, City liability: Great lead. Very strong editorial. Wearing thin: Would like a little more background on why new dress menu is needed.
3. Henderson Daily News, City streets, The lead gets right to the point and the editorial continues this strong, pointed tone throughout. Civic Center: Very upbeat.
4. Brownwood Bulletin, Gadgets: No comment. K2: Important subject matter.

Division 4
Semiweeklies 4,001 or More
1. The Boerne Star, Be part of the solution; It’s no time for grandstanding: Both of these are what I think every editorial should be - concise, to the point and giving a call to action. Great job!
2. Round Rock Leader, Wilco needs to mend fences: I like the lead, even though it’s a bit long. Good subject. Unrightable wrong: Powerful - nicely written. Great subject.
3. Hood County News, Granbury, Courage: Nicely written - great points made. Justice for all: Great piece of writing. I like the added timeline.
4. The Highlander, Marble Falls, What for downtown: Strong writing. Bullying: Concise, to the point. Nicely done.

Division 5
Semiweeklies 4,000 or Less
1. The Terrell Tribune, School district funding: Concise and to the point. Nicely done. TPD grant application: Strong opinion piece. Love the conciseness.
2. The Canyon News, Support seniors; Minding your manners: Both of these are concise, to the point and have clear calls to action. Nicely done!
3. The Perryton Herald, High Tech Law: Clear and concise. Good, solid effort. Uninsured drivers. Clear call to action. Good job.
4. Breckenridge American, Tenaska Center: Clear and concise. Nicely done. New gym, new jail: Nicely written, but missing a clear call to action, so to speak.

Division 6
Large Weeklies
1. Hays Free Press, Kyle/Buda, Open the park: Nice lead, straight forward, concise, good call to action. Your right to write: Short and to the point. Nicely done.
2. The Rockdale Reporter,  A shame; The civil way: I really like the conversational writing style in both of these! Nicely done.
3. Port Aransas South Jetty, Trustees’ transparency: Concise, nicely done! Resume padders: Good, solid job. Reads a little more like a column, but it was good.
4. Citizens’ Advocate, Coppell, Drill testing: Concise and to the point. North Lake “Enable”: I like the numbered, specific points. Nicely done.

Division 7
Medium-Large Weeklies
1. Frio-Nueces Current, Pearsall, Who decides?” Straight-forward, to-the-point point of view. Did you read the label?: Hilarious! I love it.
2. Westlake Picayune, Austin, Weat seatbelts: Nice turning this and other local news into a strong editorial. Good length. ESD bond package: Strong, concise and to the point.
3. The Nueces County Record Star, Robstown, Rural areas need ESD: Strong and concise. Like the pull quote. School district: To the point. Nicely done.
4. The River Cities Sunday Tribune, Marble Falls, Marble Falls sports complex: Nicely done, but too long in my opinion. Textbook revisions: Great lead - nicely written, but again too long in my opinion.

Division 8
Medium Weeklies
1. The Dublin Citizen, Giving up rights: Clear, concise and to the point. Your vote: Same as above, but clearer call to action. Both are well done!
2. Lake Country Sun, Graford, Who do ya like?: Great lead, well written, clear call to action. Talking heat: Wow! Controversial topic handled well.
3. Pilot Point Post-Signal, Council’s frustrated: I like the conversational writing style. Potholes: Again, great writing style, although this one is a bit long, in my opinion.
4. De Leon Free Press, Jon Q. Public: Nice writing style, like the “wink” ending. Tax hike signs: Kind of odd to be on the front page, but nice writing style and clear call to action.

Division 9
Small-Medium Weeklies
1. The Albany News, County needs new jail; A Class Act?: Both of these are clear, concise and have a clear call to action. Nicely done.
2. Muleshoe Journal, Tough decision ahead: Nice lead! Clear and concise. ‘We the people...’: I like the conversational writing style of both of these entries.
3. The Ozona Stockman, Watch those texts; Thin texting line: Both of these are strong, clear and well written, but both were a bit long in my opinion.
4. Mart Messenger, Back trackin’: Concisely written, but the overall length was a bit much, in my opinion. Good amount of public info! You can make a difference: On the long side, but I like the writing style. Good call to action.

Division 10
Small Weeklies
1. The Overton Press, Candidate needs to focus: Good impactful piece, nicely written, tight and direct. Crack problem: I love the lead, love the writing, great opinion.
2. The Clarendon Enterprise, Man thwarts plan: Tight concise writing, good call to action. Participate in government: Great subject, tightly written, nicely done.
3. Keene Star, Buy local: Great topic, nicely done, good call to action. Schools: Concisely written, nice wrap up at the end. Well done.
4. Joshua Star, ESD owes you answers; We believe: Both of these are really local and well done. I love “the issue” - “we say” beginning! Both seemed too long to me, though.