The Dublin Citizen team took home 13 awards in the North and East Texas Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. Awards were announced Saturday, April 29 in Nacogdoches to conclude NETPA’s 96th annual convention.
“Once again, a professional organization of newspapers has recognized what we already know, that The Dublin Citizen is one of the finest weekly newspapers in the country. I could not be prouder of the talent and dedication of our entire staff. This is well-deserved recognition,” Publisher of The Dublin Citizen, Brett Wesner said.
The Citizen team earned first place in Sweepstakes, which is the contest’s highest honor determined by total number of points earned through first, second, third and fourth place awards. The newspaper competed in the small weekly division.
The Citizen also earned first place in General Excellence, an achievement that recognizes a paper’s overall quality including writing, composition/display, headlines and use of photos.
Editors Wyndi Veigel and Paul Gaudette received first place in feature photography for photos taken at the Back to School Fair and at Christmas, of Santa in the rain.
“Such great shots, and the snappy photo headlines adds to their charm,” the judges touted. NETPA’s contest was judged by members of the South Texas Press Association.
Gaudette also received a first place award in column writing.
The judges commented that Gaudette’s writing drew their attention immediately and held it throughout both entries. “Well-written!” they said.
Veigel also received a third place in column writing.
The Citizen staff also received a first place in headline writing as the judges cited the headlines as being “catchy, clever and original.”
They also received a first place in page design in a selection including a front page, a lifestyle page, an opinion page and a sports page.
“Great use of photos and graphic design. Color and typography set this entry ahead,” the judges touted.
Where sports is concerned, Gaudette received first place in both sports writing and sports coverage.
“There is a huge amount of local content in this package. Wow! Great photos throughout. Nice work!” the judges said about the newspaper’s sports coverage award.
The staff also received a second place in news photography and a third place in news writing.
In a combined category where The Citizen competed against all newspapers entered, they received a second place in community service for a scrapbook showcasing the efforts of the Dublin Public Library in 2022 to get people back in the library after the pandemic.
“Such great support of your library. You should be proud,” the judges said.
Gaudette also received a fourth place Journalist of the Year competing against newspapers of all sizes. He placed alongside two daily newspaper writers and a large semi-weekly writer.