The Best of GateHouse 2009

THE

OFBESTGATEHOUSE2009

2 BESTOFGATEHOUSE 2009

About the judges . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Newspapers of the Year . . . . . .4NewsWriters of the Year . . . . .10FeaturesWriters of theYear . . .13SportsWriters of the Year . . . .16

Editorial Writers of the Year . .19Columnists of the Year . . . . . .22Designers of the Year . . . . . . .25Photographers of the Year . . .28Projects of the Year . . . . . . . . .31

OpinionPage or Section of theYear . . .45Lifestyle PageorSectionof theYear . . .46Sports Page or Section of theYear . . .47News & Interactive Division . . . . . . . .48GateHouse Media publications . . . . .50

Multimedia Initiatives of the Year . . . . . . . . .34Alternative Story Formats of the Year . . . . . .37Niche Products of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Entertainment Page or Section of theYear . .43Business Page or Section of the Year . . . . . .44

CONTENTS

David Arkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Editor

Joe Greco . . . . . . . . . . . .Designer

Katie Anderson . . . . .Contributor

Anne Raih . . . . . . . . .Contributor

BOOK CREDITS DIVISION A 17,500-circulation or greater dailies publishing four times weekly or more.

DIVISION B 17,499-circulation or less dailies publishing four times weekly or more.

DIVISION C Non-dailies publishing three or fewer times per week.

2009 in review

Year of change on displayIrecently struck up a conversation with a young man

whose father had spent his career as a journalist atthe Orlando Sentinel, the Miami Herald and Na-

tional Geographic. While his father had retired just asthe economy began its plunge, he explained, both werestill closely observing the newspaper industry. “Let meask you something,” he said. “Have you ever seen news-papers change more in such a short …”“No,” I said before he could even finish.As we watched 758 “Best of GateHouse 2009” entries

pour into the News & Interactive Division headquartersin Chicago, we saw newspapers saturated with freshlooks and creative new ways to tell stories. And itdoesn’t take much trolling of our websites to see onlinenews reports that are livelier and more engaging thanever before – and drifting further and further away frombeing a recap of this morning’s print product.Yes, we’re a long way from the days of newspapers

being inhabited by blocks of 20-inch stories, and web-sites that get our attention, say, about the time the lastsports page is headed to the pressroom.Certainly within GateHouse, 2009 was a year of enor-

mous editorial change. The online content strategy wasreset as trainers scattered across the country to help youcustomize the strategy in a way that makes sense for

your market. Simultaneously, new online features wereintroduced, and a new website template began its roll-out late in the year. Scores of print products were recon-tented and redesigned, and countless new, inventiveproducts were launched all over GateHouse.And here, on the pages of this “Best of GateHouse

2009” book, all of those efforts are on full display, as isthat rare brand of resilience and determination to getthe job done – no matter what the circumstances – thatcan only be found in a newsroom.While we reflect on 2009, 2010 is just as full of

change. Without a doubt, we continue to evolve for thebetter, with much more work ahead of us. But I couldn’tbe more proud of all we have accomplished together.My sincere “thank you” to all our newsrooms for their

dedication, which even in the toughest of times contin-ues to drive forward the quality of our journalism.

Brad DennisonVice President/News & Interactive DivisionGateHouse Media Inc.


About the judges

Dennis AndersonManaging editor,LawrenceJournal-World;board member,APME

Judged: Project of the Year, News andOpinion writers of the year

J. Todd FosterExecutive editor,ChattanoogaTimes Free Press

Judged: Project, News and Opinion writersof the year

Otis L. SanfordEditor of opinionand editorials,The CommercialAppeal; president,APME

Judged: Project of the Year, News andOpinion writers of the year

Camille LaveyAssociateproducer forNewseum

Judged: Newspapersof the Year, Pages or Sections of the year,Alternative Story Formats of the Year

David BaileyManaging editor,ArkansasDemocrat-Gazette


Kelly Dyer FryVice president ofthe News and In-formation Center,The Oklahoman

Judged: Multimedia Initiatives of the Year

Rosalie StemerNewsroom coachand former re-porter and editorfor theSanFran-ciscoChronicle andNewYork Times

Judged: Features Writer of the Year,Columnist of theYear

KenCrawfordCoordinatingproducer forNewseum


MarkBaldwinRegional executiveeditor, CentralWisconsin Media


JenniferGeorge-PalilonisGeorge & FrancesBall DistinguishedProfessor ofMultimediaJournalism, BallState University

Judged: Designer of the Year,Photographer of the Year

YvetteWalkerDirector ofPresentation,Featuresand CustomPublishing,The Oklahoman

Judged: Multimedia Initiatives of the Year

SusanBrooksKellyAssociateproducer forNewseum


Cate BarronManaging editor,The Patriot-NewsCo.


ElaineKramerAPMENewsTraincoordinator,GateHouseMediatrainer, formerman-aging editor of theOrlandoSentinel

Judged: Niche Sections of the Year,Sports Writers of the Year

Patty RhuleProject editorfor Newseum


JonathanThompsonMedia relationscoordinator forNewseum


MaryKayBlakeSenior vice presi-dent/developmentfor Newseum


TomPricePhotojournalismsequencecoordinator, BallState University

Judged: Photographer of the Year

Sharon ShahidSeniorWeb editorfor Newseum


JohnMaynardExhibits writerfor Newseum



The RepositoryCanton, Ohio

Judges’ commentsThis is a paper that shows affection for and connec-tions with its communities. It tackles tough topics inclear and compelling ways that both inform and en-gage readers, in print and on theWeb.And it doesn’trest on its successes; it strives for – and achieves —continuing and notable improvements. Both theprint and online formats exude energy and immedi-acy and provide relevance and context for both localand national/world topics in all sections.We foundplenty to read – and liked reading it.

About thepaperPublisher Kevin Kampman

Editor Jeff Gauger

Website cantonrep.com

Circulation 65,000

Founded March 30, 1815

Newspaper of theYear DIVISION A

2-TIMECHAMP


RUNNER-UP

Rockford (Ill.)Register StarJudges’ commentsStrong reporting on keylocal issues and newsevents – comprehensiveand contextual, with goodvisuals and accessible pre-sentations. Lots of readerinvolvement and ways forreaders with particular in-terests to find what theyseek.

Other finalistsThe Enterprise,Brockton, Mass.

Journal-Star,Peoria, Ill.

Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin

Observer-Dispatch,Utica, N.Y.

The Patriot Ledger,Quincy, Mass.

The State Journal-Register,Springfield, Ill.

2009HIGHLIGHTS

Bringing it HomeOn the economic recession, per-haps the biggest story of 2009,The Repository profiled themid-dle-class people on a real streetcalled Easy Street, to givehuman dimension to events sooften described only in vague,distant terms.The six-part se-ries portrayed real people losingjobs, retiring, gettingmarried,experiencing sorrow and joythrough recession.The real con-cerns of Easy Street residentsprovided touchstone lessons forall readers.

Hall of FameCanton’s signature annualevent is the Hall of Fame En-shrinement Festival. Each year,the newspaper's goal is tomake coverage fresh, engagingand visually appealing, while of-fering the staples that readersdemand. For 2009, the newspa-per produced one section de-voted to each enshrinee — sixsections in all. The Repositoryalso produced two other Hall ofFame-related sections, onehighlighting area fans fromeach of the 32 NFL teams andthe other ranking the top Hall ofFamers of all time.

InvestigationTheRepository’s three-monthinvestigation ofTimothyWellandHyde—knownat birth asJosephBonanno—uncovered the secretpast of amanwhohad assumedthe identity of a dead baby, andwent on to run a local financialadvising firmwith 900 clientsand$63millionworth of invest-ments. Bonanno stole his newname to flee charges he faced inBoston roughly 20 years earlierthat he tookmore than$1,500fromabank.The story,bywriterTimBotos,originated fromananonymous tip toTheRepository.Bonannowas later sentenced to3 1⁄2 years in prison for identitytheft and other charges.


Newspaper of theYear DIVISION B

The IndependentMassillon, Ohio

Judges’ commentsStrong reporting and solid journalism from a smallstaff, with especially good localizing of national news.Great photography is well-played and draws readersinto stories. An immediateWeb package on a local fire,and the follow-up in print and online, was superb. Thesports section drew special note for the nice varietyand helpful labeling of the many sports covered – andthe fact that girls’ sports were highlighted in daily cov-erage. An excellent overall sense of immediacy and im-portance combined with nice local flavors andslice-of-life fare.

About thepaperPublisher Ron Frailly

Editor Robert McCune

Website IndeOnline.com

Circulation 11,500

Founded 1863

2-TIMECHAMP


TeameffortWhen amajor fire broke out onEastermorning, engulfing threebusinesses in flames and chokingthe entire downtownwith amas-sive cloud of smoke, Independentstaffers responded in a bigway.For a typical Sunday,The Inde hasone reporter, one sports writer/ed-itor and one designer.The Sundayof the big fire, two additional re-porters, another editor and a pho-tographer reported towork –without being asked – to cover thetragedy.Constant updates fromthe scenewere eaten up by read-ers of IndeOnline.com, resulting ina huge spike in readership for thatday and night.The Inde dedicatedits entire front page andmost of itsfront section to this event.

Investigative reportingWhen a prominent local busi-nessman was arrested and triedfor impersonating a police officerby showing a fake badge and kid-napping and assaulting threepeople he caught trespassing onhis property, Inde reporter DougStaley dug into the man’s back-ground and past police reportsfor a package of stories that fac-tored into a judge’s ruling. Thefindings of the report led thejudge to impose a stiffer penalty– including more jail time and alonger probation period.

Affecting changeReporter Matt Rink uncoveredthrough his own investigation thatamiddle school girl in theMassil-lon School District was beingdriven to and from school by aconvicted felon – hired by theschool district without a properbackground check.The story setoff a debate about backgroundchecks of workers who are sup-plied by outside contractors foroff-campus services.Also, per-sistent reporting onMassillonCity Council members who did ordid not volunteer to give backraises in light of a serious budgetcrunch eventually led everyoneon the council to dedicate someportion of their raises or salariesto buoying the general fund.

RUNNER-UP

TheRegister-Mail,Galesburg, Ill.Judges’ comments Ap-pealing, clean layouts attractreaders and appear through-out the paper – not just onsection fronts.Dynamite useof graphics to convey infor-mation.The front-page newsdigest looks good, readswelland encourages readers tolook inside.Writing is good,and the paper isn’t afraid totackle tough topics – as evi-denced by a gutsy examina-tion of school drop-out ratesand a package on race thatwaswell-presented and of-fered solutions.

Other finalistsDaily Messenger,Canandaigua, N.Y.

The Daily Telegram,Adrian, Mich.

The Examiner,Independence, Mo.

Hannibal (Mo.)Courier-Post

Holland (Mich.) Sentinel

Lake Sun,Camdenton, Mo.

The Morning Sun,Pittsburg, Kan.

2009HIGHLIGHTS


Newspaper of theYear DIVISION C

The Newton TABNewton, Mass.

Judges’ commentsThe Newton TAB clearly has the pulse of its community, andit brings that community into the larger world very well. Itlooks good; it reads well; its photos are superb; its coverageis wide-ranging and deep; and itsWeb updates are timelyand accessible. In other words, it’s amazingly sophisticatedyet intensely local. Its education coverage is particularlynoteworthy. The lifestyle package on “Eight things youshould know about the school budget and should NOT beafraid to ask” is outstanding. The TAB doesn’t let its printpublishing cycle or its staff size deter its reach.

About thepaperPublisher Greg Reibman

Editor Gail Spector

Website www.wickedlocal.com/newton

Circulation 27,000

FoundedApril 25, 1979


RUNNER-UP

Elmhurst (Ill.)PressJudges’ commentsSmart design combineswith excellent photos toenhance strong localcontent. This paper doesnice follow-up on earlierstories, and its Cheersand Jeers feature is amust-read. Informationis well-presented, easilyaccessible and locallyrelevant. The small staffworks hard – and well –for its readers, in printand online.

Other finalistsThe Community News,Hockessin, Del.

Dover (Del.) Post

Downers Grove (Ill.)Reporter

Middletown (Del.)Transcript

Sussex (Del.) Countian

Watertown (Mass.)TAB and Press

2009HIGHLIGHTS

Checking referencesIn 2009, Newton residentselected their first newmayor in12 years in a race that included afive-person preliminary in Sep-tember and a general electionbetween a woman and a blackman that would make history re-gardless of the result. The TABinvestigated the professional andacademic backgrounds of all fivecandidates, and also called back-door references familiar with thecandidates. The six contestedSchool Committee races andsome of the aldermen races alsowere high profile, and the TABsought to educate the commu-nity about the candidates in acomprehensive, concise and vi-sual format.

PhotojournalismSince 2007, the TAB had been re-questing a visit to a new highschool construction site. In 2009,a reporter and photographertried to tag along on a tour forpublic officials, but were denied.The next day the reporter wasgiven a tour, but a photographerwasn’t allowed.Themayor saidphotos were not an “essential”part of reporting.A few days frompublication, the editor engagedthe public through the blog.Three separate posts on the sub-ject garnered 133 comments. InDecember, before a newmayortook office, all media were invitedon a tour. The TAB ran a photospread with this page one kicker:“So that’s what it looks like.”

BattlingthecompetitionIn late 2008, the Boston Globelaunched its new “Your Town”sites, and it targeted its first onedirectly at wickedlocalnewton,with the tagline, “Your first stopfor all things Newton.”The sitecopied the TAB’s headlines andledes verbatim and linked to TABstories, but offered enough infor-mation to keep readers fromclicking on links.While Gate-House’s legal team prepared totake the Globe’s parent com-pany, the NewYork Times, to fed-eral court, TAB staff also jumpedinto action. TAB staff strength-ened blogs, sought out morecolumnists, created a weeklyemail newsletter, and added newcontent to the website severaltimes a day. Ultimately, the NewYork Times settled with Gate-House, and readers continue toconsider the TAB the city’s pri-mary news source.

www.wickedlocal.com/newton


NewsWriter of theYear DIVISION A

BruceRushton

The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill.

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Bruce Rushton’s hard-edged and eye-opening reporting shines a light into corners that govern-ments and other institutions would rather leave dark. Thisreporter’s entry included investigations into police files, capi-tal spending and public-records law. Rushton, last year’s win-ner in this category, scoured internal-affairs files of areapolice agencies that had been opened by a court ruling. Hisanalysis revealed that a county sheriff’s deputy had dozens ofcomplaints against him, faced several lawsuits and was ac-cused of behavior that bordered on criminal. Reporting on Illi-nois’ $31 billion capital spending plan, Rushton discoveredthat despite the state’s enormous budget deficit, legislatorsand Gov. Pat Quinn gave millions of dollars in state money toprivate organizations, including religious groups – an action indirect violation of the Illinois Constitution. In his work duringSunshineWeek, Rushton found that Illinois public records lawis filled with loopholes and vagueness that make it difficult toobtain documents – in this case, reports detailing thedrunken-driving arrest of a city parks director.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges chose Rushton for his “consis-tently first-rate” reporting.“Rushton’s work— time-consumingandmethodical — is the kind of accountability journalism thatis shoved aside all too easily as news organizations strugglewith shrinking staffs. But it’s also the sort of work that voterswill remember when they go to elect the next sheriff, governorand Legislature. Rushton’s workmakes a difference.”

FINALISTSEd Balint The Repository, Canton, OhioJennifer Fusco Observer-Dispatch, Utica, N.Y.Maria Papadopoulos The Enterprise, Brockton, Mass.

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONRobert Wang The Repository, Canton, Ohio

2-TIMECHAMP


NewsWriter of theYear DIVISION B

MatthewRink

The Independent, Massillon, Ohio

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Reporter Matthew Rink,last year’s winner in this category, used inves-tigative reporting abilities as well as narrativewriting skills in his entry. In a story about amuch-hyped biomass project planned for StarkCounty, Ohio, he deftly explained a project thatwent awry when an out-of-state company ac-cepted a nearly $5 million bond to start the proj-ect, then disappeared after bouncing a check toa contractor. Rink unraveled the scheme using avariety of sources, and he described it to readersin a way that was easy for anyone to understand.Rink also investigated an incident in which alocal school district unknowingly hired a servicethat employed a convicted felon to transport atroubled student. In a compelling feature about aWorldWar II casualty, Rink told the story of Pvt.Donald D. Owens, a soldier whose remains havenever been found. Through interviews with aFrench historian and Owens’ family, Rink helpedsettle the mystery of the soldier’s death andhelped a family find closure.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges praised Rink forhis compelling writing style and ability to detailcomplex issues for readers “using a variety ofsources” and “clear and concise writing.”“Rinkwon out against three talented finalists for hisexhaustive reporting abilities, writing craftsman-ship and versatility.”

FINALISTSNate Birt Boonville (Mo.) Daily NewsEric Timmons The Register-Mail, Galesburg, Ill.Erin Pustay The Independent, Massillon, Ohio

2-TIMECHAMP


NewsWriter of theYear DIVISION C

RebeccaHyman

Bridgewater (Mass.) Independent

ABOUT HER ENTRY Rebecca Hyman usedher reporting skills and storytelling abilities toquestion procedures at a local transfer station,show the human story behind the same-sexmarriage debate and look into the escape of aprisoner from an area corrections center. In herinvestigation of a transfer station’s manage-ment, Hyman started with a simple complaintabout residents avoiding trash fees. She fol-lowed the trail to a story of unsanctioned opera-tion, missing public money and accountingrecords literally ripped out of ledgers. Hymanapproached the issue of same-sex marriage byprofiling two women who were married just fourdays after same-sex marriage was legalized inMassachusetts, tackling the legal landscapewith ease and clarity. She also uncovered a se-ries of administrative errors that allowed a mini-mum-security prisoner to escape after helearned – before his jailers did – that he wasgoing to face charges in a 13-year-old rape case.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Rebecca Hyman is mykind of reporter – the kind driven by courage,determination, intelligence, curiosity, sensitiv-ity, fairness and love of language. … She is doingwork at a community newspaper that manymetro-market reporters only wish they coulddo.”

FINALISTSusan Parkou Weinstein Raynham (Mass.)Call


FeaturesWriter of theYear DIVISION A

DaveBakke

The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill.

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Dave Bakke takes us inside Illi-nois’ Executive Mansion, tells the story of a motherstruggling to care for her quadriplegic son and saysgoodbye to a local legend dying of cancer. After alawyer for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he was in-sulted that he had to sleep in a tiny bed in Illinois’Executive Mansion, Bakke decided to check it outhimself. He measured the bed (not so small, actu-ally), sampled the food and relaxed in the rec room –giving readers an insider’s tour. Bakke told bothsides of the story when he wrote about a villageseeking to shut off the power on a struggling widow.The woman owed thousands of dollars to the utilitycompany as she cared for her disabled son, whoselife depended on electricity-powered equipment.Bakke introduced us to BobWaldmire, who lived inan old school bus when he wasn’t traveling Route 66in his 1972 Volkswagen van. Bakke stayed withWald-mire as he bid farewell to his old friends and facedhis last days before dying of cancer.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Bakke is praised for his “un-derstated yet rich prose.”With the story about Illinois’Executive Mansion, Bakke’s “subtle and clever writinggives readers sharp insight into the worldview of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.”He“manages to achieve com-passion with balance” in his story about the strugglingmother.And his profile of a well-known authority onRoute 66 is “an elegant goodbye to a local legend.”

FINALISTMolly Beck The State Journal Register, Springfield, Ill.

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONSaimi Bergmann The Repository, Canton, Ohio

2-TIMECHAMP


FeaturesWriter of theYear DIVISION B

PhilipAnselmo

Daily Messenger, Canandaigua, N.Y

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Philip Anselmo took an obitu-ary to another level, tracked the stormy career of atown supervisor and reminisced about the days ofthe one-room schoolhouse. In his feature obituary ofJeannette Klute, a groundbreaker in the field of colorphotography, Anselmo invited the reader into thewoman’s life and revealed her sense of determina-tion, her challenges, her achievements and her loveof music. Switching gears, he wrote about the careertrajectory of a town official who built a solid follow-ing, held his town’s highest elected post, then experi-enced a gradual erosion of political support. Anselmodetailed the initial optimism, internal squabbles anddrunken-driving conviction that ended the man’sterm. In another glimpse into the past, Anselmo wentto a reunion of former students who attended areaone-room schoolhouses. He took readers back intime to enjoy the educational experiences of kidswho were taught in the 1930s and ’40s.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges praised Anselmo’sversatility. In the story about Klute, he “takes whatcould have been an ordinary obit and turns it into afull-fledged profile. … He shows us the fabric of thesocial world she built for herself and the joy she tookin the natural wonders of the land she acquired.”

FINALISTStephanie Boothe The Examiner, Independence,Mo.

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONCristina Janney The Newton Kansan


FeaturesWriter of theYear DIVISION C

KathieRagsdale

Woburn (Mass.) Advocate

ABOUT HER ENTRY Kathie Ragsdale demon-strates storytelling at its best as she writesabout a father who disappeared in 1972, a mu-seum docent injured in a car accident and thereturn of a military hero’s remains. Ragsdale’sstory of Bobby DiLorenzo was a real-life drama –she used gripping narrative to delve into his life.She detailed his run-ins with the law, his finalmessage to his children and the letter he wroteclaiming he was being threatened. Ragsdaleused interviews with DiLorenzo’s son and a re-tired police detective to merge family historywith law-enforcement frustration. In anotherstory, she examined how a car accident changedthe life of a museum docent, who was seriouslyinjured. Also, Ragsdale traced the history of asoldier killed abroad duringWorldWar II. She de-scribed the family’s long search and the city thatwelcomed its hero home.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Anyone who starts toread Kathie Ragsdale’s account of a son’s questfor his missing father will not be able to stopreading until the last paragraph. … She weaveshistory, fact, lore, mystery and family loyalty intoan unforgettable tale.”Judges also praised Rags-dale’s ability to give readers a glimpse into otherpeople’s lives with “depth and understanding.”

FINALISTRebecca Hyman Bridgewater (Mass.)Independent


SportsWriter of theYear DIVISION A


ToddPorter

The Repository, Canton, Ohio

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Todd Porter’s entry demon-strates his range as a sportswriter, with storiesthat show a deep understanding of sports andthe people who play them, columns that build acase and make a point, and features for occa-sions when there’s a bigger story or issue to illu-minate. In a story in The Repository’s breastcancer awareness edition, Porter explained how aformer college and NFL player’s on-field skillshave helped himmanage the trials his familyfaces as his wife fights cancer. Porter made astrong and likely unpopular point in a columnsupporting a high school football coach who losta couple of games, backing his opinion withsound reasoning and clear writing. His featuremarking the 40th anniversary of the death of Yan-kee great Thurman Munson unveiled a largerissue:Why does it seem like the baseball legendis more revered in NewYork City than in hishometown of Canton, Ohio?

JUDGES’ COMMENTS All three entries “showedthat Porter can spot a story and find the rightvenue and form for it. He writes clearly, brightlyand always with the right tone. Layers of informa-tion – sidebars, visuals, boxes – both in print andonline brought dimension to each story.”

FINALISTSEmily Tropp Rockford (Ill.) Register StarWes Huett Journal Star, Peoria, Ill.

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONJim Fenton The Enterprise, Brockton, Mass.


SportsWriter of theYear DIVISION B


ZackCreglow

The Register-Mail, Galesburg, Ill.

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Zack Creglow used narrativevoice and an eye for compelling stories to reporton the sole girl in a junior football league, remem-ber a legendary college basketball coach and tellthe story of a young baseball coach’s fatal illness.Creglow wrote about the success of SamanthaGoben, a sixth-grader who is the only girl playingin a local junior football league. He created a narra-tive arc with tension and resolution, pacing anddetail.Whenmen’s basketball coach Tim Heimanndied after a battle with cancer, Creglow paid himtribute with anecdotes from those who knew himwell. “If wealth is determined by the number ofpeople you touch, he would be in theWarren Buf-fett category,” a friend said of the coach. In a Fa-ther’s Day story about Jason Gray, a local collegeathlete and coach, Creglow first took readers in-side the hospital nursery where Gray welcomedhis son. Gray was a father for only 53 days, andCreglow told theman’s story from start to finish.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS The judges lauded Cre-glow’s ability to craft stories using narrative story-telling. “Sports sections, where the material offersthe inherent drama of winning, losing, striving,overcoming, attempting, failing, resolving and cel-ebrating, is a perfect venue. … He writes with au-thority, voice and clarity. He demonstrates a fineway with words not only in his engaging leads, butthroughout his pieces.”

FINALISTDan D’Addona The Holland (Mich.) Sentinel

2-TIMECHAMP


SportsWriter of theYear DIVISION C


DanGoldman

Brighton-Pittsford (N.Y.) Post

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Dan Goldman’s entrycovered a variety of topics and approaches,including the Buffalo Bills’ training camp, adetermined lumberjack and a hockey playerwhose career had come full circle. In his cov-erage of the Bills’ camp, held at a local col-lege, Goldman found out how the proathletes felt about the change of pace —sleeping in dorms, adhering to a curfew andinteracting with the locals. “The DeterminedLumberjack”was a lively story about awoodsman getting back into the swing ofcompetition after receiving a kidney trans-plant from his father. In “Story Skates FullCircle,”Goldman wove narratives of past andpresent in an effective tale of a hockey playerwho returned as a young adult to play on theice where, as a 5-year-old, he dropped thepuck as a cancer survivor.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Dan’s stories aboutthe champion lumberjack and Bills trainingcamp were lively topics. … Each of Gold-man’s three entries included a form of multi-media – an audio slideshow or video or both,plus a photo gallery online, demonstratingambitious and energetic coverage.”

FINALISTMike Hardman Mansfield (Mass.) News

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONScott Schmid Lombard (Ill.) Spectator


EditorialWriter of theYear DIVISION A


RayHackett

The Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin

ABOUT HIS ENTRY Ray Hackett hits themark in his editorials about state budget is-sues, a dangerous new recreational drug andthe national health care debate.When theConnecticut Legislature failed to adopt astate budget, Hackett’s editorial correctlyplaced blame on the shoulders of HouseSpeaker Chris Donovan and Senate Presi-dent Pro Tem DonaldWilliams. The editorialclearly explained where each man had failedthe state and its residents, and called forthem to resign. The editorial says: “Connecti-cut residents deserve better. Consider thismorning’s editorial a vote of no confidence inyour abilities to provide the necessary leader-ship Connecticut needs.”Another editorialraised alarm about salvia, a potent and dan-gerous new hallucinogen. Hackett fairly chas-tised state lawmakers for doing nothing toban the product in Connecticut. In weighingin on the health care debate, Hackett pre-sented a smartly written editorial explainingthat availability, not access, is the primaryissue.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Good editorials hitthe mark when they, among other things, ex-plain, criticize when warranted and issue astrong call to action. … Readers of the Bul-letin seem to be well-served by the paper’seditorial voice.”

FINALISTRick Holmes The MetroWest Daily News,Framingham,Mass.


EditorialWriter of theYear DIVISION B


KevinFrisch

Daily Messenger, Canandaigua, N.Y.

ABOUT THE ENTRY Kevin Frisch, now athree-time champion in this category, pro-vides a strong local editorial voice. Frischtook on local officials who passed a newtown policy that all but killed the free flowof public information: “What we have hereis a control-crazed board majority runamok. The newmeasure runs counter toevery fiber of open government.”The edi-torial also correctly explained that thenew policy was, in effect, a response tothe newspaper’s request for information.In an editorial about veterans opposingproposed development for the local VAMedical Center, the newspaper said oppo-nents who don’t want any new develop-ment used for non-veteran activities are“fighting the wrong battle.” In a call to ac-tion, Frisch and the newspaper respondedto a fatal traffic accident by thanking thetown for recognizing the risk and urgingofficials to install more paths and side-walks in a rapidly developing residentialarea.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges praisedFrisch and the Daily Messenger for takingon local officials and calling residents toaction. “The editorials were hard-hittingand clearly written.”

3-TIMECHAMP


EditorialWriter of theYear DIVISION C

JerryMoore

Berwyn (Ill.) Life

ABOUT THE ENTRY Jerry Moore targets local is-sues in editorials about ethics violations, city debtandmayoral abuse of power.Moore called to taskofficials and residents as he detailed how city offi-cials looked the other way instead of investigatingethics complaints, and wondered why these offi-cials remain in office. “What makes Berwyn so dy-namic is that public officials pretend they’recarrying out their duties, and residents pretendthis is perfectly fine. Folks must obviously love theway things are done in Pretend Land. If they didn’t,why would they elect people like this in the firstplace?”After the Berwyn City Council issued$5.2 million in bonds to retire old debt,Moorequestioned why the city would double its debt toput money in the current budget. “What happensif officials face another budget shortfall next year?”he said.Moore also questioned whether themayorhad the authority to give orders to the city policeforce after BerwynMayor Michael O’Connor or-dered a raid at the campaign headquarters of alocal alderman.Moore wrote: “O’Connor’s actionwas an egregious abuse of power that has no placein any government.”

JUDGES’ COMMENTS OnMoore’s editorialabout local officials looking the other way while anethics ordinance was violated, judges said Mooreeffectively used humor to explain bad public pol-icy. “Likening Berwyn to a mythical place calledPretend Land, the editorial had judges laughingout loud. It was the best-written of all the piecessubmitted in the editorial categories.”

Columnist of theYear DIVISION A

RobHaneisen

The MetroWest Daily News, Framingham,Mass.

ABOUT THE ENTRY Rob Haneisen uses wit andskill to explore and offer his opinion on a range ofnewsworthy topics. In analyzing the Cash forClunkers program, he realized its benefits but won-dered about the fate of all the vehicles beingturned in. They might have gone to good causes,he says, perhaps in auto repair classes or for trans-porting unemployed people to job interviews. “Per-fectly good – albeit inefficient – cars and trucksare being permanently disabled when they areturned in to dealers. … These clunkers could stillhave a life in some capacity if we didn’t kill them.”He called readers’ attention to the contradictionsthat abound when it comes to mosquito spraying.Using chemicals to kill mosquitoes protects resi-dents againstWest Nile virus, but what is knownabout the long-term effects of these toxic chemi-cals? In a change of pace, Haneisen thoughtfullyexplained the catch-22 faced by a husband andwife with genetic problems who sought to have achild through in vitro fertilization but were deniedcoverage by their insurance agency.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges praisedHaneisen’s ability to thoughtfully explore a rangeof hot-button issues. He “proves that there’s moreto good journalism than covering both sides of anissue. … Mr. Haneisen writes with grace and asense of humor as he explores the ins and outs ofcomplex issues that do not have clear black orwhite solutions.”

FINALISTDanielle Hatch Journal Star, Peoria, Ill.



Columnist of theYear DIVISION B


TomLoewy


ABOUT THE ENTRY Tom Loewy tackles thelatest issues in the news while telling the sto-ries of the everyday people affected by them.Loewy told us how Jimmy Haynes left hishouse to buy a truck but purchased a motor-cycle on impulse. Haynes’ first ride was hislast, and the young man shared the memo-ries of the best days of his life and hisdreams from his wheelchair. Another columnprofiled a former drug addict who evadedthe police while pregnant but turned herselfin. Loewy painted the woman with compas-sion as she revealed her fears, regrets andhopes.When a town hall meeting on healthcare overhaul was held locally, Loewy cap-tured the voices of those who were failed bythe system, and those who feared the imple-mentation of socialized medicine.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Loewy showcaseshis skills as an interviewer as he shares withreaders compelling tales of ordinary people,judges said. “With sensitivity, respect andunderstanding, Mr. Loewy communicatesthe difficult circumstances people endure,the obstacles they overcome and the chal-lenges they still face.”

FINALISTAmanda Jacobs Pekin (Ill.) Daily Times


Columnist of theYear DIVISION C

PeterChianca

North Shore (Mass.) Sunday

ABOUT THE ENTRY Even as Peter Chiancawrites about the sorry financial state of the news-paper industry and acknowledges the seriousplight newspapers face, he keeps a sense of humorand illuminates for readers the importance ofcommunity journalism: “I don’t knowwhat’s goingto happen to the newspaper business, but I doknow that people want their local news, at least ifthe phone calls we get when we leave some of itout are any indication.” In examining some of thestranger social networking tools, Chianca won-dered why anyone would buy Facebook friends, nomatter the price.A criticism of an advertising cam-paign led to questioning the strengths of onlinefriendships and how they compare to those in reallife. Next, Chianca entertained readers with histake onMassachusetts drivers – their quirks anddubious skills. He expressed his ideas about trafficsafety while making the reader laugh: “I’m not ex-actly known amongmy family and friends as anexpert driver. I’ve never had amajor collision(knock on synthetic plastic dashboard), but it’srare when I drive in a city that somebody doesn’tsay hello by leaning on his horn like he’s trying toalert the world to an impending nuclear apoca-lypse.”

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges lauded Peter Chi-anca’s ability to maintain a sense of humor whenwriting about topics that at the heart are serious.They noted his “graceful style” and “light touch”and said, “He gets across his ideas without beingheavy-handed or laborious.”

FINALISTWade McIntyre Weekly Citizen, Gonzales, La.



Designer of theYear DIVISION A


BobKast

The Repository, Canton, Ohio

ABOUTTHE ENTRY The“Red or Green”front-page infographic is a clean and informative lookat electronic surveillance cameras.The graphicprovides a step-by-step look at how red-lightdetection systemswork – a concern of all resi-dentswhomight be affected by the new tech-nology. Kast’s illustration on the Sundaybusiness pagewas awell-executed and engag-ingway to illustrate rising electric power rates.Bold type leads the reader into the illustration ofa giant light bulb emerging froma power com-pany. The image, pairedwith textual elements,helped readers immediately realize the signifi-cance of the rate change.The third entry, aposter-like sports page, lets the image speak foritself.To preview the 2009-10 high school bas-ketball season, the focus is on two especially tallJacksonTownship players.Appropriately, theyappear larger than life in Kast’s illustration.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Bob is a solid graph-ics reporter, page designer and information ar-chitect. His pages show extreme attention todetail, great use of images, information layer-ing and a strong sense of typographic rhythm.Bob shows a well-roundedness that is verymuch appreciated by these judges.”

FINALISTSChris Grimm Journal Star, Peoria, Ill.Eloisa Oceguera Rockford (Ill.) Register StarDorene Reardon The Patriot Ledger, Quincy,Mass.

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONMichael Weiss The Repository, Canton, Ohio

26 BESTOFGATEHOUSE 200926 BESTOFGATEHOUSE 2009

KristaBabbitt

The Holland (Mich.) Sentinel

ABOUT THE ENTRY To illustrate the ef-fect of a casino project – or lack thereof –on local tourism, Babbitt put together acenterpiece illustration for a story thatdidn’t necessarily lend itself to photos.She made the most of her design skills ingiving visual representation to multiple el-ements within the story. In a creativefront-page centerpiece about the pros andcons associated with Facebook, Babbittused the social networking site’s visualframework and complemented it with textthat followed the theme. The package isfilled with quick-read elements that servescanning readers well. Babbitt helps bringthe $787 billion federal stimulus bill intoperspective with a front-page centerpiece.There are several layers of information toexplain just howmuch $787 billion is. Andthe local angle is not ignored, with a storydetailing which local projects are lookingfor stimulus dollars.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Her ability to de-velop conceptual approaches to visual sto-rytelling is outstanding. She clearlyunderstands the power that a strong vi-sual concept can have when combinedwith stories that don’t immediately pres-ent opportunities for documentary photo-journalism. It’s also important to note thatthe concepts she developed weren’t easydesigns to execute.”

Designer of theYear DIVISION B


Designer of theYear DIVISION C


StevenJack

Suburban Life Publications,Downers Grove, Ill.

ABOUT THE ENTRY In a news spreadpreviewing the inauguration of Presi-dent Barack Obama, Jack exhibited aclear attention to detail in presentationof the text. In the information-heavypages, his use of type gives cues to thereader, adheres to the typographic hi-erarchy and advances storytelling.Apreview of a high school state champi-onship football game again uses typeas an artistic element. Two action-packed images are balanced with andcomplemented by type that matchedthe tone of the story. Breakouts servescanning readers. The excitement ofan independent wrestling circuit is re-flected with bold type and active pho-tos. From headline to subhead to theintroductory paragraph, the type leadsthe reader into the text of the story.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Steven’swork stood out among all other entriesin this category. In his designs, type isused as both an artistic element and anelement that advances storytelling.…Each entry shows a commitment to in-formation layering.… Steven uses im-ages and other visual elements to helpcreate lively, engaging page structuresthat offer clear visual focal points.”

FINALISTCarl Hott The Dover (Del.) Post

2-TIMECHAMP


Photographer of theYear DIVISION A

MarcVasconcellos

The Enterprise, Brockton, Mass.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS The judges were especially im-pressed with Vasconcellos’ images of the Brockton HighSchool basketball team, noting the “great emotionalshots and strong action shots.”“Many of the photogra-phers in this category had entries with one or two reallynice images. But Marc’s portfolio stood out because hiswas the most polished, well-rounded and offered themost variety of subjects. Marc clearly works his assign-ments to capture the most powerful moments.”

Brockton High School senior Leonardo Medina wears a look of dejectionMarch 10, 2009, as Lynn English celebrates its overtime victory in theDivision 1 state semifinal round.

Marit DeFatima Correia cries out in grief during the burialof her daughter Selma Goncalves on Jan. 31, 2009, inBrockton, Mass. Goncalves was killed during what policesay was a hate-filled rampage by a white supremacist.

An early December snowfall set the scene for this idyllic image taken Dec.6, 2009, in Whitman Park during Winterfest in Whitman, Mass.


Photographer of theYear DIVISION B

BillGaither


JUDGES’ COMMENTS “All of Bill’s im-ages are well-composed and compelling.He clearly has a firm grasp on the visceralpower of a good image, and he captures itin these entries.”The images of themixedmartial artist “are all so fierce, and theygrab the reader’s attention right away.…He does a great job of capturing thiswoman’s personality in the images.” In thephotos of anArmy funeral,“The composi-tion of those images adds to the dramaand solemnity of the event.”

A Galesburg, Ill., firefighter is silhouettedwhile battling a blaze on Dec. 22, 2009.

Cathy Snell celebrates after her first-round victory in an Oct. 17, 2009,mixed martial arts bout in East Peoria, Ill.

Members of the Illinois National Guard carry the body of Spc. Christopher M. Talbert to-ward his final resting place July 17, 2009. Talbert was killed while serving in Afghanistan.


Photographer of theYear DIVISION C

JacobBelcher

The Milford (Mass.) Daily News

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Good variety inthese images. The judges loved the foot-ball shot. The vibrant colors, deliberatecomposition and compelling point of in-terest all work together to make for a veryengaging, entertaining image. The car ac-cident image is also compelling. Belchercaptures the moment here and managesto compose a very imposing image.”

Chris Poole, 10, puts on his helmet during drills for youth football practice.

Aaron Hurpitz, 8, is greeted by JFK Elemen-tary School Principal Jen Henderson at theentrance to the building on his first day ofthird grade.

Dean Lundgren of Bridgewater, Mass., anda police officer help an unidentified mo-torist March 10, 2009, moments after theman’s Nissan Pathfinder overturned on apatch of black ice.

2-TIMECHAMP


The PatriotLedgerQuincy, Mass.

PROJECT “Disability Pension Series”

ABOUTTHE ENTRYThePatriot Ledger’s investiga-tion of questionable disability pensions featured thework of ElizabethCrowley,NancyReardon,KenJohn-sonandJohnMurphy.The three-day series exposedabuse in thepublic pension system, including exam-ples of questionable disability pensions.Reportersdiscovered several cases of public officials claimingdisability and costing taxpayersmillionswhenevi-dence suggested the claimswerequestionable atbest.Heavily researched storieswere supplementedin print by equally in-depth sidebars, timelines,chartsandother features that explained the ins andouts ofthepension system.TheLedger also enlisted thehelpof the FirstAmendmentCenter atNortheasternUni-versity in obtainingdocuments vital to the investiga-tion.Anonline package contained a sortable databaseof disability pensions,plus videos,a poll and readerfeedback,with audio andwritten comments.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “The Patriot Ledger's far-reaching examination of disability pension abuse inMassachusetts is the kind ofmust-read journalismthat showcases the strength of newspapers.The se-ries was loadedwith details and full of solid report-ing. The Patriot Ledger should be applauded forpursuing this issue, despite the fact that public offi-cials inMassachusetts appear to be dragging theirfeet about eliminating the abuse.”

FINALISTSThe Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass., “Grounded”The Repository, Canton, Ohio, “What’s YourPropertyWorth?”

Project of theYear DIVISION A


Project of theYear DIVISION B

The ExaminerIndependence, Mo.

PROJECT “Hockey 101”

ABOUT THE ENTRY The Examiner’s project on thearrival of a new ice hockey franchise stood out amongthe hard news coverage – from tornadoes to murdertrials – that dominated the category. Bill Althaus andKarl Zinke put together a five-part series on the basicsof ice hockey leading up to the Missouri Mavericks’home opener,merging sharp writing, use of alternativestory formats, graphics and compelling visual design.The project served as a guide to hockey newbies and arefresher to longtime fans, featuring readable, easy-to-digest pieces on the game’s rules, strategy and equip-ment, teammembers and what to expect at the homeopener. The information was easy to understand, andthe text complemented the colorful graphics. Eachday’s feature was supplemented with a “Your Take”item in which readers andmembers of the Mavericksweighed in on elements of the game.The Examinerreachedmore than just sports fans with this series.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “A nice example of contentand design working as a team. …You used every kindof alternative story form in the book – Q&As, quoteboxes, bulleted stories, etc. This package must havestirred up a lot excitement for the Mavericks – evenamong readers who rarely venture into the sportspages. You had what’s often missing from newspapersthese days: a real sense of fun.”

FINALISTErin Pustay The Independent, Massillon, Ohio“Life with Autism: Brandon’s Journey”

Karl Zinke Bill Althaus


Project of theYear DIVISION C

Suburban LifePublicationsDowners Grove, Ill.

PROJECT “Superintendent pay vs. performance”

ABOUTTHE ENTRYBrianHudsonandAnnieReedcol-laboratedonaproject that put school boards to the test.After the Illinois SupremeCourt ruled that school districtscould no longer conceal their superintendents’contractsfrom thepublic,SuburbanLife Publications set out to de-terminehowschool boardsweremeasuring superintend-ents’ performance.The resultswere eye-opening:Despitethehundredsof thousandsof dollars paid to superintend-ents,many school chiefs are not beingheld accountable.HudsonandReedused charts to look at a variety of dis-tricts andbreakdownsuperintendent pay,benefits, vaca-tion/sick days, reimbursements andmore.Theprojectprovided important information to readers and set abarthat canbe continued year-to-year,orwhennewcontractsare completed.Taxpayers cannowask informedques-tions of their school leaders,perhaps leading to greateraccountability for these superintendents.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Hudson and Reed tell theirstory in a concise and conversational tone.The report-ing is thorough and the writing precise.The SuburbanLife should be commended for its work, which shinesamong the field in this category.”

FINALISTSAnnie Reed, Suburban Life Publications, “Want in”Lakeville (Mass.) Call, “Grow”

BrianHudson AnnieReed


Multimedia Initiatives DIVISION A

A tough life got tougher after move to Easy Street

A look back at life on Easy Street

Retirement planning basics


PROJECT “Easy Street”

ABOUT THE ENTRY The Repository profiled the residents of EasyStreet in JacksonTownship, Ohio, offering a comprehensive look athow people who live in the community are weathering the recession.The project had a significant online presence, with threemultimediapieces.The first is a slideshow showing photos – loaned by thematri-arch of the neighborhood – of Easy Street taken through the years.Ac-companied by commentary from residents, viewers are introduced tothe subjects of the story. In a video that pairs interviews with CensusBureau facts, Easy Street residents speak candidly about their livesand finances.Wemeet retirees living comfortably, recent retireesstretching their pensions, young couples, a senior mourning the loss ofhis wife and families facing foreclosure.A third element functions as anonline tutorial on retirement planning basics.As a local financial ad-viser offers insight, his words are paired with tips and charts.The proj-ect can be found atmedia.cantonrep.com/easystreet.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Strong photos, video and writing. They re-ally brought the street to life. Slice-of-life stories can only be carriedoff by strong storytellers. I think they accomplished their mission. …Their varied story selection was well-rounded and well-polished. Themultimedia aspects were well-executed. I wanted to follow these peo-ple for years to come. Enjoyable read!”

FINALISTSRockford (Ill.) Register Star RockfordWomanThe Repository Canton, Ohio, “Friday Night Ohio”

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONThe Enterprise Brockton, Mass., “Rampage of Hate”

MichaelWeiss VeronicaVanDress


Multimedia Initiatives DIVISION B

BillGaither


PROJECT “Jimmy Haynes Paralyzed”

ABOUT THE ENTRY Bill Gaither used video to document thestruggles and hopefulness of Jimmy Haynes, a youngmanwho was paralyzed frommid-torso to feet after a motorcycleaccident. Part 1 features Haynes describing the events leadingto the accident and the accident itself. The camera stays fo-cused on Haynes as he tearfully remembers how happy heused to be, with a fiancée, new baby and steady job. Part 2 ex-plores the adjustments that Haynes faces now that he can’twalk. He opens up about battling depression, his attempts atsuicide and the loss of family, friends and loved ones.Wemeetthe nurse and friend who has stuck by his side. In the thirdvideo, Haynes reveals his hope for the future, led by the prom-ise of stem cell research. He hopes newmedical advancesmight give himmoremobility, or at least feeling in his legs.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges praised Gaither’s solidvideography and storytelling. “This was a very powerful story.Gaither can handle a camera and knows his way around theediting suite. The story was told from beginning to end, and Iwanted to keep following. Gaither captured the heart, souland despair of Mr. Haynes. From the pain in his voice to histhin legs, readers definitely felt the sadness.”

FINALISTSDeanna Wheeler Lake Sun, Camdenton, Mo.,“No Drinking Game”Allison Cooper, Ryan Williamson Daily Messenger,Canandaigua, N.Y., “Happy Mother’s Day,mom!”

PART 1: The Accident

PART 2: Adjusting

PART 3: Renewed Hope

Multimedia Initiatives DIVISION C

LaurenDeFilippo

Randolph (Mass.) Herald

PROJECT “What’s Cool @ School”

ABOUT THE ENTRY Lauren DeFilippo used video tocomplement the Randolph Herald’s “What’s Cool @School” feature, which offers a glimpse at uniqueevents in area schools. Her first video takes us inside ajump rope club, where students learn tricks, makefriends and get some exercise. DeFilippo speaks to theyoungsters who see the activity as a fun challenge, andto the teachers who see the mental benefits and en-courage the sisterhood that develops. DeFilippo alsotakes a fun look at a middle school’s robotics competi-tion. The young engineers enthusiastically describetheir creations, and we get to see firsthand the effec-tiveness and “coolness quotient” of the robots. In astory about a drum circle program, video provides acrucial element: sound.We learn about styles of drumsand how to play them, then get to hear the circle’smusic. The students’ joy shines through in interviewsabout why they love music.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “This was a great feel-goodstory. Every school has something to be proud of, andthis package showed examples of that. Part of thestrength of this entry was the number and quality ofstories in the package.”

FINALISTOrlando Claffey The Harvard (Mass.) Post“NotWithout Hoop”

What’s Cool @ School: Jump rope club

What’s Cool @ School: Robotics competition

What’s Cool @ School: Drum circle



Alternative Story Format DIVISION A

Rockford (Ill.)Register StarABOUT THE ENTRY The Rockford Register Starused alternative story formats to cover a deadlytrain derailment, the transformation of a pedestrianmall to a two-way street and the presidential inaugu-ration. Three days after a train derailed in Rockford,the newspaper used photography, graphics,mapsand text to detail the chain of events that led to thederailment and its effect on rail service.When thecity began construction on a downtown pedestrianmall, the newspaper divided the project into phases.Explaining the work to be done in each phase, textwas paired with informative diagrams and illustra-tions. To preview the 2009 presidential inaugura-tion, the Register Star devoted a page to acomprehensive look at the event.Again combiningtext, graphics and illustrations, the page detailed In-auguration Day events, from themorning worshipservice to the inaugural galas.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Telling stories in full-pagegraphics or photos helped readers grasp both thestories' bigger picture and important or interestingdetails quickly and more easily. The use of clear andcolorful graphics, easy-to-follow timelines, num-bers, maps and facts drew readers outside the tra-ditional presentation box and into the information.”

FINALISTThe State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill.


Alternative Story Format DIVISION B

TheDailyTelegramAdrian, Mich.

ABOUT THE ENTRY The DailyTelegram’s first example of alternativestory format appears in a story about alocal hospice’s plan to build a new facil-ity. The information is presented in a “5things to know” format. The bits of infor-mation quickly help readers get the factsthey want to know. In a story on renova-tions to a local public library, the newspa-per highlights three major changes – anewmezzanine, café and teen zone –and uses bullets to list the details of theadditions. A list of events to celebrate thereopening serves as a breakout, andmugs and quotes let members of the li-brary’s Teen Advisory Board voice theiropinions. A third ASF provides readerswith five things they should know aboutstaying safe while shoveling and blowingsnow. Each piece of advice has multiplebullets with reader-friendly recommen-dations.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges praisedThe Daily Telegram’s use of ASFs on top-ics of local interest and relevance. “Clean,uncluttered presentations give readerseasy access to information. Simple buteffective. Stories are told by the numbersand augmented by sharp photos. The bigpicture is offered in digestible bites.”


Alternative Story Format DIVISION C

Suburban LifePublicationsDowners Grove, Ill.

ABOUT THE ENTRY Suburban Life Publicationsdemonstrates its use of alternative story formatsin its On the Go lifestyles section. In a preview of aphilharmonic orchestra’s performance, the news-paper conducts a Q&Awith the group’s conduc-tor. In addition to gaining insight into theorchestra from its leader, there are also detailsabout the upcoming performance. A breakout boxgives the what, where and when of the event. Thenewspaper identifies a local “hidden gem” in theAmerican Movie Palace Museum. In addition to ashort write-up about the museum, readers canfind out why they should go and about the mu-seum’s claim to fame. In a feature on localhotspots, the newspaper profiles restaurants withbreakfast specialties. Using a type of grid format,five restaurants are featured. In addition to basicinformation such as address, phone and website,there are details on the restaurant’s best dishes,from fresh-squeezed orange juice to blue platespecials.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “These submissions arelikeWeb pages in print – appealing, energetic,conveying information quickly and easily, fast-paced and chock full of useful and interesting infothat draws readers in deeper. Great packaging ofcontent bursts creates a whole that is far morethan the sum of its parts.”

FINALISTGates-Chili (N.Y.) Post



SECTION Pro Football Hall of Fame

ABOUT THE ENTRY The Repository entered acollection of special sections to coordinate withthe annual Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions.The first section sets up the coming week of ac-tivities, appealing to local readers as well as visi-tors with its practical information. A pocket guidehelps provide on-the-go information. The secondsection recaps the greatest Hall of Famers of alltime, ranking the newspaper’s choice for the top50. In addition to making good use of the staff’sexpertise, the ranking makes for good discussionfor readers. The third element encompasses asix-page section dedicated to each inductee inthe class of 2009.As induction weekend ap-proaches, Canton revolves around the festivities– it is defined by this signature event. These spe-cial sections fill the needs of three audiences:hometown readers, committed fans and out-of-town residents.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “I was prepared to say,‘OK you guys have gone way overboard here,’ butknowing what you needed to do for this event, Iended up admiring it greatly. The sections hadconsistency in design and format, strong writingand lots of information. Too much?Well, proba-bly not for the Canton market and committedfans, which was your niche.”

FINALISTSPeoria (Ill.) Journal Star MystiqueDarla BrownAbout magazine, The Repository,Canton, Ohio

Special Section: Niche Product DIVISION A


Special Section: Niche Product DIVISION B

TheDaily TelegramAdrian, Mich.

SECTION Lenawee magazine

ABOUT THE ENTRY This quarterly magazine offers readersa variety of topics, organized by department and united by aclean, consistent design. Self-described as “amagazine aboutthe good life in southeast Michigan,” this section includes sto-ries and features that all have a local flavor: suggestions oflocal musicians to discover and a guide to fruit trees that willthrive in the region. Themagazine also makes use of area writ-ers: A local bookstore manager suggests books for holidaygift-giving, and a hospitality instructor from an area technicalschool offers seasonal recipes. Finally, Lenawee provides addi-tional utility via an arts calendar and a clearly labeled advertis-ing gift-guide section.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS Judges appreciated The DailyTelegram’s editorial transparency and even-handed sourcingwith this magazine, in which news and advertising wereclearly defined. “I could see that the editors were striving toapply journalistic standards to a magazine format. It providesa rounded mix of features stories, quick hits and alternativestory forms. The story choices strongly reflected the localcommunity without becoming boosterish.”

FINALISTThe Examiner Independence, Mo., 2009 Football Preview

Special Section: Niche Product DIVISION C

Dover (Del.)PostSECTION White Lace and Promises

EDITOR Maureen Raitz

ABOUT THE ENTRY This bridal maga-zine works as a vehicle for publishing alot of local wedding photos and securingniche advertising. In addition to storiesabout uncommon first-dance songs,event planning countdowns and pre-wedding fitness, dozens of local photosare spread throughout the magazine.The Dover Post even held a contest forthe most classic, most romantic and fun-niest wedding photos from local newly-weds, publishing the images in thispublication.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “The story topicswere clever or chosen for their timeless-ness. But the stories aren’t really thepoint here; I suspect themain idea is toget asmany faces as possible into thiscommunity publication; even a local brideis on the cover.”



Entertainment Page or Section

DIVISION A

Rockford (Ill.)Register StarJUDGES’ COMMENTS “The GO sec-tion’s easy-to-access information,reader-friendly design, colorful presen-tation, wide array of topics and myriadways for readers to reach editors com-bine to create a keep-it-at-hand sec-tion. Including an in-section guide onhow to access and use the paper’s on-line calendar likely encourages its use.The ‘Nightlife’ charts are an especiallyuseful touch, packed with comparativeand practical information.”

DIVISION B

DailyMessengerCanandaigua, N.Y.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “ ‘Steppin’ out… stayin’ in!’ offers what its title prom-ises – ways to be entertained at homeor in the community – in abundance.And it provides those who choose thelatter content that still lets them feelwhat an event will be like or who a per-former is beyond the performance. TheIf you go, Down the Road, Kid Calendar,Bulletin Board and Upcoming bits arefilled with useful, accessible informa-tion. And the TV listings (for thosestayin’ in) are clean and clear.”

DIVISION C

The Dover(Del.) PostJUDGES’ COMMENTS “A lot of localinfo nicely presented brings readers inand keeps them there. An attractivecover teases inside content, and thatcontent is easily accessed because ofgood packaging. A nice mix of topicsand plenty of local photos convey agood sense of place.”


Business Page or Section

DIVISION A

Rockford (Ill.)Register StarJUDGES’ COMMENTS “Intensely local,this section offers a goodmix of cover-age and a feel for economic life in thearea. Strong reporting, analysis of thelatest local economic index, week-in-re-view briefs and a week-ahead calendar,the area’s ‘biggest deals’ of the week,building permits, bankruptcies, local-stock performances, promotions/hiresand a guest column from a local expertcombine to create a section that feelslarger than its size – while beingman-ageable to navigate and read.”

DIVISION B

The ExaminerIndependence, Mo.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS The Examinerprovides “a clean, attractive page witheasy-to-access information that is all oflocal relevance and interest. The 5Questions For format has special ap-peal: thoughtful queries whose brief an-swers still provide insight about both aperson and an industry/business.”

DIVISION C

No winner for Division C


OpinionPage or Section

DIVISION A

TheMetroWestDaily NewsFramingham,Mass.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “It’s all here:local, state, national, international;columns, commentary and cartoons;pros and cons; letters to the editor thatare highlights, not fillers; selectionsfrom the week’s guest blogs; com-ments readers phoned in; local editori-als and local guest views; and humor —sorely missing in too many opinionsections. And it’s all offered in colorful,accessible, navigable presentation.”

DIVISION B

TheJournal-StandardFreeport, Ill.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS The Journal-Standard produces “a truly balancedopinion page that gives voice to many.Particularly effective are the Our View,Another View and My View columnsthat give the page an approachable,personal feel – while also being appro-priately serious. This page reads likeone with respect for its readers andcommunity.”

DIVISION C

Downers Grove (Ill.)Reporter

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “This paperreaches out for reader input clearly andeffectively. And its clean, clear presen-tation of strong, local content and ac-cess offers plenty of ways for readers toreach in – viaWeb, via phone, via e-mail, via letters. It looks ahead as wellas back, and it doesn’t shy away fromtackling tough local topics.”


Lifestyle Page or Section

DIVISION A


JUDGES’ COMMENTS The Repositoryproduced “an enticing array and selec-tion of stories, images, information andinterest, lots of local flavor and people,plus engaging layouts and fun photos.It’s the kind of section you save tosavor.”

DIVISION B

The Daily TelegramAdrian, Mich.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS “Life in Stylehas a splendid local feel, yet it bringsAdrian’s citizens nicely and easily intoother worlds with interesting and rele-vant information. The packaging en-hances the content and draws readersin, and the larger-type crossword mustbe a big hit with mature readers. It’s asection worth spending time with.”

DIVISION C

TheWellesley(Mass.) TownsmanJUDGES’ COMMENTS “Wellesley Lifeis a nice snapshot of just that, with lotsof local photos and names and events.The section is clean and inviting, notflashy but thoroughly accessible. StorkMarket is a creative way to announcebirths, and the wedding, engagementand obit notices are well-presented.Seniors, religion, library offerings,recreation, local clubs, the calendarbulletin board and more are all in onesection, for all kinds of readers.”


Sports Page or Section

DIVISION A


JUDGES’ COMMENTS “The enshrine-ment edition on the latest class in-ducted into the Football Hall of Fame iscomprehensive and engaging. The storyof each inductee is well told, with break-out boxes that draw readers into thecopy. The layouts are colorful and inter-esting. The photography is compelling.The headlines entice. The notebooksand previous years’winners add historyand context, and online componentsgive the package further dimensions.”

DIVISION B

The Register-MailGalesburg, Ill.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS The Register-Mail includes “a nice mix of coveragetopics on the section front with out-standing layout and design,making iteasy for readers to focus and find infor-mation. Multiple, accessible ways forreaders to be involved combine to cre-ate a strong sense of immediacy, inclu-sion and relevance. The Sports Digest isnicely packaged, and the graphics inheadlines help readers find quicklywhat they seek.”

DIVISION C

TheMansfield(Mass.) NewsJUDGES’COMMENTS “Easy writing, agood local column, a clean look, appeal-ing layouts, lively headlines and dynamicphotos combine for a winning entry.‘Lesser’ sports and girls’ sports are notignored, and lots of local names providea good look at ‘TeamMansfield.’”


News& Interactive Division

2009by thenumbers

The staff

19,219 Number of storiesnewspapers down-

loaded from GateHouse News Service

266 Number of times theGateHouse Media Online

Handbook was downloaded

65 Number of GateHouse Medianewsrooms that trainers visited

85 Number of GateHouseMedianewspapers that received training

42 Number of newspapers thatwent through Newsroom Incu-

bator program and were redesigned

� Redesigns of core products, specialsections,magazines and otherspeciality niche products� Development launching and relaunch-ing niche products� Newsroom structure assistance

� Syndicate packages� Online content training anddevelopment� Critique service of core products,magazines and websites� GateHouseNewsService� GHnewsroom.com

GateHouseMedia newsroomtrainer ElaineKramer conducts a LEDE2010 trainingsession inApril 2010at theNews& InteractiveDivision offices inDowners Grove, Ill.

BradDennisonvice presidentLegal, recruiting,business andgeneral inquiries

[email protected]

JeanHodges,content develop-ment managerNews Cube coordi-nator, blog trainingand developmentand ethics

[email protected]

DavidArkin,executive directorOnline and printcontent direction,directs field trainingand new and prod-uct development

[email protected]

Chris Biondi,newsroom devel-opment managerLEDEand regionaltraining coordina-tor, newsroom incu-bator and analytics

[email protected]

TomSudore,multimedia devel-opment managerVideo strategy,general Zopeissues

[email protected]

Lisa Glowinski,executive newsservice editorGateHouse NewsService and nichecontent

[email protected]

Joe Greco,corporate designdirectorRedesigns, newsservice productdevelopment,design training

[email protected]

BryanWengren,director of interac-tive developmentand supportOnline design anddevelopment, sup-port staff manager

[email protected]

Our services


Best of GateHouse 2009by thenumbers

History of Champions

751 Total Best of GateHouseentries 300 Total candidates entered

in Division A categories. 279 Total candidates enteredin Division B categories. 172 Total candidates entered

in Division C categories.

DIVISION ANewspaper of the Year� Rockford Register StarNews Writer of the Year� DeanOlsen,The State Journal-RegisterSports Writer of the Year� Eric McHugh, Patriot LedgerEditorial Writer of the Year� Christine Smith, Journal StarColumnist of the Year� Marc Dion, Herald NewsDesigner of the Year� Chris Grimm, Journal StarPhotographer of theYear� Greg Derr, Patriot LedgerTeam Project of the Year� The Herald NewsPublic Service of the Year� The Enterprise

DIVISION BNewspaper of the Year� The Daily MessengerNews Writer of the Year� Jessica Pierce, The Daily MessengerFeatures Writer of the Year� HughWelsh, The ExaminerEditorial Writer of the Year� Kevin Frisch, The Daily MessengerColumnist of the Year� Reilly Capps, Telluride Daily PlanetDesigner of the Year� Robert McCune, The IndependentPhotographer of theYear� KevinWhitlock, The IndependentPublic Service of the Year� The ExaminerTeam Project of the Year� Neosho Daily News

DIVISION CNewspaper of the Year� Brookline TABNews Writer of the Year� Erin Smith, Cambridge ChronicleFeatures Writer of the Year� Leslie Friday, Newton TABSports Writer of the Year� JohnQuattrucci,Bridgewater IndependentOpinion Writer of the Year� Kris Olson, Marbelhead ReporterColumnist of the Year� Rob Price, Courier AdvocateDesigner of the Year� Michelle Gonzalez,Suburban Life PublicationsPhotographer of theYear� Mike Cohea, Randolph HeraldTeam Project of the Year� Debra Filcman, Steve Ryan and NealSimpson, NeedhamTimesPublic Service of the Year� Erin Smith, Cambridge Chronicle

2007Best of GateHouse

DIVISION ANewspaper of the Year� The RepositoryNews Writer of the Year� Bruce Rushton, The StateJournal-RegisterFeatures Writer of the Year� Tim Botos, The RepositoryColumnist of the Year� Dave Bakke,The State Journal-RegisterDesigner of the Year� Bob Monahan, The Patriot LedgerPhotographer of theYear� Fred Zwicky, Journal StarProject of the Year� Maureen Boyle and Craig Murray,The EnterpriseMultimedia Project of the Year� Rockford Register Star

DIVISION BNewspaper of the Year� The IndependentNews Writer of the Year� Matthew Rink, The IndependentFeatures Writer of the Year� Margaret Poe, The Daily MessengerSports Writer of the Year� Zack Creglow, The Register-MailEditorial Writer of the Year� Kevin Frisch, The Daily MessengerColumnist of the Year� Mike Cutillo, The Daily MessengerDesigner of the Year� Robert McCune, The IndependentPhotographer of theYear� KevinWhitlock, The IndependentProject of the Year� The ExaminerMultimedia Project of the Year� Julie Scheidegger, The Examiner

DIVISION CNewspaper of the Year� Downers Grove ReporterNews Writer of the Year� Brian Hudson, Glen Ellyn NewsFeatures Writer of the Year� JessicaYoung,SuburbanLifePublicationsSports Writer of the Year� Mike Hardman, The Mansfield NewsEditorial Writer of the Year� Jane Fosberry Enos, Cape Ann BeaconColumnist of the Year� Gail Spector, Newton TABDesigner of the Year� StevenJack,Suburban Life PublicationsPhotographer of theYear� JacobBelcher, East Bridgewater StarProject of the Year� Carlene Peterson,Suburban Life PublicationsMultimedia Project of the Year� Rebecca Hyman, BridgewaterIndependent

2008Best of GateHouse


ArkansasArkadelphia ExtraDaily Siftings HeraldGurdon TimesHope StarNevada County PicayuneNewport IndependentStar ExtraStuttgart Daily LeaderThe Arsenal SentinelThe DailyWorldThe Sun TimesTheWhite Hall Journal

CaliforniaDunsmuir NewsGridley HeraldMidway DrillerMount Shasta HeraldSiskiyou Daily NewsThe Daily IndependentWeed Press

ColoradoBent County DemocratLa Junta Tribune-DemocratThe Ag JournalThe Fowler Tribune

ConnecticutColchester BulletinNorwich Bulletin

DelawareBrandywine East Community NewsBrandywineWest Community NewsDover PostGreenville Coummunity NewsHockessin Community NewsMilford BeaconMill Creek Community NewsSmyrna/Clayton Sun TimesThe AirlifterThe Middletown TranscriptThe Sussex Countian

IowaHamburg Reporter

IllinoisAbingdon Argus-SentinelAddison PressAdvocate PressAshley NewsAugusta Eagle-ScribeBartlett PressBenton Evening NewsBatavia RepublicanBerwyn LifeBrookfield/Riverside Suburban LifeCambridge ChronicleCarol Stream PressChillicothe Times BulletinDaily AmericanDaily BriefDaily LeaderDaily LedgerDaily Review AtlasDowners Grove ReporterDu Quoin Evening CallDu Quoin NewsEast Peoria Times-CourierEldorado Daily JournalElmhurst PressEspejoGallatin DemocratGalva NewsGeneva RepublicanGlen Ellyn NewsHarrisburg Daily RegisterHinsdale Suburban LifeHuntley FarmsideJournal StarLaGrange/Westchester Suburban LifeLeaderLemont Reporter/MetLombard SpectatorMacomb EagleMacomb JournalMarion Daily RepublicanMorton Times NewsMurphysboro AmericanNewton Press MentorNorris City BannerOlney Daily MailOquawka Current

Orion GazettePekin Daily TimesPeoria Times-ObserverPro-Football WeeklyRandolph County Herald TribuneRidgway NewsRockford Register StarRoseville IndependentSt. Charles RepublicanSi TraderSpectatorStar-CourierTeutopolis PressThe BladeThe Carmi TimesThe CourierThe Geneseo RepublicThe Journal StandardThe PaperThe Register-MailThe SpokesmanThe State Journal-RegisterThe Steelville LedgerThe Times RecordTheWeekly TimesVilla Park ArgusWashington Times ReporterWest Chicago PressWestmont ProgressWheaton LeaderWoodridge Reporter

KansasAugusta Daily GazetteDodge City Daily GlobeKiowa County SignalLa EstrellaLansing ThisWeekMcpherson SentinelSt. John NewsThe El Dorado TimesThe Fort Leavenworth LampThe Leavenworth TimesThe Morning SunThe Newton KansanThe Pratt TribuneWellington Daily News

LouisianaBeuregard Daily NewsGonzalesWeekly CitizenGuardianLeesville Daily LeaderPost SouthSouthwest Daily NewsThe Bastrop Daily EnterpriseThe Donaldsonville ChiefVinton News

MassachusettsAbington Mariner/Rockland StandardAllston/Brighton TabAmesbury NewsAshland TabBedford MinutemanBelmont Citizen-HeraldBeverly CitizenBillerica MinutemanBourne CourierBraintree ForumBridgewater IndependentBrookline TabBurlington UnionCambridge ChronicleCambridge TabCanton JournalCape Ann BeaconCarver ReporterChelmsford IndependentCohasset MarinerCountry GazetteDanvers HeraldDover/Sherborn PressDuxbury ReporterEast Bridgewater StarEaston JournalEl Latino ExpresoFalmouth BulletinFraminghamTabGeorgetown RecordHalifax/Plympton ReporterHamilton-Wenham ChronicleHanover MarinerHarvard PostHarwich OracleHolbrook SunHolliston TabHopkinton CrierHudson Sun

GateHouseMedia Inc. newspapers


Ipswich ChronicleKingston ReporterLakeville CallLexington MinutemanLincoln JournalLittleton IndependentMalden ObserverMansfield NewsMarblehead ReporterMarlborough EnterpriseMarshfield MarinerMedfield PressMedford TranscriptMelrose Free PressNatick Bulletin & TabNeedhamTimesNewton TabNorth Andover CitizenNorth Shore SundayNorton MirrorNorwell MarinerNorwood BulletinO JornalO Jornal BrasieiroOld Colony MemorialPembroke Mariner & ReporterRandolph HeraldRaynham CallRoslindale TranscriptSalem GazetteSandwich BroadsiderSaugus AdvertiserScituate MarinerSharon AdvocateShrewsbury ChronicleSomerville JournalStoneham SunStoughton JournalSwampscott ReporterTaunton Daily GazetteTewksbury AdvocateThe Arlington AdvocateThe BeaconThe Beacon-VillagerThe Bolton CommonThe Cape CodderThe Concord JournalThe Daily News TribuneThe EnterpriseThe Herald NewsThe Hingham JournalThe Lancaster Times & Clinton CourierThe Metrowest Daily NewsThe Milford Daily NewsThe Nantucket Independent

The Newburyport CurrentThe North Attleborough Free PressTheNorthborough/SouthboroughVillagerThe Patriot LedgerThe Provincetown BannerThe Reading AdvocateThe RegisterThe SentinelThe Sudbury Town CrierTheWalpole TimesTheWayland Town CrierTheWellesley TownsmanTheWeston Town CrierTheWinchester StarTri-Town TranscriptWakefield ObserverWareham CourierWatertown Tab & PressWest Bridgewater TimesWest Roxbury TranscriptWestborough NewsWestford EagleWestwood PressWeymouth NewsWilmington AdvocateWoburn Advocate

MichiganBronson JournalCheboygan Daily TribuneHamilton HeraldHillside Daily NewsJonesville IndependentMackinaw JournalSentinel-StandardSturgis JournalThe Daily ReporterThe Daily TelegramThe Evening NewsThe Holland SentinelWest Michigan Senior Times

MinnesotaCrookston Daily TimesGranite Falls Advocate-TribuneMontevideo American NewsRedwood GazetteSleepy Eye Herald DispatchSt James PlaindealerThe Valley JournalTheWabasso StandardTri-County News

MissouriAurora AdvertiserBoonville Daily NewsChronicle HeraldConstitution TribuneHannibal Courier PostKirksville Daily Express & NewsLake Area News FocusLake Life Styles MagazineLake Of The Ozarks Real EstateLake Sun LeaderMaryville Daily ForumMoberly Monitor IndexNeosho Daily NewsRolla Daily NewsRolla Daily News "Plus"St James Leader JournalThe Carthage PressThe Carthage Press ScopeThe Daily GuideThe ExaminerThe Linn County LeaderThe Mexico LedgerThe Neighborhood ShowcaseThe Post Focus On Rural LivingThe VedetteWest Side Star

NorthDakotaDevils Lake Daily Journal

NebraskaNebraska City News PressSyracuse Journal Democrat

NewYorkBrighton-Pittsford Community PostBrighton-Pittsford PostCanandaigua-Victor Community PostDaily MessengerEvening TribuneFairport-Er Community PostFairport-Er PostGates/Chili Community PostGates-Chili PostGenesee Country ExpressGreece Community PostGreece PostIrondequoit Community Post

Irondequoit PostMid-YorkWeeklyNewark Courier-GazettePalmyra Courier-JournalPenfield Community PostPenfield PostRush-Henrietta Community PostRush-Henrietta PostSaugerties Post StarSteuben Courier AdvocateThe Chronicle-ExpressThe Evening TelegramThe Evening TimesThe LeaderThe Observer-DispatchWebster Community PostWebster PostWellsville Daily Reporter

OhioThe IndependentThe RepositoryThe SuburbaniteThe Times-Reporter

OklahomaThe Daily ArdmoreiteThe Shawnee News-Star

PennsylvaniaCarbondale NewsNews EagleThe Echo PilotThe Record HeraldThe VillagerTheWayne Independent

TennesseeThe Oak Ridger

WestVirginiaMineral Daily News TribuneThe Jackson HeraldThe Jackson Star News

The Best of GateHouse 2009

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