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The Wairarapa Times-Age and Wairarapa Midweek have won big at the Community Newspaper Awards, announced on Monday.
Midweek was awarded Best Front Page, and the Times-Age was runner-up.
The Midweek was also runner-up for Best Community Newspaper, and the Times-Age won Best Headline.
In the Best Front Page category, judge Doug Hendry said the Midweek entries had “thought put into every aspect of the presentation.
“The quality of a story can inspire a designer to lift the quality of the layout, and that seems to have been the case here,” Hendry said.
“How’s this for an opening sentence, written by Lisa Urbani in a Midweek story about homelessness: “Winter is coming,” he said ominously, “and when I saw the tents sheltering under a tree, next to the river, I shivered in the autumn chill.”
“Community newspaper stories often deal with the prosaic, and can become prosaic, but not in this case.”
Hendry also complimented the Times-Age’s entries into this category.
The Best Community Newspaper category was won by Oamaru Mail, and the Midweek came runner-up.
Hendry said both publications contained “an excellent features section”.
“Midweek’s Opinion, Extra and Lifestyle pages provide space for a variety of voices and views, with large banners to differentiate from the news pages.”
News director Emily Ireland said she was pleased with the results.
“This is a testament to the great work done by all reporting staff, past and present, and our strong design team.
“Thanks also should be extended to the rest of the Times-Age family who help put out a paper each day: front office, circulation, advertising, and operations.”
Midweek is also a finalist in the Voyager Media Awards’ Community Newspaper of the Year.
These awards are presented on May 28 in Auckland.
