Monday, September 26, 2016

Weekly Wins Five Writing Awards at AZ Newspaper Association

Posted By on Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 12:37 PM

The Weekly brought home five writing awards in this year’s Arizona Newspaper Association's Better Newspaper Contest in the competition among large non-daily papers.

Political writer Jim Nintzel won two first place awards. His long-running Skinny column took first place in commentary/analysis with “Technical Issue” (Jan. 28, 2016), a look at how Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP lawmakers zeroed out funding for career and technical education at high schools and were dragging out efforts to restore the JTED dollars, threatening highly successful programs across Arizona. The Skinny also took home first place in the feature column category for Nintzel’s remembrance of his late father. (“Goodbye, Dad,” Jan. 21, 2016).

Nintzel won second place in the Best News Story category for “Bern Notice” (July 30, 2015), his examination of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign after Sanders visited the Netroots Nation conference in July 2015. And he nabbed third place for sustained news coverage for his work on the 2015 Tucson City Council elections. The judges observed that Nintzel provided “well balanced coverage” and “has a knack for colorful quotes and language, without distracting from the issues.”

Former staff writer Maria Ines Taracena won third place in the Best Feature Story category with “Dignity” (July 16, 2015), a look at the plight of the homeless.

Elsewhere in the Tucson Local Media family, Marana News staff writer Brad Allis won second-place in Best Sports Column for “Me, Jimmie Lee and Willie McGee,” a tribute to his late grandmother. 

In the Excellence in Advertising Awards, the Explorer Newspaper production manager Brandon Hays brought home first-place honors in the Best Special Section category for the “Best of the Northwest” edition (April 6, 2016). The judge noted that it was a “fun, informative section. I’d keep it in the glovebox to consult while on a road trip!”

Ad graphic designer Louie Armendariz won third place in the Best Paid Ad—Color category for his Title Boxing ad.

Congratulations to all the winners.