News/North rakes in newspaper awards
Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association recognizes paper in nine categories
Randi Beers
Northern News Services
Monday, May 4, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
News/North has collected a number of new honours as the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association has announced its 2014 winners.
Bagging the first prize for best overall paper for a circulation of more than 6,500, News/North placed in the top three in nine categories overall, including four first-place distinctions.
News/North reporter Kassina Ryder earned the most amount of recognition. She won Best Research Story for her article, "Oil sands barges up the Mackenzie," published on Sept. 15; third place in Best Education Coverage for her story, "E-learning expanding in the NWT," published March 17; and second place in Best Habitat Conversation Writing for her story "Anger over Peel Watershed Plan," published Jan. 27. Ryder's writing on oil resources moving down the Mackenzie River was lauded by judges as being the first the newspaper association had read on the subject.
"Amid plentiful stories about Keystone XL, Northern Gateway and Energy East, this is the first I have heard of any plans to move oils sands crude via a Northern route," a judge wrote.
Former News/North reporter and editor Laura Busch was recognized with Best Post Secondary Education Coverage for her story "Watching over the Land," published March 24 and Daron Letts won second place for Best Arts and Cultural Story with "Close encounters of the Northern kind," published July 14.
Commenting on Busch's education writing, the judges complimented the reporter on producing a "solid, well-written story about an innovative education program."
Also of note, News/North columnist Libby Whittall Catling was named the association's columnist of the year.
"It has been a very long time since I have come across a columnist who excited me as much as Libby Whittall Catling," states the panel of judges in recognizing her writing.
She earned the accolade for her engaging writing on a variety of topics from the prosaic (how to pump water from the lake) to personal, such as battling addictions.
Overall, the paper won second place in the best editorial page category and third place for best front page.
News/North was also handed a blue ribbon in the best front page category by the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards this year.
