News Journal wins 15 Excellence in Kentucky Newspaper Awards

The News Journal has brought home 15 awards, including a second place finish in General Excellence in the large weekly newspaper division of the Kentucky Press Association’s Excellence in Kentucky Newspaper Awards contest.

This was the first time in five years that the News Journal hadn’t won first place in General Excellence.

The News Journal won a total of five first place awards, five second place awards, including General Excellence, and five third place awards.

“We are very proud of the accomplishments of our award winning staff,” said News Journal Publisher Don Estep. “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by our peers in this manner, and we feel these awards reflect the hard work and dedication our staff puts into each and every issue. I’m proud of our staff. It is the best.”

Former sports editor Trevor Sherman lead the way with three first place awards and one second place award.

Sherman received first place awards in the categories of best sports columnist and best sports page/section.

Sherman also received both the first and second place awards for best use of social media or multimedia. The first place award in this category was for Sherman’s School Spirit Week promotion on Facebook.

Current Sports Editor Dean Manning won a first place award for best sports feature story for his story regarding Corbin being renamed “King Corbin” in honor of WWE wrestler King Corbin in advance of the WWE’s show at The Arena in Corbin.

Manning and Managing Editor Mark White shared a first place award for the newspaper’s coverage of the February 2020 Cumberland River flood, which was the third highest in Whitley County history.

White and Manning fared well in the best columnist category with White taking second place honors and Manning taking third place honors in that category.

White also brought home second place awards in the category of best headline writer and best enterprise or analytical story. The analytical story concerned a COVID-19 related story about how bars and churches are often COVID-19 hot spots for similar reasons.

White won third place awards in the category of best business/agribusiness story, best breaking news picture, best general news story, and best picture essay.

The business story concerned the opening of the Brick Oven restaurant in Williamsburg. The picture essay award was for coverage of the memorial service for Cpl. Billie Hash, who died during the Korean War but whose remains were only identified last year and returned to his hometown in Corbin for burial.