The News Courier: Most Improved 2023 APA Media Award

The News Courier earned nine awards in the 2023 Alabama Press Association Media Awards. Those honors included one of the most prestigious statewide honors: Most Improved.

Myriad other category winners for the newspaper and its magazines and special sections included best spot news story, best in-depth news coverage, best editorial and best niche publication for its annual local football magazine, “Blitz,” among others.

Winners of the 2023 Media Awards were announced last weekend. The North Carolina Press Association membership judged the entries. First-place and other top awards in many categories and divisions were presented in conjunction with the 2023 APA Summer Convention banquet awards.

“We are proud of the work we do every day as a community newspaper and appreciate this recognition by our peers,” said The News Courier publisher Katherine Miller. “Most importantly, we believe these awards are a reflection on the relationship we have with our readers and advertisers. They provide input and support and we’re very thankful for the relationship we have with them.”

“‘Proud’ only begins to cover how I feel about the honors our newspaper and magazines achieved this year,” said The News Courier editor Tom Mayer. “For a newspaper to earn ‘most improved’ honors is an indication of a tremendous effort by the entire editorial, sales and production teams of a newspaper that proudly serves its community.”

The News Courier 2023 APA Media Awards

First Place – Most Improved

Third Place – Best Spot News Story, “Tractor trailer strikes power line” by Nicolle Sartain

First Place – Best In-Depth News Coverage, “North Alabama after Dobbs decision” by Taylor Lane

Second Place – Best In-Depth News Coverage, “Election contest for district seat” by C.P. Bailey, Taylor Lane, Nicolle Sartain

First Place – Best News Feature Story Coverage, “There is no Europe without Ukraine” by Nicolle Sartain

Second Place – Best Editorial, Our View: Broadband – at the speed of governmental bureaucracy

Second Place – Best Feature Photo, “iAcademy Dog” by Nicolle Sartain

Second Place – Best Headline, “Quacking the case: Public notices Big Spring Park dwindling duck population” by C.P. Bailey

Second Place – Best Niche Publication, “Blitz Magazine 2022”