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MEES |
The Bellefontaine Examiner’s coverage of the local wind turbine issue earned a first place honor during Sunday’s 2016 Associated Press Media Editors Association annual contest.
Staff writer Reuben Mees won in Division II in the Best Enterprise Reporting category for the overall coverage of the EverPower Renewables project and a vote by Logan County Commissioners to deny the company’s request for a payment in lieu of taxes agreement. He also received a third place award in the Best Illustration or Informational Graphic for a map showing the location of the proposed wind turbines that appeared with two of the stories.
Judges called the coverage “a clear, readable, well-researched account of an issue of wide public interest. The map was a helpful guide. Congratulations to the reporter for taking apart the complexity of this story.”
Entries in Division II were judged by editors from the San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times and the Cadillac (Michigan) News.
General Excellence awards for 2016 went to The Columbus Dispatch, Division V, The Canton Repository, Division IV, Sandusky Register, Division III, The (Newark) Advocate, Division II, and The (Massillon) Independent, Division I.
The Columbus Dispatch won the First Amendment Award for outstanding accomplishments in pursuing freedom of information. The Dispatch won with its entry “The Columbus Dispatch’s Efforts to Gain Information about the Pike County Murders for the public.”
Sixty-seven daily newspapers submitted 2,084 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2016.
The day also featured awards for broadcast outlets with radio and television stations in Columbus, Toledo and Kent being named the best in the state.
General Excellence awards for 2016 went to WSYX/WTTE-TV in Columbus, WTVG in Toledo, WOSU-FM in Columbus and WKSU-FM in Kent. Twenty-three broadcast stations submitted 311 entries in the contest, which featured news, sports and weather reporting as well as features, documentaries and photography from 2016.