Midwestern Newspapers picks up seven first-place honours at OCNA Awards

April 19, 2023 @ 11:29 amIndependent Plus, Listowel Banner, Local News, News, Walkerton Herald-Times, Wingham Advance Times

Midwestern Newspapers received seven first-place honours at the 2022 Ontario Community Newspapers Association's Better Newspapers Competition on April 14, including first place in the Best Diversity Coverage category for Cory Bilyea's reporting on local Indigenous issues. Pictured: Ojibwe Spirit Horses, Odamia (I Play) (left) and Takona (I Hold Him) happily munch on their hay while the youth learn more about the critically endangered animals at Seaforth Public School on June 9, 2022. (Cory Bilyea file photo)

LISTOWEL-WINGHAM-WALKERTON – Nominated for 12 awards in the 2022 OCNA Better Newspapers Competition, Midwestern Newspapers picked up a total of seven first-place honours following the virtual announcement of the winning entries on April 14.

Cory Bilyea, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Wingham Advance Times, was nominated for two awards. Bilyea won first place in Diversity Coverage, also picking up third place in the Best Heritage Story category for her historical feature on the Wingham Salt Works. Kelsey Bent received a honourable mention for Best Sports Photo.

The Advance Times’ sister publications also had favourable results across all categories in which they were nominated.

The Listowel Banner received two first-place awards: Best Headline Writing, and Best Photo Layout, awarded to Janine Martin, Dan McNee and Mike Wilson for their collaboration on a 2021 Remembrance Day photo spread. The Banner also placed third in General Excellence, circulation under 1,999, and third for Best Front Page. Additionally, McNee placed third for Humour Columnist of the Year.

The Banner also received a honourable mention in the category of Best Community Website/Portal, circulation under 9,999.

For the Walkerton Herald-Times, Wilson placed first for Humour Columnist of the Year. Martin and Pauline Kerr also took second place for Best Photo Layout.

The Independent Plus earned first place in the Best Vertical Product category for the 2022 spring edition of Country Life; first place for Best Special Section, circulation over 10,000, for its Milverton Fire Department 100th anniversary spread; and McNee picked up first-place honours for Best Rural Story, circulation over 10,000.

“Midwestern Newspapers is made up of a group of very talented, dedicated individuals who are great at what they do,” commented Wilson, editor of the Advance Times.

“Our readers have told us time and time again that our content is top-notch, and the production and layout are high quality. For us, it is very exciting yet humbling for us to be recognized by our peers for the work we do each week.”

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