The Gaston Gazette wins first place award in Better Newspaper Contest for Best Front-Page Design

Oct. 23, 2009 - The Southern Newspaper Publishers Association presented The Gaston (N.C.) Gazette with a First Place award for its July 27 front-page design of Michael Jackson's death at the top of the page, accompanied by a local feature and photo of a resident's condemned home directly below it.

The award is judged by compelling appearance, packaging, art and headlines, and its overall ability to draw in readers.

Better Newspaper Contest awards were presented Oct. 18 during SNPA's News Industry Summit within two circulation breakouts: more than 50,000 circulation and under 50,000 circulation.

SNPA awards were presented for best front-page design, Web sites, multimedia story presentation, local stories and Newspapers In Education/literacy categories.

In addition to Freedom-owned Gaston Gazette, top honors in the various categories were presented to daily newspapers in Sarasota, Fla., Savannah, Ga., Tupelo, Miss., Chattanooga, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., Victoria, Texas and Norfolk, Va.