The Morgan Hill Times will add four first-place plaques to its
office walls after the California Newspaper Publishers Association
handed the newspaper the state journalism awards in its annual
Better Newspapers Contest.
The Morgan Hill Times will add four first-place plaques to its office walls after the California Newspaper Publishers Association handed the newspaper the state journalism awards in its annual Better Newspapers Contest.
The Times won for environmental reporting, sports coverage, editorial comment and feature photo.
“It’s a reflection of the hard work that our quality journalists put in day in and day out,” Editor Robert Airoldi said. “I’m grateful for their professionalism and commitment for telling the compelling stories in our community.”
Reporter Michael Moore won for his story titled “Plum out of prunes?” that detailed two brothers’ sadness as their 40-acre plot of blooming prunes were removed on Fisher Avenue to make room for crops that can thrive in today’s economy.
The Times’ won for its coverage of local sports with credit to Sports Editor Scott J. Adams for his reporting, editing and page design. The two issues – Sept. 1 and Sept. 15 – included a preview of the high school football season at Live Oak and Ann Sobrato with rosters and a breakdown of “who to watch” in 2009.
Editor Robert Airoldi won with an editorial asking the then-superintendent to set a better example when making budget reductions in “Cut from the top to lessen impacts on students,” that ran April 28.
Photographer Lora Schraft won for her photo of two friends – who learned they’d be in the same third-grade class at P.A. Walsh – hugging on the first day of school.
The Times’ awards were given for the 4,301 to 11,000 circulation category.
The Times’ sister papers, the Gilroy Dispatch and Hollister Free Lance, won several awards also. The Dispatch took home second place for its editorial pages, second place for news writing and first for an investigative story titled “Charter school skims retirement money” by Reporter Sara Suddes.
The Free Lance was awarded first place for sports coverage with a circulation under 4,300, second place for sports writing, first place for a news photo and second for a sports photo, both photos were taken by staff photographer Nick Lovejoy.
