North Carolina Press Association members were honored during the 148th annual convention held virtually due to Covid-19 protocols and made available to NCPA members on Friday, Feb. 26.
The Smoky Mountain Times earned 10 awards including four third place, four second place, and two first place in editorial categories in the Division A category of newspapers.
SMT General Manager/Editor Jessica Webb earned first place in education reporting for “The Mystery photos”; second place in general news reporting for “Railroad tears up access to NOC housing”; second place in news feature writing for “Darnell Farms adapts”; third place in arts and entertainment reporting for “‘Sleepy Hollow’ brings the fantastic to life”; third place for general news reporting for “Small electric fire temporarily closes Marianna Black Library”; and third place for feature photograph “Pass It On Café.”
Photographer Teddy Greene earned second place in the feature photography division for “The Christmas Parade; and third place for spot photography for “The Eagle.”
The paper also won first place for use of photographs and second place for community coverage.
“It is always nice to be recognized for your hard work,” Webb said. “This past year has been a challenging one for so many given the pandemic and the social and political divisions in our country. Those challenges have not been lost to those working in the media, myself included. I am grateful that despite the challenges, I can remain confident in the work that we produce at Smoky Mountain Times and the commitment we have to quality journalism delivered to our subscribers and in newspaper boxes every week.”
NCPA’s editorial and advertising contest is one of the largest in the nation with over 4,000 entries submitted by more than 100 newspapers and news organizations. Judging was completed by members of the West Virginia Press Association. Awards cover a contest period of Oct. 2019-Sept. 2020.