TC•Media newspapers nominated in Atlantic newspaper awards

Community newspapers may be but they are mighty.

TC•Media’s weekly newspapers received 15 nominations from the Newspapers Atlantic Better Newspaper Competition when the standing finalists were announced on March 13.

Four of the Nova Scotia Weeklies have been nominated for general excellence. The Queens County Advance and the Digby Courier are both nominated in its circulation class, while the Kings County Advertiser and the Yarmouth Vanguard are finalists in a larger circulation class.

“All of our journalists strive for excellence every day as they share the stories of our communities, both in our print editions and on our websites,” said managing editor Jennifer Vardy Little.

“It’s wonderful to see our newspapers and journalists recognized by Newspapers Atlantic. It’s an honour for our journalists to be included among such a talented list of finalists.”

The Yarmouth Vanguard is nominated for best special section for its Lobster Outlook in November and received three individual nominations. Editor Tina Comeau is nominated for outstanding news photo, outstanding local column and outstanding feature story for her article, A mother’s

small, story of domestic abuse. The feature tells the story of Connie Saulnier’s efforts to raise awareness about domestic abuse after her daughter became a quadriplegic at the hands of her abuser.

Also nominated in the feature story category is Kings County reporter Ashley Thompson for her piece, Martock mother: ‘Strong is what I’ll have to be’. Thompson’s story tells the story of the Rolfe family as they deal with their two-year-old son’s cancer diagnosis.

Kings County Register cartoonist Jason Freeman has been nominated for his June 19 cartoon illustrating the Waterville airport closure.

Kings County reporter John DeCoste and web editor Jennifer Hoegg are jointly nominated in the outstanding online innovation category for the July 24 No fixed address special feature. This feature highlights the story of four members of Orchard Valley United Church who decided to experience what it was like to be homeless in Kings County for 24 hours.

Hants Journal editor Carole MorrisUnderhill received a nomination in the outstanding news story category for her ongoing fire services coverage. She is also nominated for her June 26 editorial on the topic in the outstanding editorial category.

Michele White, the advertising representative for the Hants Journal, has also been nominated in the outstanding new revenue category.

TC•Media journalists from across Nova Scotia are also nominated in the online innovation category for the special joint project, A Week That Changed Our World.

“We couldn’t be more pleased that this project resonated with our readers and couldn’t be prouder of our journalists who carried their remarkable stories,” said TC•Media’s content director, Thane Burnett.

“At its heart, we saw A Week That Changed Our World as a way to remind our communities that there are no small stories. That quiet moments that normally go by unheralded – a child learning to tie a shoe or a man building a house – are worth shouting about in our papers and on our sites. It was also a reminder that those remarkable stories, told in words and pictures, can be shared beyond those communities.”

He added it is an honour to see so many TC•Media newspapers included among the other talented finalists.

“I also think it’s proof we have some of the best community journalists in the country working for us,” Burnett said.

The winners will be announced on April 25.