BY RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
The Leader has won 21 awards, including six first-place honors, in the Arkansas Press Association’s Better Newspaper News-Editorial Contest.
The paper placed second among large weeklies for its general excellence.
The APA presented the awards Friday at the Wyndham Hotel in North Little Rock.
The Leader took first place among 35 competing large weeklies in the editorial category with editor and publisher Garrick Feldman’s commentary on the governor’s clemencies, “Make Him Explain It.”
The newspaper also took first place in the in-depth reporting for a series of articles written by Feldman and senior reporter John Hofheimer on Gov. Huckabee’s clemencies.
The Leader beat out all other large weeklies to garner top honors in the single sports action photograph category with David Parker’s “Red Devils Roll.”
The Leader’s Christy Hendricks took first place in the sports page design category. The Leader’s Hofheimer was also the gold winner for his coverage of agriculture in central Arkansas.
The Leader staff also took top honors in its division for its coverage of politics.
The paper placed second in sports column writing with sports editor Ray Benton’s piece entitled “Unrealistic Parents Drive Out Another,” picture page with its Christmas on Parade feature, graphics and design portfolio and page one design and layout.
The newspaper and its staff also won additional honors in the sports news story category, in- depth series reporting, single sports action photograph, photographer’s portfolio, editorial page, feature page, graphics and design portfolio, page one content and coverage of business.
“The Arkansas Press Association awards recognize the hard work of our talented staff,” said editor Feldman. “Our reporters, editors, photographers and designers are committed to producing a quality newspaper that serves our customers every day.”
