Reporter takes first for excellence in newspaper contest

The Mercer Island Reporter won first place for General Excellence in the 2009 Washington Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. The Reporter also took first place honors in its circulation class in 2008.

October 13, 2009 2:55 pm

Along with the General Excellence award, the staff of the Mercer Island Reporter was the recipient of 14 individual awards during the 122nd annual convention of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

The judging covered content from March 30, 2007, through April 30, 2008. Sound Publishing, Inc. newspapers, of which Mercer Island Reporter is a part, collected 155 awards — more than a quarter of the total.

Individual winners from the Reporter included:

Finalist: Elizabeth Celms, feature writer of the year

First Place:

Chad Coleman, photo essay

Chad Coleman, sports photo

Melanie Morgan, single special promotion ad

Matt Phelps, sports news story

Second Place:

Mary Grady, Melanie Morgan, best special section cover

Aidan Maher, Melanie Morgan, Rebecca Mar, best multiple-advertiser ad

Matt Phelps, sports personality profile

Mary Grady, health/medical story