The Ferris State University Torch snagged 11 awards in the 2013 Michigan College Better Newspaper Contest, including five first place honors.
“Staff members put their heart and soul into their work, so it’s great to see them get recognized,” said current Torch editor-in-chef, Alex Wittman.
The Torch received first place in the following categories: feature or sports photo, original cartoon-editorial or entertainment, non-front page design, special advertising section, and single ad.
The Torch swept the board with receiving second and third place awards in the single ad category. All three were awarded to Emily Noffsinger and Laura Pewinski for their Cranker’s, kobo, and Walgreens ads.
“How we placed as a newspaper in the 2013 Better Newspaper Contest will definitely shape our goals as a staff for this year,” said Wittman.
A 2nd place award for non-front page design was also nabbed by the Ferris’ student paper that was established in 1931.
The Torch received an honorable mention in feature or sports photo and original cartoon. As well as in general excellence, which Wittman said is the award she is most proud of. She was happy the judges recognized the Torch staff’s commitment to inform and engage readers.
Judges of the contest said, “[The Torch] A strong newspaper with good writing and coverage… I loved the reader involvement in this paper.”
The division two general excellence first place award was given to Saginaw Valley State University, followed by Hillsdale College in second, and rounded out with Cornerstone University in third.
The contest consisted of three different divisions broken down by the frequency of publication. The Torch is published weekly thus fell under division 2. Some other schools in their division were Hillsdale College, Cornerstone University, Saginaw Valley State University, and Albion College.
The Michigan Press Association (MPA) hosted the contest. The MPA is official trade association for the newspapers of Michigan.