2021 Premier Awards - Best Community Newspaper Website ( Circulation up to 1499,Circulation 1500 to 3999,Circulation 4000 to 6499,Circulation 6500 to 9999)
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Place Name:
First Place
Contestant Name:
The Highlander (Haliburton, ON)
Entry Title:
The Highlander Online
Judge Comment:
The Highlander Online is a standout website, with a great design, strong social and interactive features and amazing photos. The website demands the reader's attention and delivers the goods. The population of Haliburton, ON are being well served by The Highlander online.
Place Name:
Second Place
Contestant Name:
North Grenville Times (North Grenville, ON)
Entry Title:
North Grenville Times Website - best community newspaper website
Entry Credit:
christine boyer
Judge Comment:
The North Grenville Times website distinguishes itself with comprehensive, locally focused news. With a strong social media media presence, podcasts, videos, polls and more available, the North Grenville Times is a leading light in local news.
Place Name:
Third Place
Contestant Name:
Voice of Pelham (Pelham, ON)
Entry Title:
Community Website
Entry Credit:
Dave Burket
Judge Comment:
Sometimes, simpler is better. The Voice of Pelham eschews fancy website bells and whistles, preferring to deliver a first-class news experience. Content is timely and comprehensive, delivering everything a reader could need in mostly a single page.
Competition Comment:
This competition had strong competition, with a variety of different creative website designs and a strong focus on local content displayed in an entertaining way.
While some websites used templates provided by their owner companies, others focused on creative ways to present information to their viewers. And even those websites who used a corporate template focused on delivering strong local content within those templates, transcending their limitations with that content.
All of these websites now use social media, to varying degrees, in order to expand readership and engagement.
Long gone is the day when community newspaper websites were a simple afterthought. Today's community newspaper websites use a variety of technologies, including JavaScript, WordPress, Podcasts and Videos (the entire gamut of technology and social media) to engage and delight their readership.
Overall, eight impressive entries, and I encourage everyone to check them out for an entertaining and informative take on local news.
