Premier Awards - Best National Editorial ( Circulation up to 1499,Circulation 1500 to 3999,Circulation 4000 to 6499,Circulation 6500 to 9999,Digital - Population under 10K,Digital - Population 10-99K)
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Place Name:
First Place
Contestant Name:
Manitoulin Expositor (Manitoulin Island, ON)
Entry Title:
Conservative Party’s plan to abolish innocence until proven guilty dangerous
Entry Credit:
Michael Erskine
Judge Comment:
The Manitoulin Expositor takes issue with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s stated position of being hard on crime. The editorial states the issue clearly at the start and quickly attacks the politician’s approach to building his case. The editorial uses strong, direct language that leaves no doubt where the newspaper stands, and draws from credible sources to back up its position. The editorial no doubt engaged readers on both sides of the issue and likely generated strong conversations within the community. This is an excellent example of opinion writing.
Place Name:
Second Place
Contestant Name:
North Grenville Times (North Grenville, ON)
Entry Title:
Reconciliation: more than one day a year
Entry Credit:
David Shanahan
Judge Comment:
David Shanahan of the North Grenville Times writes about the importance of Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation but encourages readers to make the calls to action outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission something to be worked toward every day of the year, not just on an annual day of recognition. Shanahan shows great understanding of the challenges faced by Indigenous people, and expresses respect for the way many overcome those challenges to build a better future for younger generations. This is a nice bit of writing with a clear call to action.
Place Name:
Third Place
Contestant Name:
The Haldimand Press (Haldimand County, ON)
Entry Title:
A New Year's resolution from the heart
Entry Credit:
Mike Renzella
Judge Comment:
Mike Renzella of The Haldimand Press explores a deeply personal experience in his editorial that serves to encourage others to follow his lead and seek help for mental health issues. Renzella showed courage to put himself in the spotlight with a subject that people have long been reluctant to address openly, for fear of being seen as weak. The writer does a solid job of explaining his situation as he works o the decision to get help — the kind of call to action found in every effective editorial.
Competition Comment:
This competition proved that Canadian community newspapers are using their powerful voices to weigh in on issues that matter to their readers, and to the country itself. It was great to see the newspapers that entered this competition taking stands on vital issues, stating their arguments well and backing them up with solid information. The papers that entered this competition are clearly leaders in the communities and continue to provide strong leadership.
