Sarah Richardson, Jenny Harnish, Rick Barbero and the Register-Herald win big in WV Press Association newspaper contest

By RealWV Staff,

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Press Association, on Saturday, held its annual “Editorial Awards” luncheon, honoring the best work of 2023 from the state’s newspapers. This year’s awards for the best in the Mountain State were judged by members of the North Dakota Press Association, as well as select representatives of the West Virginia Press Association. 

While the award for “Newspaper of the Year” went to the Ogden-owned, Elkins-based Inter-Mountain, Lewisburg’s Mountain Messenger, and Beckley’s Register-Herald also had strong showings for the south-eastern part of the state. 

For her article, “Reviving Ronceverte” – originally published on Feb. 4, 2023 – Mountain Messenger Editor Sarah Richardson was awarded first place in the “Business, Economic, or Labor Reporting” category. Collectively, the Mountain Messenger also earned third place in the category of “Best Front Page” for their Sept. 14, 2023 edition. 

Most notably, for the second consecutive year, the Mountain Messenger was awarded first place in the “Best Special Section” category for their 2023 guide to the State Fair of West Virginia, entitled, “Cue the Fun.” 

The Register-Herald took home an impressive 28 editorial awards on Saturday, including multiple first place honors for photographers Jenny Harnish and Rick Barbero, Sports Reporter Gary Fauber, freelancers Jeri S. Knowlton and Amelia Ferrell Knisely, columnist Michelle James, and Editor J. Damon Cain. 

The Register-Herald’s 2023 WVPA editorial awards include:

• Jeri S. Knowlton: 2nd. Place – Business, Economic, and Labor Reporting.
• Jeri S. Knowlton: 1st. Place – Best News Feature.
• Josephine E. Moore: 3rd. Place – Best News Reporting 
• Amelia Ferrell Knisely: 1st. Place – Best Governmental Affairs Reporting.
• Amelia Ferrell Knisely: 3rd. Place – Best News Feature.
• J. Damon Cain: 2nd. Place – Best News Columnist.
• J. Damon Cain: 1st. Place – Best Editorial.
• J. Damon Caid: 3rd. Place – Best Editorial Page.
• Gary Fauber: 1st. Place – Best Sports Event Reporting.
• Gary Fauber: 2nd. Place – Best Sports News and Feature Reporting.
• Gary Fauber: 3rd. Place – Best Sports News and Feature Reporting.
• Blaine Udy and Gary Fauber: 2nd. Place – Best Sports Page.
• Michelle James: 1st. Place – Best Lifestyle Columnist.
• Rick Barbero: 2nd. Place – Best Photography.
• Rick Barbero: 2nd. Place – Best Feature Photography.
• Rick Barbero: 3rd. Place – Best Feature Photography.
• Rick Barbero: 1st. Place – Best Photo Essay. 
• Rick Barbero: 3rd. Place – Best Photo Essay.
• Rick Barbero: 1st. Place – Best Video.
• Rick Barbero: 2nd. Place – Best Photographer/Videographer
• Jenny Harnish: 1st. Place – Best Feature Photography.
• Jenny Harnish: 1st. Place – Best News Photography.
• Jenny Harnish: 2nd. Place – Best News Photography.
• Jenny Harnish: 1st. Place – Best Photographer/Videographer.
• Staff: 1st. Place – Best Single Issue.
• Staff: 2nd. Place – Best Special Section.
• Staff: 3rd. Place – Best Special Section.
• Staff: 1st. Place – Best Newspaper Design.

The RealWV would also like to congratulate Brandon Baker, with the West Virginia Daily News, for his third place selection in the category of “Best Sports News and Feature Reporting.”

When determining winners, newspapers are divided into four separate divisions based upon circulation, thereby ensuring that the state’s smallest newspapers are not competing with its largest. In order to qualify for the contest, newspapers must print a physical edition a minimum of once per week. Work produced for  online-only news outlets is not eligible for the WV Press Association’s editorial awards competition.