This space is typically dedicated to criticizing or applauding decisions that impact our readers in Bartholomew County.
Today, we’ve set aside some ink to boast about the individuals that fill these pages: our editorial and design staff.
Whether it be city or county council meetings, school board proposals, lawmakers behaving badly, COVID-19 updates, Olympic swimmers, or famous race car drivers and cattle auctions at the county fair, we always try to cover our community to the best of our ability.
Keeping citizens in the know is crucial to enhancing community and maintaining our democracy; and we take that very seriously.
Last week, those efforts were recognized by the Hoosier State Press Association; a trade association representing 167 daily and weekly paid-circulation newspapers in Indiana.
HSPA provides legal information, training and other services to its members, but also puts on a contest in which most newspapers around the state compete.
In HSPA’s annual journalism contest, the competition is broken into groups based on circulation size. The Republic currently falls within the largest group, going up against newspapers in larger metropolitan areas such as Indianapolis, Evansville and Fort Wayne.
Despite being one of the smallest communities and staff in the group, our newspaper won the most awards (15) of any of our competitors in this year’s contest.
While physical awards are nice, being recognized as a newspaper creating impactful journalism is much more meaningful.
For example, one of our first place awards was for our investigative journalism on infant mortality in the county. Another was the photo documentation of the tribute of Scott Gordon, a local EMT that died of COVID-19.
It would be remiss though if we didn’t say that this won’t be possible without our readers, who not only help pay the bills but also call and email us with their local worries and victories.
Please continue to support local journalism, whether it be The Republic or elsewhere. It will help make a difference in the community of whatever publication you support.
