SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN DOMINATES MSTA MEDIA AWARDS IN MISSOURI

The Southeast Missourian dominated this year's Missouri State Teachers Association annual Media Awards.

The newspaper and a Malden radio station were selected to receive a newly-created recognition for "outstanding education reporting and commitment to education in their own communities."

The paper was also honored for editorial writing, news writing, columns, and special features.

Bruce Moe, director of communication for the MSTA, said, the Southeast Missourian "dominated the contest, overwhelmed the competition."

He said judges of the contest "basically ended up throwing up their hands and saying they are all winners."

The Missourian was honored for its weekly Teacher Feature column, coordinated by photographer Fred Lynch and a series of articles about the pros and cons of Proposition B, by staff writers Peggy Scott and Mark Bliss.

The committee also honored the newspaper's editorials concerning education. And the Newspapers in Education, Yell for Newspapers, and Adopt-A-School programs, coordinated by Kim McDowell, were honored.

Moe said, "Rather than single out any one of these for a single award, the committee created a new award for (the newspaper).

"The recognition essentially says that (the newspaper was) exemplary really in every category you entered. A lot of comments were made about the quality of the entries. Think of it as Best of Show."

A number of Southeast Missouri Community Teacher Associations had nominated the Southeast Missourian for awards, Moe said.

In the newspaper portion of the contest, entries were divided into weekly and daily categories.

The Southeast Missourian competed against dailies from across the state, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Columbia Missourian, Moe said.

The entries were judged by teachers representing each of MSTA's 12 regions in the state.

More than 70 entries were received for the competition, which also includes radio and television. Local teacher groups also entered a professional communication category.

The awards will be presented to winners at MSTA's convention in Kansas City on Nov. 5-6.

Jean Graham, a Scott City teacher, was one of the judges.

"The entries were just exceptional," Graham said. "The general consensus of people doing the judging was that obviously the Southeast Missourian was doing an outstanding job."

Graham said judges were also impressed by the span of coverage.

"This wasn't a one-time thing," Graham said. "It doesn't just happen for a period of a month or two. It is an ongoing thing.

"I know there was a lot of discussion about Adopt-A-School and how that really benefits a single school and then you also have YELL and NIE that service all the schools in the area," Graham said.

"I think the other districts were amazed at how much was being done in Southeast Missouri," Graham said. "I guess we realized that we have a big backing of media here that we take for granted and that some of the other areas don't have."

"Southeast Missouri consistently dominates this competition," Moe said.

The Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic won the photography competition and received an honorable mention for editorial and column writing and for special features.

The Sikeston Standard-Democrat was honored for general coverage and received an honorable mention for photography.

The Dexter Daily Statesman won an honorable mention for general coverage.