The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
The Virginian-Pilot has been named the best daily newspaper in its class in Virginia by the Virginia Press Association for a record 24th time in the award's 30-year history.
The Pilot won the 2008 sweepstakes award out of daily newspapers with a circulation of 100,000 or more.
The award is given to the newspaper that accumulates the most points for awards in writing, photography, artwork, presentation and multimedia in its category.
"That we were able to do this with a shrinking staff and during a year when the sale of the newspaper hung over our heads speaks volumes for this staff's professionalism and ability to stay focused on journalism," said Denis Finley, The Pilot's top editor. "We won this award, and I am proud of our staff for that, but it shows that our readers win every day."
The Virginia Gazette of Williamsburg and The Nelson County Times of Lovingston were also sweepstakes winners, while The News & Advance of Lynchburg, the Northern Virginia Daily of Strasburg, The Eastern Shore News of Accomac and Richmond Magazine were each repeat sweepstakes winners in their own categories.
All the awards were presented Saturday in Norfolk at the association's annual meeting. The VPA presented 757 first-, second- and third-place awards for writing, artwork, photography, presentation and multimedia in a competition that included 3,153 entries submitted by 107 member publications.
The Pilot scored 66 points in a field of six daily newspapers with circulation of 100,000 or more. There were 263 possible points in the metro daily group and The Pilot led its group with most of its points in news presentation and art/photography, including two best-in-show nods.
Pilot designer Ryan Healy won best in show for daily artwork with his informational graphic of "A giant at the piano," a page about Sergei Rachmaninoff, and the newspaper won for its daily presentation.
"From the incredible creativity to the exceptional promos and use of content, there is a lot to like about The Virginian-Pilot," a judge wrote. "I can't think of another large newspaper that is so willing to take chances with design and how it uses content. The end result is a newspaper that screams to be picked up and read."
The News & Advance, Style Weekly of Richmond and Richmond Magazine also each won two best-in-show awards.
The Tidewater News, Franklin, won a best in show for its nondaily presentation, which judges said was clean and easy to navigate. The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, won for nondaily artwork, which the judges said was clean and easy to understand.
Anne Adams, publisher and editor of The Recorder in Highland and Bath counties, was named the winner of the VPA's 22nd annual D. Lathan Mims Award for Editorial Leadership in the Community. The accolade is named for the late D. Lathan Mims, a former editor and general manager of the Daily News-Record and a former president of the press association. The award was first presented in 1988 for the 1986-87 contest year.
The competition was judged by Sandra Mims Rowe, daughter of Lathan Mims. She is editor of The Oregonian in Portland and a former president of the American Society of Newspaper. Before moving to Portland in 1993, she was executive editor of The Virginian-Pilot.
VPA awarded The Roanoke Times and The Hook of Charlottesville the annual Award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service.
The Times, competing in the 30,000-and-over circulation group, won the award for the ninth time since it was created in 1947. The Times also won the award last year. The Hook, a weekly newspaper in the under-30,000 circulation group, has won the public service award twice in the past three years.
The competition was judged by N. Christian Anderson III, former editor and publisher of The Orange County Register and former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
In the over-30,000 category, Anderson selected The Pilot as a finalist, citing the yearlong coverage of a golf course constructed on a base of fly ash. Landmark Media Enterprises publishes both The Pilot and The Times.
The following individual, first-place awards were won by The Pilot and its staff:
Rich-Joseph Facun, feature photo; Dave Forster, government writing; Ryan Healy, informational graphics; John Hopkins, Robert McCabe, Dave Forster, Amy Coutee and Steve Stone, general news writing; Sam Hundley, illustrations; Don Luzzatto, editorial writing; Genevieve Ross, photo illustration; Mike Saewitz, business and financial writing; Bill Tiernan, breaking news photo; Chris Tyree, sports news photo; Lon Wagner, feature writing portfolio; Denise Watson Batts, feature series or continuing story; and staff, multimedia feature reporting, general makeup, front page and editorial pages.
Lauren King, (757) 446-2309, lauren.king@pilotonline.com
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So, Proud Native ...
... lucky you, for not running out of those batteries during the hurricane. Others weren't so fortunate. As for Tony, yes, he has his place -- as I sat in my living room and watched the trees outside my window nearly bow to the ground as Isabel swept through, I listened to him, too. But the next day, when I wanted to know how others were faring, when I wanted to see pictures of the devastation and read what had happened, I read The Pilot.
I'm a Hampton Roads native, too, and I've been reading The Pilot all my life. I *learned* to read by using the newspaper. I've watched it evolve as its readership, and its competition for those readers' attention, have changed throughout the decades. It will be around, in some form, for a long, long time. When it dies -- and I hope that's when I'm no longer around -- the Tidewater area will be without its most in-depth source of news. Something else will eventually be created in its place, because that's what happens in an area when there is no newspaper -- people want one, and need one, and the demand leads to the supply. (And remember, this Web site is The Pilot, too.)
I have a strong feeling that most of the people who turn up their nose
Congratulations!!
In these difficult times this is quite an accomplishment for the people of the Pilot. Dennis Finley should be commended. With the staff being dissipated and with more cuts possibly on the horizon it is a credit to those lifelong team members who in spite of all the obstacles thrown at them, with the current state of newspapers,an experienced staff being cut to the bone and leadership that lacks publishing experience to accomplish this feat. Way to go Pilot!
Thank God for Tony
readsomething said, "when The Pilot isn't here, and a hurricane sweeps through, and you don't have Internet or phone service, but you want to know where you can find water and ice, I guess you'll all be relieved that the "liberal rag" is no longer around. I was here during Isabel, and The Pilot was the only place to get info on what stores were open, etc."
I was here during Isabel, and the half-century's worth of hurricanes before that, too. I found out where to get water and ice from Tony Macrini on AM 790. I used AA batteries to listen to Tony. No electrical grid or newspaper required.
awards
i have read the pilot since 1952--have yet to find a better paper--you deserve the awards you won
So one day ...
... when The Pilot isn't here, and a hurricane sweeps through, and you don't have Internet or phone service, but you want to know where you can find water and ice, I guess you'll all be relieved that the "liberal rag" is no longer around. I was here during Isabel, and The Pilot was the only place to get info on what stores were open, etc. And I guess those folks who live on the fly ash compound wish that liberal rag hadn't reported on the fact that their houses could make them sick. The simple fact is, whether or not you agree with The Pilot's *editorials*, the newspaper provides a worthwhile service. And like it or not, this Web site is *part* of The Pilot you nay-sayers hate so much. The content here comes not from the great Intarwebs factory in the sky, but from ... oh, NO! ... The Pilot. You all should stop reading the news content NOW, lest you somehow be brainwashed into voting for a Democrat someday.
Cost of the paper
It's always been said that the cost of the newspaper isn't borne by the subscription rate, but rather by the advertising.
That said, why is it that only physical subscribers can view the online version of the paper? Continue to register reader accounts by phone number or physical address so that content (and advertising) can be tailored to the user and you'll be able to achieve what your Mail Room (or IDC or whatever name it has now) never could.
Shutting down the Pressroom, the Newsprint Warehouse, the Harris Machines in IDC and the Circulation Department would save buckets of money.
Getting all the delivery drivers' cars off the road (anybody who thinks kids still deliver on bikes is deluded), getting the Ink and Press Washdown chemicals out of the city's wastewater system, and reducing the consumption of newsprint (and getting off the road the dozens of semis that deliver newsprint) would greatly improve the Pilot's 'Green' standing within the community with much less effort than is now expended.
It's time for The Virginian-Pilot to join the 21st century. Maybe even revive The Ledger-Star to provide a balanced counterpoint to The Pilot.
in its class, indeed
"The Virginian-Pilot has been named the best daily newspaper in its class."
And what class might that be? The "small-market, provincially-minded, error-ridden Liberal rag" class? In that case... congratulations.
big deal, still just an emergency hamster cage liner
I notice objectivity and unbiased reporting weren't among the criteria used to judge the winner. Sorry, but those are exactly what I'm looking for in a newspaper.
The only thing to conclude from this is that all other newspapers in the state are awfully weak.
Until those running the Pilot realize how many of us are sick of their covering up for Liberal Democrats I'm betting their subscribership continues to dwindle, much as their advertisers seem to be.
Yeah, right!
When sent the ballots, to whom and when? Who counted the votes? I'd wager the public (anyone outside Landmark Communications) even knew there was a contest.
With Landmark owning the Richmond Times, the Roanoke Times, and the VA-Pilot, what was the competition? Yes, I guess the bar was set pretty low. I mean, how high does a company that's voting for itself really need to set it???
Typical though...
Sounds like the Pilot ...
... is the tallest midget. What exactly is the competition in Virginia?
Be serious. There's not much in the way of big league journalism in this state and many of the papers are suffering recession pains that are worse than the Pilot's.
The product you turn out nowadays is disappointing to your readers, even if you are still proud as peacocks. Pretty pictures can't hide anemic journalism.