The Palo Alto Weekly was honored Saturday as best large newsweekly in California and, for the fourth year in a row, PaloAltoOnline.com was named best news website in its category in an annual journalism competition.
The prestigious General Excellence award and a dozen other honors were bestowed to the Weekly by the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) at a Universal City ceremony on April 27.
A panel of 35 journalists from states outside of Califonia selected the winners, who were chosen from among journalists with daily, weekly and school newspapers.
"This is a clear winner," wrote the judges who selected the Weekly for the General Excellence award. "The depth and range of its coverage is impressive. ... The editors obviously take seriously their public service obligation."
The competition judges reviewed more than 4,000 entries and chose 450 award winners in the Better Newspapers Contest.
Overall, the Weekly received a company record of six first-place and seven second-place honors, competing against other weekly papers of its circulation size.
The first-place awards were for
• Coverage of local government for "Palo Alto's ticking time bomb" by Gennady Sheyner
• Coverage of local education for "Weekly calls for halt to confidential memos" by Weekly staff, including Chris Kenrick and Jay Thorwaldson
• News photo for Veronica Weber's "Page Mill Road accident"
• Feature photo for Veronica Weber's "Buzzz"
• Best website for PaloAltoOnline.com
• General Excellence by the Weekly staff
The Weekly also garnered several second-place awards for
• Best writing for Sue Dremann's "Who will help?"
• Local breaking news for "High-tech investigation nabs alleged burglar of Steve Jobs' home" by Gennady Sheyner
• Coverage of business, financial or economic news for "Psyching out the Facebook effect" by Carol Blitzer
• Coverage of local education for "Learning the Language" by Chris Kenrick
• Arts & Entertainment coverage by Rebecca Wallace
• Page design and layout by the Palo Alto Weekly design staff
• Sports photo for "Senior soccer" by Veronica Weber
The Weekly's sister papers on the Peninsula also picked up awards in their circulation categories. The Almanac in Menlo Park received five awards, including first place for a feature story written by Renee Batti.
The Mountain View Voice picked up a first-place award for an article on an underground toxics plume by Daniel DeBolt.
In addition, the Weekly received honorable mentions in the categories of editorial comment, investigative reporting, sports section, sports story, special sports section, coverage of the environment, coverage of business/technology, coverage of education, news photo, artistic photo, feature photo, sports photo and photo essay.
Founded in 1979 by Publisher Bill Johnson, the Palo Alto Weekly produces a Friday print edition; a daily e-edition, Express; and the news and community website PaloAltoOnline.com, which hosts Town Square, the online discussion forum, among other features. PaloAltoOnline.com news and sports can also be accessed through the iPhone app, "Palo Alto."
The California Newspaper Publishers Association is a nonprofit trade association for more than 800 publications. Founded in 1888, it represents daily and weekly newspapers and news websites throughout California.
Comments
South of Midtown
on Apr 27, 2013 at 3:49 pm
on Apr 27, 2013 at 3:49 pm
Not that some recognition isn't in order. But I must ask, who was the competition, and was Palo Alto city hall staff or Councilmembers the judges?
Evergreen Park
on Apr 27, 2013 at 4:29 pm
on Apr 27, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Congrats to all the individual winners. Also, to the many other winners in the hundreds of categories created by the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) - a TRADE ASSOCIATION!! - that wants to make all of its members happy so that they have something to crow about to their advertisers. Follow the money!
Barron Park
on Apr 27, 2013 at 4:49 pm
on Apr 27, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Nicely done, well deserved. But when they gave you an excellence award for "public service commitment and the website, did they read TS?
another community
on Apr 27, 2013 at 5:32 pm
on Apr 27, 2013 at 5:32 pm
Let's see ...
The Oscars= Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Grammys= National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Emmys= Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
All trade organizations. Winners are chosen by their peers in the industry. CNPA does the same in California. Congrats Weekly and Online.
Evergreen Park
on Apr 28, 2013 at 3:34 am
on Apr 28, 2013 at 3:34 am
uh, Glady, comparing the AMPAS, MARAS, and ATAS, collectively - to CNPA? Seriously? CNPA is a STATE Trade Assn. If you understand the politics of regional trade associations, you wouldn't have made your claim. The PA Weakly is an OK paper, but "best in state"? What are the categories? What are the circ qualifications? What are the prerequisites? Give me a break!
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 28, 2013 at 4:32 pm
on Apr 28, 2013 at 4:32 pm
If anyone had bothered to read the story before they mouthed off, they would have seen that the winners were selected by: "A panel of 35 journalists from states outside of Califonia selected the winners, who were chosen from among journalists with daily, weekly and school newspapers," not the publishers nor any politicians. And not the trade association.
Given that, it seems the quality of the journalistic product is obviously higher than the quality of the comments above.
Fairmeadow
on Apr 29, 2013 at 10:30 am
on Apr 29, 2013 at 10:30 am
Congratulations to a really fine news organization. Reading this particular local paper is always one of the highlights of my week.
University South
on Apr 29, 2013 at 11:14 am
on Apr 29, 2013 at 11:14 am
Well Deserved!!!
Congratulations and thank you for the decades of fine, faithful service.
Barron Park
on Apr 29, 2013 at 12:43 pm
on Apr 29, 2013 at 12:43 pm
I think you people do a great job, and i am happy to hear you have been recognized for your good work. Keep it up!
Midtown
on Apr 29, 2013 at 2:19 pm
on Apr 29, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Congratulations to the Weekly! I moved to Palo Alto in 1982 and have always enjoyed the excellent local coverage of our hometown paper.
Barron Park
on May 1, 2013 at 3:26 pm
on May 1, 2013 at 3:26 pm
Stupid is what stupid says. Ignorant users should read before they make fools of themselves. Obviously, The Weekly has provided years of quality news and service to our great town. Let's not attempt minimize the accolades which are so well deserved.