Frank McTighe, editor of The Macleod Gazette, received a second place award from the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association for Best News Photo for this photo of a train derailment east of Fort Macleod.
The Macleod Gazette was judged the best newspaper of its size in Alberta for the sixth year in a row.
The Gazette was named Best All Around Newspaper in Class A in the Better Newspapers Competition organized by the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association (AWNA).
“This well-rounded newspaper features the community through committed journalism, photography and advertising,” the judge commented. “Letters to the editor highlights reader engagement with its paper and the readers’ willingness to participate.”
“The community reader clearly identified as the Gazette’s focus.”
The AWNA announced the awards Friday during the 2023 convention in Edmonton.
Best All Around Newspaper was one of seven awards the Gazette received from the AWNA.
The Gazette also won first-place awards for Best Editorial Page and Best Sports Pages, and second place for Best Front Page.
Gazette editor Frank McTighe also received three awards for his writing and photography.
McTighe earned first place for Best Local Editorial for his opinion piece on Fort Macleod’s difficult housing situation.
“Strong editorial that skillfully and fairly lays out a local issue,” the judge wrote. “Well written and easy to read. A call to action, which a committed local weekly should be about.”
The judges also awarded McTighe a second-place Best News Photo award for his photograph of a train derailment east of Fort Macleod. The photo recently won a first-place award in a national competition.
McTighe was also awarded third place for Best Education Writing for his story on W.A. Day school being named a Lighthouse School.
“Great photos and it was excellent to hear from four different individuals about the significant achievement this school has achieved. Well done,” the judge commented. “The variety of photos and the variety of perspectives on this two page story was what made this receive a third-place finish. It was a tough decision as it was not the most newsworthy story and not the most impactful, but the amount of effort it did to bring the community together and celebrate helped secure the third-place recognition.”
