Georgia Press Association recognizes Appen Media
The Georgia Press Association honored winners of the 2024 Freedom of Information Award and Better Newspaper Contest June 7 for outstanding achievements in journalism.
The association also recognized winners of the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest during its 137th annual convention at Jekyll Island Club.
Competing in Division F, Appen Media received first place in the General Excellence category, coming out ahead of Big Canoe’s Smoke Signals and the Augusta Press.
Appen Media unseated Smoke Signals, which had won the award each of the last nine years.
In total, Appen Media brought home 10 awards for advertising and 17 honors in the Better Newspaper Contest.
Entries are judged in six divisions based on circulation:
Division A: daily circulation of more than 8,000
Division B: daily circulation of less than 8,000
Division C: weekly circulation of 3,800 to 15,000
Division D: weekly circulation of 2,000 to 3,799
Division E: weekly circulation of less than 2,000
Division F: weekly circulation of more than 15,000 and all associate media members of GPA
Members of the Texas Press Association judge both contests in February and March.
For the 2,293 entries to the editorial contest, the GPA presented 509 awards in 42 categories to 78 newspapers.
For the 449 entries in the advertising contest, the GPA presented 120 awards in 17 categories to 30 newspapers.
Appen Media won first place in Special Issues/Sections for the October 12 Sandy Springs Crier, an edition dedicated to walking readers through the ongoing public records conflict between the newsroom and the City of Sandy Springs.
Appen also took home the top prize for Best Investigative Reporting. The award honored the newsroom for its enterprise and data-supported work, including coverage from Amber Perry, Delaney Tarr and Carl Appen on Milton elections and Open Records practices in the City of Roswell.
“Staff uncovered irregularities, including omitted provisions, in a feasibility report on a change to city-run elections,” a judge said as part of their remarks. “Open records requests produced the complete version versus the changed one, which the paper published so voters could see what was left out of the public presentation.”
Rounding out the group awards, newsroom staff also secured second and third place in the Page One category.
Appen Media’s pagination team, led by Dionna Williams and Jacob Tomberlin, took home second and third place for layout and design.
Appen Media’s Perry took top honors in the Feature Photograph category, as well as second place in Business Writing and third place in Education Writing.
Former Appen Media reporter Shelby Israel won first place in Education Writing for her work covering elementary redistricting in Forsyth County.
Carl Appen, director of content and development, edged out Pat Fox, managing editor, to win first place in the Serious Column category.
A judge commended Appen for clever yet serious public service writing and said Fox stood out in the crowded category with strong, clear writing.
Appen Media’s Hayden Sumlin won second place in the Breaking News Writing category.
Appen Media’s advertising team, led by senior designer David Brown, swept the Food category of the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest.
The team also won awards in the Real Estate, Home Furnishings, Newspaper Promotion and Service categories.
The True Citizen of Waynesboro won the 2024 Freedom of Information Award for its work getting the City of Keysville to provide information to the public regarding construction and funding of a water well.
The University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication judges the annual award.
“Public institutions must know that if they keep secrets, the local newspaper will battle them, in court,” a judge said. “And that they won’t back down.”