Papers Win Advertising Awards In State Contest

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

— The Siloam Springs Herald-Leader and its sister weeklies in Western Benton County were recognized with 21 awards from the Arkansas Press Association in the 2010 APA Better Newspaper Advertising Contest. The awards were announced last Thursday at the APA’s annual advertising banquet in Hot Springs.

Included in the awards brought home by the Herald-Leader, Gentry Courier-Journal and Gravette News-Herald were a first place Best of Division award for the Herald-Leader and also a first place finish for the Herald-Leader in its division of the Sweepstakes category.

Only six newspapers - those that earn the highest number of points given for awards throughout the contest - are chosen Sweepstakes winners. “These awards reflect the excellent job our creative services staff and our sales staff do foradvertisers and readers in our western Benton County markets,” said John Dilmore, publisher of the Siloam Springs, Gentry and Gravette papers - which, along with the Decatur Herald, are known as the Westside papers. The Westside creative services staff is Teresa Wilkinson, manager, Alex Martin and Connie Froman. The sales staff is comprised of Steve Peters, Sherry DuBois, advertising coordinator Jackie Brooks and Dilmore.

First Place Awards

First place awards garnered by the Westside papers included: Herald-Leader, single ad half page and over, DuBois and Froman; Herald-Leader, best special section (Horizons) staff; Herald-Leader, best use of photo, Wilkinson and Dilmore; Herald-Leader, promotion of newspaper, Wilkinson, Froman and Dilmore; Herald-Leader, best of division, Wilkinson and Dilmore; Herald-Leader,larger weeklies, Sweepstakes Award, staff.

The papers also earned eight second-place awards, six third-place awards and one honorable mention.

News Herald Ads

Gravette News Herald ads which won awards include: two Bank of Gravett ads by Sherry Du-Bois and Connie Froman each received third place awards and another Bank of Gravett ad by Sherry and Connie received an honorable mention. They also received a third place recognition for an ad for the Gallery Cafe.

Gentry Courier Journal received a second place award by Teresa Wilkinson for an ad for Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital.

Entries in the 2010 APA Better Newspaper Advertising Contest were judged by members of the Mississippi Press Association, who selected winners from among 1,029 entries from 141 weekly and daily newspapers.

Opinion, Pages 7 on 03/24/2010