The Bryan County News won four awards in the 2007 Georgia Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.
The News, which competed in Class H of the contest against weekly papers of similar size, took first place in the categories of local news coverage and special section, the latter for the 2006 Newcomers and Neighbors Guide.
A picture is worth a 1,000 words…and, in this case, a prestigious first place sports photo award from the Georgia Press Association. Michelle Seger snapped this shot of Meghan Shuman sliding safely into home during the fourth and final game of the 3A Regional Playoff Tournament at Paulson Stadium versus Claxton which appeared in the October 19 edition of the Bryan County News. Although the ‘Skins lost this game 9-7, they still earned a berth into the state playoffs due to earlier tournament victories over Savannah Country Day, Portal and a first game with Claxton. A member of the GPA selection committee noted the “great angle and placement of the ball in frame make this an easy winner.
Judges also commented on the News’ sports and news sections.
On sports:
"Consistent writing adequately covers multiple sports and emphasizes a community beat. Nice use of large, color photos livens up the page. Headlines effective and to the point."
On news:
"(In the issues judged), the Bryan County News provided interesting looks on growth, breaking news and local entertainment."
The awards were announced Friday night at a banquet in Savannah.
Miriam Potter, the News editorial director and a part owner, thanked staff members for their efforts.
"My sincere thanks to everyone at the Bryan County News for winning so many great awards at the Georgia Press Association convention," she said. "Everyone worked very hard to bring Bryan County the most and best all around local news possible."
Bryan County News publisher Mark Griffin was also very pleased. "Recognition from our peers is gratifying especially the first place award in local news coverage," he said. "We’re committed to providing Bryan County readers solid local news coverage and this award recognizes that effort. Editor Jeff Whitten and our news staff deserve a lot of credit. We look forward to providing excellent coverage of our community in the years to come."