The Winona Times and The Carroll County Conservative newcomer staff represented Montgomery and Carroll counties well in the 2024 Mississippi Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. Despite the resident Publisher, Tiffany Otis, and Staff Writer, Peyton Poe, only having a mere year of experience under their belts, the small town sister papers competed with the best in the annual state-wide contest. Not only did they compete, but the papers brought home four awards in total.
The Winona Times received a second place award in the Class D Front Page category, followed up by The Conservative receiving the third place award for the same category. In addition, The Times received the second place award for the Weekly Newspaper Editorial Page category and second place for the Class D Editorial category.
These awards were presented to newspaper staff from across the state of Mississippi at the 159th annual MPA meeting which took place Saturday, June 28, at the Memphis Hilton as part of the three day Tri-State Press Convention (including associated press in Arkansas and Tennessee).
“I’m very proud our humble four-man paper was able to compete with and place among the best in the state. I am thankful for the support we have received, as newcomers to the field, and greatly appreciate the encouragement of our career mentors and readers alike,” Staff Writer Poe commented on the matter. “I look forward to continuing my work as Staff Writer to the best of my ability so our paper can continue to grow and hopefully place as well or better in next year’s competition.”
“These awards are a tremendous achievement for our team, and we couldn’t be prouder. The competition was fierce. We were up against years of exceptional journalism from across the state, but we’re already setting our sights on a first-place prize next year,” Publisher Tiffany Otis stated. “We are incredibly grateful to our readers and advertisers who support us week after week. None of this would be possible without you.”
