Advance editor earns four awards in MPA newspaper contest
Peter Jakey, managing editor of Presque Isle Newspapers, collected four awards in the annual Better Newspaper Contest run by the Michigan Press Association (MPA). Members of Montana Press Association reviewed 3,500 entries submitted by 106 Michigan newspapers/individual members this year. The competition inspires all journalists to produce their best work, which in turn, nurtures stronger communities.
Jakey took first place in weeklies Division C for his feature on former Green Beret and retired judge Don McLennan. The story highlighted McLennan’s trip to Vietnam where he took his daughters last year. Jakey won a second-place award for his photo story on the Posen Potato Festival.
His sports column on Posen’s Jared Sharpe took second place in that category and his story on a drought in the county earned honorable mention in the agriculture reporting category.
“We are pleased to present the best of the best from MPA members from this year’s Better Newspaper Contest. The outstanding quality of work shows that the press is strong in Michigan and we are proud of the accomplishments of all the winners. The e
Newspaper of the year honors in the daily divisions went to the Grand Rapids Press, Holland Sentinel, Midland Daily News and Greenville Daily News.
Newspapers of the year in the weekly divisions were the Tri-County Times, Leelanau Enterprise, Tri-City Times and The Blissfield Advance.
The top honors were to be handed out by Lamb at the annual convention of the MPA, but that event, scheduled for March 10-13 at the Dearborn Inn, was canceled. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel were to be guest speakers, but both canceled the day before the convention after the first two cases of the coronavirus were discovered in Michigan.