CCN wins gold again in state contest

For the eighth time in 10 years, the Carroll County News has won first place for General Excellence in its division of the Arkansas Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Editorial Contest.

The News tied for first place with the Helena World among newspapers with circulation of less than 1,200 — the first time in APA’s history that two newspapers have tied for top honors in General Excellence.

The awards were presented Saturday, June 27, during the APA’s annual convention, held this year at the Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center in Eureka Springs.

“We’re excited to be honored,” said Scott Loftis, owner of the Carroll County News. “It’s wonderful to be recognized, and congratulations to publisher Andrew Bagley and the Helena World. They’re very deserving.”

The Carroll County News also won first place for General Excellence in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“We’re proud of those awards,” said Loftis, who has served as the newspaper’s editor since 2014 and assumed the publisher’s duties after purchasing the paper in 2023. “But what we’re most proud of is the work that they represent. We’ve worked hard to serve Carroll County and the awards are one way we measure how well we’ve performed in that mission.”

In addition to the General Excellence award, the Carroll County News won 15 individual awards for news and sports reporting, opinion writing, and graphic design — including eight first-place honors.

Loftis won first place for Best Sports News Story, Best News Photo, Best Picture Page-Photo Essay, Best Front Page Design, Best Graphic Design Portfolio and Best Headline.

Photographer Charlie Chappell won first place for Best Sports Action Photo and Best Sports Feature Photo.

Loftis won second place for Best News Story and Best News and Political Column.

Guest columnist Cody Qualls won second place for Best Sports Column.

Loftis took third place for Best Feature Photo and Chappell won third place for Best Sports Action Photo.

Loftis also earned honorable mention for Best Sports News Story.

Loftis was also a finalist for the Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award of Excellence, taking third place for a report on a Eureka Springs City Council member who shot his dog in his front yard as a neighbor watched.

The CFINR award includes a cash prize of $5,000 to the first-place winner. The award honors the best example of impartial, objective and fair reporting in newspapers by a reporter or reporting team.

“I was really honored to be a finalist for that award,” Loftis said. “I received some criticism for reporting that story, but I believed it was objective, accurate and newsworthy, and I stand behind it. It was gratifying to see the judges agree.”

The Carroll County News’ sister newspaper, the Eureka Springs Times-Echo, won a total of nine awards in the Smaller Newspapers division, including three first-place honors.

Loftis and reporter Rick Harvey were awarded first place for News Story, and Loftis and photographer Samantha Jones won first place for Picture Page-Photo Essay. Loftis also won first place for Best Front Page Design in the Smaller Newspapers Division.

In addition, Loftis won second place for Best Beat Reporter and Best Sports News story for work published in the Times-Echo.

Loftis and Jones received third place for Picture Page-Photo Essay and Loftis took third place for Graphic Design Portfolio.

Loftis and Harvey earned honorable mention for News Story and Harvey received honorable mention for Best Beat Reporter.

“I’m really proud of our staff,” Loftis said. “I’m blessed to get to work beside them and I’m grateful for everything they do to help produce quality publications for the people of Carroll County.”

A total of 1,280 entries were submitted by newspapers, online publications and magazines competing in five divisions. The entries were judged by members of the Missouri Press Association.