Front page of Times named best in state, staff brings home multiple other awards

The Ozark County Times has been honored with multiple awards in the Missouri Press Association’s 2024 Better Newspaper Contest, which involves work that was written, designed and published in 2023. 

Participating newspapers were notified of the winners in June; however MPA asked that the awards not be publicly announced until its Better Newspaper Contest Awards luncheon, which was held Sept. 21 in Springfield. 

The Times competed against newspapers of similar circulation size across the state and brought home these awards:

• First place in best front page: Jessi Dreckman won the first place award in the best front page. The award is based largely on a newspaper’s front page design, but other elements including consistent quality of writing, layout, design, headlines and white space are all factored into the judging as well. 

• First place in best special section or magazine publication: The Times staff as a whole won first place in the best special section of magazine publication with its 2024 Real Ozarks Magazine, an annual guide published in the spring that gives readers a glimpse of all there is to do and see in Ozark County. The judging involves content of the magazine, cover design and overall quality. 

• First place in best military story: Sue Ann Jones took first place in the category of best military story for her Sept. 13, 2023, article about Gainesville resident and Navy Vet Norman Hartman and his trip with the Honor Flight. The article is titled “Gainesville resident Norman Hartman, Navy vet, enjoys Honor Flight to D.C.” and can be found by searching the title on www.ozarkcountytimes.com. Hartman died Jan. 17, 2024, four months after the article was published. The category of best military story is judged on quality of writing, lead, significance and presentation, including photographs and artwork. 

• First place in best feature obituary: Sue Ann Jones also took home a first place plaque for best feature obituary for the late John Harlin with a two-part article, “The loss of an Ozark County icon: John Harlin,” published March 22, 2023, and March 29, 2023. Harlin died March 15, 2023. The article can be found by searching for the title on www.ozarkcountytimes.com. The category is judged on quality of writing and reporting. 

• Third place in best news photograph: Former Times reporter Bruce Roberts took third place in the category of best news photograph for his photo, published Aug. 16, 2023, of the Lutie School bus barn that was blown down with 80-mile per hour straight-line winds.