Best Holiday Edition
Black Press Trophy
Sponsored by Black Press
Class 3061 - circ. up to 3999

Judge's Comments

It is refreshing to see that so many community newspapers still embrace community. The proliferation of Christmas concerts and children's festivals shows small-town newspapers understand their roles well. That said, choosing from among 46 entries (six were disqualified for not including the core product), very nearly became an exercise in deciding who handled letters to Santa best. Very nearly..

What set the Allison (ON) Herald apart was fully embracing the child in Christmas. Not just in the editorial theme of their Christmas edition, but in the ad content and design as well. This product has a shelf life beyond the ordinary, eschewing tired galleys of block type that so dominated entries here. High points for originality in a class that needs to explore new ideas for creativity and content.

The High Prairie (AB) South Peace News produced page after page after page of Christmas content, and gained an edge for its Tot Talk, a twist on the streeter that thought better than to ask what I want for Christmas. I also like how clergy were given short visits to talk about what Christmas meant to them. Better ad design would have boosted the ranking here.

In much of this class, there is heavy reliance on children's letters to Santa - one wonders at the sustained reader value compared to features on, say, the Christmas card that's been traded for a half-century by a sister in Lacombe and a brother in Peachland.