Best Feature Series
Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association Trophy
Sponsored by SWNA
Class 3091 - circ. up to 3999

Judge's Comments

In judging this category, I was looking for articles that were well-written and well-researched. I wanted to read captivating and noteworthy articles of local significance.

Bill Clarke's feature on Port Royal for the Annapolis Royal (NS) Spectator was a clear winner in this category. This series of articles was well-researched and well-written with the facts clearly documented. The reader does not have to live in or even be familiar with this community to understand the significance of the issue. Layout was more impressive than most of the entries in this category, with the use of eye-catching photos.

Ian Cobb's feature series on climate change for the Invermere (BC) Valley Echo was another strong submission; as equally well-researched as the first-place submission. These articles were also well-written; they were concise and succinct. Cobb was successful in examining a significant world-wide environmental issue in a local context. Layout of these articles could have been better with more room for larger photos.

Isabelle Southcott's feature series on drug and alcohol use among teens was timely and relevant to the local community. It was the personality behind these stories that made this submission from the Powell River (BC) Peak stand out.

In judging this category, I found that with many of the submissions, the story ideas themselves were interesting but grammatical errors and poorly-constructed sentences were distracting to read. All in all, the submissions did, however, show that there is a great deal of effort being made at community newspapers in this country to share relevant and noteworthy stories with their readers.