First place: Staff, Marshfield Mariner

About this entry: “Our two-week special in-paper section ‘Dealing with Drugs’ was in every way a team effort. This group project had great momentum from the start as the opioid epidemic on the South Shore was a topic our entire newsroom – reporters, editors and photographers – wanted to explore and expose to our readers.

This special report ran over two weeks (March 25-27 and April 1-3) and featured 15 different articles along with several editorials, columns and commentaries. All of the content was also posted to our Wicked Local news websites.

In addition to being an issue of great import to our readers and the region, we believe our coverage of the drug crisis was also a great reader service.” — Alice Coyle

Remarkable and comprehensive achievement for a small-town newspaper with limited resources; kudos for tackling such an important issue. Clearly the most substantive journalism of all the entries in this category.

Second place: Staff, Sturgis Journal

About this entry: “Shoreline is a bi-monthly magazine published by the Journal featuring stories on lake living in the surrounding areas.” — Brandon Watson 

View the section online here

Attractive layout with a nice variety of fun, informative and entertaining stories and vivid photography that provided a true sense of place.

Third place: Staff, Crestview News Bulletin

About this entry: Crestview News Bulletin’s Football Tab is an informative look at local athletes where no sport is ignored. It features interesting interviews, great photographs and a wide range of information.

The football tab is an attractive and essential guide for local football fans. The judge enjoyed the different “5 things” approach on team stories, instead of just a straight interview with the coach, and appreciated the fact the cheerleading athletes were given their due.