Editorial Writer of the Year: Division C
First place: Eric Dundon, Hannibal Courier Post
About this entry: Eric Dundon’s editorials divert special attention to both state and local issues, including recent legislation that will limit the ability of the public and the press to seek answers for actions taken by police officers and a lack of good public measures to prevent prescription drug abuse.
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Open in new tab Read online: House Bill quashes public, press rights to access, Legislature turn back on local control, Immediate action needed on PDMP
Follow Eric on Twitter @HCP_Editor
These are well written, well researched and well argued editorials on issues of real importance to readers. They are grounded in local experience but far from provincial. Calling out elected officials by name for their bad votes is a nice touch.
Second place: Joyce Pellino Crane, Westford Eagle
About this entry: Joyce Pellino Crane writes about local issues, like the need for measures to be taken to limit cellphone usage by drivers or monitor potential drug abuse by middle school students, and frames them in the context of larger national issues like the Amtrak derailment where a mobile phone is seen as being a potential factor or several Massachusetts teachers who have been found guilty of supplying drugs to their students.
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Read online: More affordable housing is needed, Pass pending cellphone law, Bill calls for drug screening for public school students
Follow Joyce on Twitter @JoyPellinoCrane
These editorials do a great job of explaining the nature of a problem, asking the right questions and posing a solution. They show good reporting and an excellent understanding of how broader issues play out in the local community.
Third place: Kathie Ragsdale, The Concord Journal
About this entry: Kathie Ragsdale’s editorials cover issues related to the democratic process, from the local to the national level, whether it be new legislation introduced by state senators to the importance of having a good number of candidates run in the local election.
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Read online: Stepping up for ‘the people’, It’s time to step the plate
Follow The Concord Journal @concordjournal
These editorials evoke the best traditions of small-d democratic governance. They stand up for the idea that we deserve a voice in how the public business is done, from the national level to the most local.