Members of the Nebraska Press Association gathered at the Cornhusker Marriott in Lincoln this past weekend for the 150th anniversary convention. Former NPA Executive Director Allen Beerman stated that NPA was one of the first, if not THE first organization formed in Nebraska.

The annual convention features two full days of seminars and workshops with some of the country’s most widely regarded “experts” in the journalism industry. It is an opportunity to learn and share, with the goal of constantly growing and becoming better at what we do.

The convention culminates on Saturday evening with the Better Newspaper Contest Awards. More than 2,544 separate entries were judged in this year’s contest by members of the West Virginia Press Association. Contest entries were from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022.

In a conversation with fellow journalist Carrie Pitzer, publisher of four newspapers in northeast Nebraska, we reflected on how we thought the upcoming awards presentation would go when Carrie stated, “That’s not why we do this though.” Impressed by her humility - and she went on to be the biggest award winner of the night, again - I realized she was exactly right.

Obviously we all enjoy getting that “job well done” nod from our peers. But hearing those words from you, our readers, is much more appreciated. You entrust us with your personal stories, and with the responsibility of keeping you informed on what is happening in your community. You count on us to be honest and transparent, and that is a task none of us at Syndicate Publishing takes lightly.

That being said, we are excited to share that the Callaway Courier was the recipient of three NPA awards this year. An article detailing the history of the Blowin’ The Doors Off BBQ in Oconto along with a photo page garnered a 2nd place in the entertainment story division. Earning 3rd place was the feature series profiling local businesses, titled Profile Mainstreet. The series informing the public on the proposed pool bond also received 3rd place for in-depth writing.

The Gothenburg Leader was honored to receive first place in the Service to Agriculture category. The entry for this award, sponsored by the Omaha World Herald, includes 10 examples of ag coverage and a cover letter. With agriculture being our area’s largest industry we are passionate about serving it well.

Make no mistake…community newspapers are not dead. We are here to share your stories, your accomplishments and preserve Callaway’s history for generations to come. And we are very proud and honored to do that.