COLUMBUS – Two Sidney Daily News staff members – Sports Editor Bryant Billing and Business Editor Kyle Shaner – earned honors in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors’ 2019 newspaper contest.
Billing was a finalist in three categories and Shaner was a finalist in one category for the Division II Ohio APME annual awards.
Billing finished second in the Best Daily Sports Section category. The Medina Gazette finished first in the category, and the Ashland Times-Gazette finished third.
Billing also finished second in the Best Sports Photo category with his entry, “Sidney Among MVL’s best.”
“Emotion is easy to find in sports but sometimes it’s not so easy to encapsulate,” the judges’ comments state about Billing’s photo. “This picture does just that, and at a crucial moment in the game.”
Dan Melograna from The (Celina) Daily Standard finished first in the Best Sports Photo category, and Joe Catullo from the Steubenville Herald-Star finished third.
Billing finished third in the Best Digital Presence category. The (Newark) Advocate finished first, and the Zanesville Times Recorder finished second.
Shaner finished third in the Best Business Writer category. His four entries in the category were “Dentist aims to ease patients’ fears,” “Smith strikes out on her own,” “Mojitos brings new dishes” and “Tradition continues with Christmas windows at Ron & Nita’s.”
Becky Raspe from the Cleveland Jewish News finished first in the Best Business Writer category, and Kent Mallett from The (Newark) Advocate finished second.
Fifty-six daily newspapers submitted 1,630 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2019.
Entries were judged by editors from The Detroit News, Division V; The Grand Haven (Michigan) Tribune, Division IV; The McComb Daily (Michigan), Division III; Mount Pleasant (Michigan) Morning Sun and the Cadillac (Michigan) News, Division II; the Petoskey (Michigan) News-Review and the Alpena (Michigan) News, Division I.
Winners were scheduled to be announced on May 9 at the Ohio APME annual awards luncheon and AP state meeting in Columbus. However, the banquet was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing newspapers and broadcast stations in the United States.
