The Watonga Republican staff spent Saturday at Shawnee, where they attended the Oklahoma Press Association convention.
The morning was spent with state officials including Getner Drummond, the state’s attorney general and Frank Lucas, one of the U.S. Representatives for Oklahoma. Having Drummond in the building was eye-opening, as a black SUV was stationed at each door and security was heavy. As Drummond quipped, ‘There are a lot of people who don’t like me much.”
The afternoon was spent learning to write and photograph more compelling stories and sports, or how to create better advertising to serve the customers. There was also plenty of time to get reacquainted with friends and associates from around the state, sharing stories and solutions to common issues.
That evening, there was a meal and awards ceremony, allowing the various papers to show off their talents and compete to earn the title ‘No. 1” Your 130-year-old hometown newspaper, the Watonga Republican, came home with two first place plaques. News content is a hotly contested, coveted and very competitive category, and by covering the county and its news, we placed first in that category for our work.
Editor Connie Burcham earned first place for her column Bubble off Plumb as well.
Second place was earned in community leadership, where the paper led the charge to revitalize the Friends of the Ferguson Home and Museum.
Members of the Hoosier State Press Association (Indiana) judged almost 1,550 entries from 77 publications.