The Sun-Sentinel has won 22 awards for news coverage in the Mississippi Press Association’s 2024 Better Newspaper Media Contest.
The news awards, for work published in 2024, were presented June 28 at the MPA convention in Memphis.
The contest entries were judged by newspaper professionals from the Oklahoma Press Association.
It also was revealed Saturday that The Sun-Sentinel placed second in Advertising Excellence in MPA’s earlier 2024 Better Advertising Contest.
The Sun-Sentinel won a total of 17 advertising contest awards in all. Advertising entries were judged separately from news entries by a panel of newspaper professionals from Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
In both contests, The Sun-Sentinel competed in a class of weekly newspapers in the state that are based in a market with 5,000 residents or less.
MEDIA (NEWS) CONTEST
» Sun-Sentinel Editor and Publisher Clay McFerrin and Sun-Sentinel Office Manager Krista McFerrin jointly won a first-place plaque in the category of Design, for a series of newspaper edition designs.
» Clay McFerrin captured first place for Editorials, with judges singling out for honors a September editorial titled, “Labor Day weekend violence sad reflection.”
» Sun-Sentinel contributing writer Dana Clolinger won a first-place award for News Package, for her September coverage of the final reunion in Charleston of USS Tallahatchie County Navy veterans. Said judges, “Nicely done package with powerful writing and nice use of photos and graphics.”
» The Sun-Sentinel won third place in the category of Best Website in special competition with all weekly newspapers in Mississippi
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Clay McFerrin also won the following individual Media Contest news awards:
» Second place in the category of Spot News Story, about Labor Day weekend shootings on West Main Street in Charleston
» Second place in the category of Business News Story, about a $1 million federal award to the Charleston Community Center
» Second place for Best News Package, about a story and charts illustrating East Tallahatchie School District improvements on a state accountability scale
» Second place for Best Headline
» Second place for Best Lede
» Third place for Spot News Story, about a person being arrested for murder and gun assault
» Third place for In-depth or Investigative Coverage, for a story about East and West Tallahatchie students lagging on third-grade reading skills based on a state report
» Third place in the category of Business News Story, about In Her Shoes Inc. being awarded a half-million dollars for a mobile produce program to bring farm-fresh vegetables to area residents
» Third place in the category of Sports Feature, for a profile of Charleston native DeAntre Prince ahead of his selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2024 NFL Draft
» Third place for Spot News Photo, for a photograph depicting windstorm damage in eastern Tallahatchie County
» Third place for Best Lede, for the opening paragraph of a story about local Farm Service Agency Executive Director David Groner kissing a pig during the Gateway to the Delta Festival in Charleston
» Honorable mention, Sports Feature, for a story about present and former members of the Charleston High School football coaching tree being well-represented on state all-star staffs
» Honorable mention for General Interest Column, for a selection Opinion page columns
» Honorable mention for Sports Action Photo, for a game photo of a Charleston High School cornerback breaking up a pass
» Honorable mention for Personality Portrait, for a photo and cutline featuring the visit of Dianne (McKellar) Claus at Christmastime
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Krista McFerrin won the following additional Media Contest news awards:
» Third place in the category of Best Pictorial Series, for a photo spread of CARE’s Cookies with Santa festivities
» Third place in the category of Best News Package, for a photo spread and story by Clay McFerrin on new local physician Joseph Kordsmeier
» Honorable mention, for Best Lifestyles Page or Section, an honor Krista received in competition with all weekly newspapers in Mississippi
ADVERTISING CONTEST
» Clay and Krista McFerrin captured first place in the category of Advertising Special Section, for the newspaper’s 2024 Back-to-School edition
» Clay and Krista McFerrin won second place in the category of Niche Product, for The Phone Book, which is produced annually by The Sun-Sentinel
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Krista McFerrin also won the following Advertising Contest awards:
» First place in the category of Best House Ad, for a Sun-Sentinel ad promoting the newspaper’s Black Friday subscription sale
» First place in the category of Best Classified Page in competition with all newspapers in the contest
» First place in the category of Health Care, for a Tallahatchie General Hospital back-to-school advertisement
» First place for Best Political, for an advertisement she designed for candidate Angie Peters Davis
» Second place for Best House Ad
» Second place for Small Space Ad
» Second place for Best Service Ad, for a State Farm Insurance advertisement
» Third place for Best Automotive Ad in competition with all weeklies
» Third place for Best Theme Page, for an ad she designed for the Charleston Gateway to the Delta Festival
» Third place for General Retail Ad
» Third place for Institutional Ad
» Third place, Health Care
» Third place for Political Ad, which was for Larry Cole
» Third place for Small Space Ad
