GPC earns 36 awards

INDIANAPOLIS — The Graphic Printing Company earned 36 awards at the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Journalism Conference and Awards Luncheon on Friday at Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Airport, including 14 for its flagship publication The Commercial Review.

The CR has earned at least five awards in the Hoosier State Press Association contest every year since 2011.

The company won another 14 awards for The News-Gazette (Winchester) and eight for The News Times (Hartford City), both in Division I (non-dailies with a circulation of 1,500 or fewer), in its first year of ownership of those publications. According to the Hoosier State Press Association, it marked the first time either of those newspapers had won awards in more than a decade.

The awards for The CR came in Division III, which is for daily newspapers with a circulation of 6,000 or fewer. The contest period covered April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.

Ray Cooney, president, editor and publisher of The Commercial Review, earned eight awards for The Commercial Review as part of his 20 overall. 

He took first place for best multiple picture group for his photos from the 2023 Jay County Fair. His other first-place award for The Commercial Review was for best sports action photo for a shot of a member of the Indiana Pacers Power Pack dunk team performing prior to a Jay County High School boys basketball game.

Cooney earned three second-place awards — best editorial writer, best headline writer and best general news photo. His third-place honors were for best sports feature photo, best feature photo and best multiple picture group.

Sports reporter Andrew Balko took home three awards in his first year on staff. He earned a second-place honor for best sports feature photo and third place for best short feature story and best sports event coverage.

Reporter Bailey Cline picked up third-place awards for best general news photo and best portrait.

The Commercial Review’s staff was also awarded second place for best website.

The News-Gazette’s awards were highlighted by first place for best news coverage under deadline pressure for its reporting on the March 14 tornado that caused extensive damage in Winchester and Selma.

The Graphic Printing Company’s awards in Division I also included sweeps of the best sports event coverage and best feature photo categories. For best sports event coverage, Cooney took first for The News-Gazette, Balko second for The News-Gazette and Cooney third for The News Times. For best feature photo, Cooney took first and second places for The News-Gazette and Cline picked up third place for The News Times.

Other Division I awards for The Graphic Printing Company were as follows:

The News-Gazette

First — Cooney for best profile feature and best sports feature photo; and former sports editor Rick Reed for best sports news/feature coverage

Second — Reed and Cooney for best news coverage under deadline pressure; and Cooney for best short feature story

Third — Staff for best website; Cooney for best sports feature photo and best multiple picture group; and Reed for best sports news/feature coverage

The News Times

First — Cline for best short feature story and best general news photo

Second — Cooney for best news coverage with no deadline pressure; Cline, Balko and Cooney for best multiple picture group; and staff for best website

Third — Cooney for best sports action photo