CULLMAN, Ala. – This past weekend, members of The Cullman Tribune attended the Alabama Press Association to celebrate 150 years of journalistic integrity in the state, with Gov. Kay Ivey among many others in attendance.
“It is an honor to be represented in any category, but to bring home a one-time only category for the coverage during the difficult year of COVID-19 is a bit special,” said Noah Galilee, Tribune publisher.
Along with bringing home the Community COVID award, The Tribune also swept the breaking online news category, one Galilee says will be seeing some improvements in the coming months. “Last year, former editor Wendy Sack was at the helm of the breaking news,” he said. “Now with some changes and a couple future additions, our breaking news should be at an improved level for the readers. We can’t give too much away but we are making some drastic changes to that particular department.”
The Tribune’s Christy Perry won for Best Headline for “Have Still, Will Travel,” along with Best Business Story or Column and Best Feature Story Coverage. Perry shared, “The Best Headline win is wonderful, but it’s the other two awards that really mean the most to me. Best Feature Story Coverage and Best Business Story or Column were both wonderful stories about people from Cullman. As a writer, you always want to be deserving of telling these special stories and do your absolute best for those who trusted you enough to share their stories with you. Having your work chosen as ‘the best’, is always a great honor, but it also shows that the people we write about–the folks from Cullman County–are the best.”
First time winner and resident Tribune photographer Mike Witcher took home first place in Best Feature Photo for his shot of Alan Jackson during the artist’s Drive-In concert series that kicked off in Cullman. “I am stunned, honestly,” Witcher said after learning of the win. “To be nominated next to all of these talented photographers in the state is an honor.”
While The Tribune took home second place in Best Use of Video of 2-minutes for its “Local Debates” coverage, there is still room for improvement in the future.
“When we began over a decade ago, audio and video clips were a staple and one we are trying to get back to,” Galilee said. “I am humbled that the debate coverage, which W.C. ‘Craig’ Mann, myself and Dustin Isom performed, even placed as it is hard to make politics look appealing. However, it was a good series of debates for those who participated, and a series we look to grow each election cycle.”
Below is a list of awards won by The Cullman Tribune in Category B at the 2020-2021 APA Awards:
Best Local News Coverage – The Cullman Tribune (3rd place)
Best In-Depth News Coverage – “Summer Protests,” W.C. Mann, Heather Mann for The Cullman Tribune (3rd place)
Best Business Story or Column – “For the love of Claire: Local dad launches patient advocacy service,” Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune
Best Feature Story Coverage – “True love always finds a way,” Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune
Best Feature Photo – “Alan Jackson’s Small-Town Drive-In,” Mike Witcher for The Cullman Tribune
Best Feature Photo – “Prost!,” W.C. Mann for The Cullman Tribune (3rd place)
Best Headline – “Have Still, Will Travel,” Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune
Online Breaking News Coverage – “Plane Crash,” “New Canaan Shooting,” “Adam Clark,” Wendy Sack for The Cullman Tribune (1st – 3rd)
Best Use of Social Media – “Cullman Municipal Election Debates,” The Cullman Tribune (2nd place)
Best Use of Video (Longer than 2 minutes) – “37th Annual Cullman County Band Exhibition,” The Cullman Tribune (3rd place)
Community COVID Award – The Cullman Tribune
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