Owensboro Times (OT), the only locally owned news outlet in Daviess County, brought home 15 awards from the Kentucky Press Association (KPA) last weekend. OT, founded less than 5 years ago and in their first year as KPA members, was in the same category as statewide daily newspapers with roots more than 100 years old.
Managing Editor Ryan Richardson said it’s an honor for Owensboro Times to be recognized.
“Across the board, nearly everyone on our staff has less than 5 years of experience in the journalism field,” he said. “So the fact we’re still winning statewide awards our first time entering shows we’ve found some really talented individuals and offer a product on par with any outlet in the state.”
Richardson said two keys to OT’s success have been forward thinking in how people digest information, plus understanding what they care about.
“More and more people want to be able to read stories or look at photos and videos from the palm of their hand, share it with the touch of a screen, and access it at all hours of the day — and that’s something we offer,” he said. “We also place a lot of value in the word ‘local.’ We’re not going to fill your timeline and inbox with state and national news; we’re telling the stories of local people and local issues. There aren’t many outlets offering that combination of digital and hyperlocal news.”
OT won five awards in the advertising contest plus 10 awards in the Editorial contest. Awards were for content produced in 2022.
The editorial awards were as follows:
- Best Use of Social Media or Multimedia – 1st place, David Grinnell
What won: A drone video showing a thin blanket of snow and ice left behind by a winter weather storm in February 2022. (Watch here.) - Best Use of Social Media or Multimedia – 2nd place, Staff
What won: Live streams of local candidates participating in the Owensboro Times Primary Town Hall. (Watch here.) - Best Breaking News Picture – 2nd place, Jason Tanner
What won: A photo of billowing smoke rising form two storage buildings that burned down in a massive fire on W. 4th Street. (View here.)
- Best Breaking News Coverage – 2nd place, Ryan Richardson and Katie Pickens
What won: A story about the FBI investigating an alleged attack on an Afghan refugee that occurred in the vicinity of Owensboro’s Comfort Inn and Suites. (Read here.)
- Best Ongoing/Extended Coverage Story – 2nd place, Ryan Richardson
What won: Coverage of the murder case wherein Jaikorian Johnson was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the 2020 death of 15-year-old Corban Henry. (Read here.)
- Best Feature Story – 2nd place, John Kirkpatrick
What won: A story about a local family taking an emotional visit to grandfather’s monument and WWII crash site in France, plus how the villagers are preserving his legacy. (Read here.)
- Best Feature Story – 3rd place, John Kirkpatrick
What won: A story about a local man harvesting the deer of a lifetime and earning a place mark in the record books. (Read here.)
- Best Feature Picture – 3rd place, Ryan Richardson
What won: A photo showing how the ag community rallied to help with the wheat crop after a local farmer died that morning.
- Best Ongoing/Extended Coverage Story – 3rd place, Ryan Richardson and Josh Kelly
What won: Coverage of the murder case wherein Chase Simmons was found guilty for the 2019 murders of Jasper Brown III and Amarius Winstead as well as second-degree assault for the non-fatal shooting of Tyler Glover. (Read here.)
- Best Business/Agribusiness Story – 3rd place, Josh Kelly
What won: A story about a local cosmetologist offering services for cancer patients and helping them feel comfortable with their look. (Read here.)
The ad awards were as follows:
- General Excellence – 3rd place, Owensboro Times
Why we won: General Excellence honors are earned based on the number of total awards won by a publication.
- General/Miscellaneous – 1st and 2nd place, Monica Tapp
What won: Ads for RiverValley Behavioral Health (1st) and Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory (3rd). - Department/Discount/Jewelry – 1st and 3rd place, Monica Tapp
What won: Two ads for Nick T. Arnold.
Richardson said Owensboro Times owes its success to the continued growth in community support.
“We’re always adapting based on feedback from the community, and that allows us to continuously improve the product we’re able to offer,” he said. “We’re proud to be Owensboro’s go-to source for local news, and we’re excited for what the future holds.”
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(Editor’s note: This story originally left out that Katie Pickens contributed to the story that received 2nd place for breaking news coverage.)
