Better Newspaper Content award winners from the Worthington (Minn.) Daily Globe include Aaron Hagen (far left), Kari Lucin (secon from left) and Brian Korthals (far right). Also pictured is Managing Editor Ryan McGaughey. Lucin, a staff writer, was recognized with a first-place award in the category of Local Breaking News Coverage (dailies under 10,000 circulation). The Daily Globe’s sports department also received a first-place award in the category of Sports Reporting (dailies under 10,000), while Korthals, a staff photographer, won honorable mention honors in Sports Photo (all dailies).

FARGO, N.D. - Forum Communications Co. newspapers received nearly 100 awards, ranging in categories from “Best Local Breaking News Story” to “Best Website” during the 2009-2010 Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Minnesota Newspaper Association. The awards were bestowed during the organizations annual awards banquet Jan. 27 in Bloomington, Minn.

The Better Newspaper Contest is held annually to recognize the state’s newspapers’ efforts to improve their print and online products.

Forum Communications Co. received 90 of the 300 awards that were bestowed, and topped its accomplishments with the Detroit Lakes Tribune/Becker County Record staff finishing second for The Mills Trophy, awarded to the state’s best weekly newspaper each year, and The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead staff finishing second for The Vance Trophy, awarded to the state’s best daily newspaper each year.

In addition to numerous honors received by the newspapers, many Forum Communications Co. employees were recognized for their own accomplishments. Reporters, photographers, editors, designers and sales representatives received some of the contest’s top awards, and three of the contest’s four “New Journalist of the Year” awards were given to employees of Forum Communications Co. newspapers.

Following is a list of the awards received by Forum Communications Co. newspapers:

Worthington (Minn.) Daily Globe:

- Local Breaking News Coverage, Dailies under 10,000 circulation, Kari Lucin, first place

- Sports Photo, All Dailies, Brian Korthals, honorable mention

- Sports Reporting,  Dailies under 10,000 circulation, first place

Hastings (Minn.) Star Gazette:
- Press Photographer’s Portfolio, Chad Richardson, second place
- Sports Photo, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Chad Richardson, honorable mention
- Photo Story, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Chad Richardson, second place

Rosemount (Minn.) Town Pages:
- General Excellence, Weeklies 1501-2500 circulation, first place
- General Reporting, Weeklies 1,501-2,500 circulation, first place
- Human Interest Story, Weeklies 1,501-2,500 circulation, second place

Detroit Lakes (Minn.) Tribune:
- General Excellence, Weeklies 2501-5000 circulation, first place
- Typography & Design, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, second place
- General Reporting, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, second place
- Sports Reporting, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, first place
- Advertising Excellence, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, first place
- Best Website, Weeklies 2,501-5000 circulation, second place
- Advertising Campaign, All Individuals, Mary Brenk, first place
- Use of Color in Advertising, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Mary Brenk and Luanna Lake, first place
- Use of Color in Advertising, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Dave Aune and Pam Bauerm, second place
- Human Interest Story, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Brian Wierima, first place
- Social Issues Story, Weeklies 2,501-5000 circulation, Riham Feshir, second place
- Columnist, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Eirc Bergeson, honorable mention
- Portrait and Personality Photography, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Brian Basham, first place
- Use of Information Graphics & Graphic Illustration, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, second place
- Circulation Promotion, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, Viola Anderson, Pam Bauer, Luanna Lake, Ashley Drewes, second place

Becker County Record, Detroit Lakes, Minn.:
- Human Interest Story, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Riham Feshir, second place
- News Photo, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Brian Basham, second place

Red Wing (Minn.) Republican Eagle:
- General Excellence, Weeklies over 5000 circulation, first place
- General Reporting, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, first place

Duluth News Tribune receives MNA Awards. From left: reporter Brandon Stahl, executive editor Robin Washington, Ted Heinonen (art department), Candace Dieters, circulation, Shari Green, circulation, Chuck Frederick (editorial department), Jimmy Bellamy (DNT website) and Ken Browell (DNT publisher).

Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune:
- General Excellence, Dailies over 10000 circulation, second place
- Editorial Page as a Whole, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, first place
- General Reporting, Dailies over 10,000, first place
- Sports Reporting, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, second place
- Headline Writing, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, second place
- Advertising Excellence, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, second place
- Best Website, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, first place
- Self-Promotion or House Ad, All Dailies, Robin Washington, second place
- Social Issues Story, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, Jana Hollingsworth, honorable mention
- Investigative Reporting, All Dailies, Sam Cook, Brandon Stahl, Candace Renalls, second place
- Columnist, All Dailies, Sam Cook, first place
- Editorial Portfolio, All Dailies, Chuck Frederick, first place
- Circulation Promotion, All Dailies, Candis Dieter, Shari Green, Ted Heinonen, second place
- Community Interaction Website, All Dailies, Jimmy Bellamy and Mike Mazzio, first place

South Washington County Bulletin, Cottage Grove, Minn.:
- Typography & Design, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, second place
- Editorial Page as a Whole, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, first place

Farmington (Minn.) Independent:
- Editorial Page as a Whole, Weeklies 1,501-2,500 circulation, first place
- Local Breaking News Coverage, Weeklies 1,501-2,500 circulation, Michelle Leonard, first place

Lake County News Chronicle, Two Harbors, Minn.:
- Editorial Page as a Whole, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, first place
- Sports Story, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, Mike Creger, honorable mention
- New Journalist of the Year, All Weeklies, Sonja Peterson, second place

From left: Anne Williams, Brad Swenson, Laurie Swenson, Bethany Wesley, Molly Miron, Monte Draper. Wesley placed second in human interest story; Williams placed second in new journalist of year; Draper placed first in news photo; Swenson, the Opinion page editor and The Pioneer placed first in editorial page as a whole; and The Pioneer placed second in general reporting.

Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer:
- Editorial Page as a Whole, Dailies under 10,000 circulation, first place
- General Reporting, Dailies under 10,000 circulation, second place
- Human Interest Story, Dailies under 10,000 circulation, second place
- News Photo, All Dailies, Monte Draper, first place
- New Journalist of the Year, All Dailies, Anne Williams, second place

The Alexandria (Minn.) Echo Press received seven awards during the Minnesota Newspaper Association's annual Better Newspaper Contest, including: Use of Photography as a Whole, Weeklies over 5,000, second place; Best Website, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, first place; Institutional Advertisement, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, Kelsey Langager, Karla Mikkelson, Izzy Rusch, first place; Innovative Online Advertising, All Weeklies, Jenny Wagner and Shelly Beaulieu, first place ; Sports Photo, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Lori Mork, first place; Sports Photo, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Lori Mork, second place; Feature Photo, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Lowell Anderson, second place; Multimedia Special Project, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, first place; Government/Public Affairs Reporting, All Newspapers, Celeste Beam, honorable mention. Pictured above is the Echo Press staff.

Alexandria (Minn.) Echo Press:
- Use of Photography as a Whole, Weeklies over 5,000, second place
- Best Website, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, first place
- Institutional Advertisement, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, Kelsey Langager, Karla Mikkelson, Izzy Rusch, first place
- Innovative Online Advertising, All Weeklies, Jenny Wagner and Shelly Beaulieu, first place
- Sports Photo, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Lori Mork, first place
- Sports Photo, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Lori Mork, second place
- Feature Photo, Weeklies over 5,000 circulation, Lowell Anderson, second place
- Multimedia Special Project, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, first place
- Government/Public Affairs Reporting, All Newspapers, Celeste Beam, honorable mention

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead:
- Use of Photography as a Whole, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, second place
- Headline Writing, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, first place
- Classified Ad Section, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, second place
- Use of Color in Advertising, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, first place
- Innovative Online Advertising, All Dailies, Josh Thomas and Tim Couchman, second place
- Human Interest Story, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, Mila Koumpilova, second place
- Local Breaking News Coverage, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, Sherri Richards, first place
- Local Breaking News Coverage, Dailies over 10,000 circulation, Tracy Frank, second place
- Investigative Reporting, All Dailies, Mike Nowatzki, first place
- Columnist, All Dailies, Tammy Swift, second place
- Sports Photo, All Dailies, David Samson, second place
- Feature Photo, All Dailies, Dave Wallis, second place
- Photo Story, All Dailies, Dave Wallis, second place
- Portrait and Personality Photography, All Dailies, Dave Wallis, first place
- Use of Information Graphics & Graphic Illustration, All Dailies, Troy Becker, first place
- Best Special Section, All Dailies, first place
- Multimedia Special Project, All Dailies, second place
- Explanation of News Operations or Newspaper Ethics, All Newspapers, Matthew Von Pinnon, first place
- New Journalist of the Year, All Dailies, Kristen M. Daum, first place
- Press Photographer’s Portfolio, All Dailies, David Samson, first place

Pine Journal, Cloquet, Minn.:
- Advertising Excellence, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, second place

Pioneer Journal Editor and Publisher Steve Schulz (left) and school and sports reporter Brian Hansel accepted four first-place Minnesota Newspaper Association awards for website, community interaction website, news photo and breaking news coverage on behalf of the Pioneer Journal staff on Jan. 27 in Bloomington, Minn

Wadena (Minn.) Pioneer Journal:
- Best Website, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, first place
- Local Breaking News Coverage, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Steve Schulz, first place
- News Photo, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Brian Hansel, first place
- Community Interaction Website, Weeklies over 2,500 circulation, Steve Schulz, Sara Skoglund, Beth Kern, first place

Woodbury (Minn.) Bulletin:
- Local Breaking News Coverage, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, Scott Wente and Hank Long, second place
- Best Special Section, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, second place

East Otter Tail Focus, Perham, Minn.:
- Best Special Section, Weeklies 2,501-5,000 circulation, first place