29-01-2025
M-I takes home KPA awards
The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer took third place overall in the Daily 2 Division this past weekend in the Kentucky Press Association's annual Newspaper Excellence in Kentucky contest.
The awards were handed out during the KPA's winter convention in Lexington.
The Lexington Herald-Leader took first and the Louisville Courier Journal took second in the Daily 2 division that features the state's largest newspapers competing against each other in multiple categories.
Executive Editor Don Wilkins said the Messenger-Inquirer hasn't entered the competition in years, but he decided that the newspaper needed to get back involved in the competition.
'For me, the KPA competition helps us see what we're doing right and what we can improve upon,' Wilkins said. 'There's a lot of good journalism being done by newspapers throughout the state, and I believe we're among them. And so I want to showcase what our journalists — news, sports and photo — are doing in this community to the rest of the state.'
The newspaper's staff won multiple individual awards that were announced during the KPA's Friday night banquet. Sportswriter Mark Mathis won first place for Best Sports Column, photographer Greg Eans took second and third place in Best General News Picture, Alan Warren took third place in Best Feature Photo and the Messenger-Inquirer staff placed second in the Best Editorial Writer category.
Wilkins said he witnesses every day the hard work that the news, sports and photography staff put into being the watchdogs of the community.
'It makes me proud that we have journalists who are committed to providing fair and accurate reporting for Daviess County and our surrounding region,' Wilkins said. 'It's the reason why the Messenger-Inquirer has been here for 150 years and counting.'
