Graphic artists, writers also recognized
OLYMPIA — Free Press Publishing staffers and contributors dominated the photography category for newspapers its size in the annual state Better Newspaper Contest.
In addition, graphic designers and reporters won multiple awards for their work over the year spanning April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
The awards were presented Saturday evening, Oct. 5, at Indian Summer Golf and Country Club during the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association annual gala and meeting.
During the awards banquet, Free Press photos stole the show, with staffers and contributors bringing home 13 of the 21 awards.
Former Cheney Free Press staffer Matthew Stephens took first place in in general news for his photo of Eastern Washington University graduation and second place in sports feature photography for an image of disc dogs.
Meanwhile, Whitman County Gazette reporter Olivia Harnack took second place for sports action photograph of a sprint boat crash at Webb’s Slough and third place for her online photo essay of Webb’s Slough.
Gazette General Manager Justin Slayton took first place in pictorial photography with an image he shot from atop Steptoe Butte looking down on a paraglider.
Jerry Goertz, a contributor to the Cheney Free Press, was recognized with a third-place award in general news for his photo of a burned out fire truck and singed American flag taken in the aftermath of the Gray Fire last year.
Free Press owner/publisher Roger Harnack was named Photographer of the Year after sweeping the breaking news photography awards and winning the first-place award for sports action photography, among other images. His winning photos included images from the Winona and Gray fires, area rodeos and motorcycle racing.
Design honors
Outside of photography, Free Press was recognized with several design awards, as well.
Former staffer John Myers of Cheney was among the top graphic artists in the state, winning first-place awards for his ad campaign for Wild Bills Long Bar, and full page and smaller than half-page advertising design work.
Myers also won third place awards for his magazine cover designs and his use of clip art to make advertising fun.
Along with Myers’ designs, Slayton won the third-place award for front page design of the Whitman County Gazette and Olivia Harnack shared third-place honors with Roger Harnack for sports page design.
For much of last year, Free Press Publishing newspapers also carried political cartoons by Brad Skiff. Skiff, an art teacher at Bridgeport High School, stepped away from political cartoons last year to focus on a book, but not before he had enough entries to sweep the political cartoon category.
Reporting awards
The news staff also won several prestigious awards for reporting.
For their coverage of wind turbine issues across Lincoln, Spokane and Whitman Counties, Drew Lawson of the Record-Times, Clare McGraw of the Cheney Free Press and Teresa Simpson of the Whitman County Gazette brought home second-place honors for comprehensive reporting involving multiple reporters.
Simpson and Roger Harnack also combined for a second-place award in health/medical reporting. Simpson’s coverage of for the closure of Paul’s Place in Colfax, due to crime and lack of safety.
He was also recognized individually for breaking the story on secret meetings taking place between state officials, tribes and environmental groups in their efforts to breach Snake River Dams. That coverage earned him second-place honors in environmental reporting.
In another award for in-depth reporting, Olivia Harnack received third place for her comprehensive coverage of the Bryan Kohberger prosectution.
A veteran writer and author, Delaney won second-runner up honors as Sports Writer of the Year, an award based on his game coverage, sports features and column “My Sideline View.”
Delaney also won second-pace for his profile “Hunting the Paralympics” and third-place in topical column writing.
Special sections
Free Press staffers also won awards for two of their special sections.
The staff, led by Myers, Slayton and former Advertising Manager Linda Pantzer, won first place for the “Firestorm 2023” section that appeared in the Whitman County Gazette and Cheney Free Press in the aftermath of the Winona and Gray fires last year.
And Lawson and graphic artist Michelle Van Diest combined win second place in event/festival sections with their Deutschefest guide.
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, columnist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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