2000 Better Newspaper Contest — Page Design
Division 2, Dailies 7,000 to 99,999
1. New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung — Outstand-ing entry. Photos at the memorial are very moving. Front page is well-balanced, easy to scan. Sports page is excellent, great photos, very nice type selection. Opinion page is balanced, well-designed. Lifestyle page features excellent balance and is carried by strong photos. Good pre-press and press work on all pages entered.
2. Odessa American — Well-designed newspapers. Organized, well-planned design. Excellent photos throughout. Pole vault photo carries the sports page. Commentary page well-designed but a little heavy on text. Some sub-heads would have been helpful. Lifestyle page is outstanding and again a great photo is complemented by superior design work.
3. The Galveston County Daily News — Very nice design. Photo of raid is outstanding. Front page is well-balanced. Opinion page flows smoothly with good typography. Very nice sports page. Photos and the headline tell the story. Typography and photos carry the Lifestyle page. Great photo of man holding nut. Overall, the pages are well-planned and easy to read.
4. The Beaumont Enterprise — The overall design of all pages of the paper is strong. Front page is attractive with good use of heads and photos. Sports is a little heavy on graphics and a little busy. Lifestyle page is interesting and flows well. Opinion is good overall but could benefit from some balance and a little color.
Division 3, Dailies Less Than 7,000
1. Texas City Sun — Front - Good use of color/graphics design. Viewpoints - Generally good overall layout. Three-column editorial might be better if kept to two. Sports - As strong as front page. Good pull quotes, photos, fonts. Style - good layout and use of photo series.
2. The Huntsville Item — Front - Excellent photos and color. Good timeline. Sports - Great photos and color use. Like headline fonts. Life - Very good feature photos and story layout, along with color. Opinion - Good layout. Clean look. “Letters” “Views” headers give the page a bit of a gray look.
3. Brownwood Bulletin — Very good photos throughout. Great use of color, design elements. Excellent throughout.
4. Plainview Daily Herald — Great use of color. Really liked the “desert rain” photos. Front page and Lifestyles pages really shine.
Division 4 , Semiweeklies 4,001 or More
1. The Irving News — I love big and bold! Every page reaches out and grabs me. Lots of white space. The only thing I don’t like is the photo on the fold. But the overall design is so good. No. 1 in an outstanding field!
2. Wise County Messenger — I do like to see dominant elements used right. Nearly a #1. Your use of white space could be a little better and the weird use of centered heads. Otherwise some excellent graphic work. Like the battling elements.
3. The Garland News — Once again building a page around dominant elements makes a winner. A little more consistency in headline fonts and justifications would have moved you up a notch.
4. The Bastrop Advertiser — You really do everything right - white space, dominant elements, typography. The underlined head in picture boxes and the Lifestyle page counted against you in a tough category. Good-looking well-designed paper.
Division 5, Semiweeklies 4,000 or Less
1. The Angleton Times — What won it - consistency of style. You make each page different but the fonts, spacing and other elements look the same. This takes good design skills plus hard work. Nit to pick - kicker head in fair (front page story) seems out of place. Good photo page.
2. Lampasas Dispatch-Record — A close second. Love your front page. It’s the best. Letter placement on editorial page seems haphazard. Centered heads on Sports and Lifestyle page also in consistent. I hate to be picky, but someone had to win.
3. Lamesa Press- Reporter — Good consistency throughout. Good photo layouts. Probably the best editorial page design. Try for a thinner rule design. Trapped white space also hurts a bit. Too many pictures on lifestyle feature. One good picture beats five boring ones.
4. Rockwall Texas Success — Very good design throughout, but a little cluttered. It’s like every page is trying to do too much. Try to cut down a little on your fonts and boxes. It should help.
Division 6, Weeklies 3,001 or More
1. Colorado County Citizen — Excellent front page. Nov. 10 proves color photo not always needed. I’d makea few changes in left hand column, but it’s a nice front. Inside photos help draw interest. Not crowded. Good.
2. The Examiner, Navasota — Nice layout throughout. Paper has inviting look. Layout is consistently good on all pages.
3. The Azle News — Very readable design. Liked openness, especially on Opinion page. Had trouble with entire page length of boxed in items on front (Oct. 14.)
4. The Cameron Herald — Very eye-catching front page. Consistent yet varies. Nice photos played as they should be.
Division 7, Weeklies 2,001 to 3,000
1. The Community News, Aledo — Great job of combining strong layout and strong photos. Front page and Editorial page are exceptionally well-designed. Editorial page uses good layout to draw the reader in. Good homecoming photos, although use of numbers makes reading them a little cumbersome.
2. Colleyville News & Times — Outstanding entry. May have been the winner, but page on the Market seems borderline between a Lifestyle page and an ad. Photography and reproduction are good across the board. Opinion page could use some design tweaking. Good consistency from Front page to Sports.
3. Lancaster Today — Photography is strong point throughout this paper. Design is strong but somewhat predictable. Good typography. Opinion page is well-designed, but I don’t care for the type running uphill. Lifestyle photos are good.
4. The Springtown Epigraph — Good, consistent design. Good use of color. Excellent sports photos. Lifestyles features strong photos.
Division 8, Weeklies 1,201 to 2,000
1. The Albany News — The paper has a nice flow. Good use of space and typography. Photos are all of good quality.
2. Midlothian Today — Nice balance on the Front page. Cutlines could use more information. Overall solid presentation!
3. Lake Cities Sun, Lake Dallas — A fine weekly paper! Try to develop some simple design elements to bring the while edition together!
4. Hansford County Reporter-Statesman — Nice front page. The design was a little blocky. Enjoyed the purple tone used for Veteran’s Day.
Division 9, Weeklies 1,200 or Less
1. The Clarendon Enterprise — This paper is a pleasure to read. Good use of photos. Nice layout. Would possibly have used color on flag and moved homecoming bar to bottom of page.
2. Motley County Tribune — Excellent page one. Lifestyles page: bumping graphics on top makes it look busy and house ad “stuck” between other ads.
3. The Eagle Press, Fritch — Nice layout for a tab-size newspaper.
4. The Eldorado Success — Easy to read layout. I’d like to see some larger size headlines on page one.
1. New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung — Outstand-ing entry. Photos at the memorial are very moving. Front page is well-balanced, easy to scan. Sports page is excellent, great photos, very nice type selection. Opinion page is balanced, well-designed. Lifestyle page features excellent balance and is carried by strong photos. Good pre-press and press work on all pages entered.
2. Odessa American — Well-designed newspapers. Organized, well-planned design. Excellent photos throughout. Pole vault photo carries the sports page. Commentary page well-designed but a little heavy on text. Some sub-heads would have been helpful. Lifestyle page is outstanding and again a great photo is complemented by superior design work.
3. The Galveston County Daily News — Very nice design. Photo of raid is outstanding. Front page is well-balanced. Opinion page flows smoothly with good typography. Very nice sports page. Photos and the headline tell the story. Typography and photos carry the Lifestyle page. Great photo of man holding nut. Overall, the pages are well-planned and easy to read.
4. The Beaumont Enterprise — The overall design of all pages of the paper is strong. Front page is attractive with good use of heads and photos. Sports is a little heavy on graphics and a little busy. Lifestyle page is interesting and flows well. Opinion is good overall but could benefit from some balance and a little color.
Division 3, Dailies Less Than 7,000
1. Texas City Sun — Front - Good use of color/graphics design. Viewpoints - Generally good overall layout. Three-column editorial might be better if kept to two. Sports - As strong as front page. Good pull quotes, photos, fonts. Style - good layout and use of photo series.
2. The Huntsville Item — Front - Excellent photos and color. Good timeline. Sports - Great photos and color use. Like headline fonts. Life - Very good feature photos and story layout, along with color. Opinion - Good layout. Clean look. “Letters” “Views” headers give the page a bit of a gray look.
3. Brownwood Bulletin — Very good photos throughout. Great use of color, design elements. Excellent throughout.
4. Plainview Daily Herald — Great use of color. Really liked the “desert rain” photos. Front page and Lifestyles pages really shine.
Division 4 , Semiweeklies 4,001 or More
1. The Irving News — I love big and bold! Every page reaches out and grabs me. Lots of white space. The only thing I don’t like is the photo on the fold. But the overall design is so good. No. 1 in an outstanding field!
2. Wise County Messenger — I do like to see dominant elements used right. Nearly a #1. Your use of white space could be a little better and the weird use of centered heads. Otherwise some excellent graphic work. Like the battling elements.
3. The Garland News — Once again building a page around dominant elements makes a winner. A little more consistency in headline fonts and justifications would have moved you up a notch.
4. The Bastrop Advertiser — You really do everything right - white space, dominant elements, typography. The underlined head in picture boxes and the Lifestyle page counted against you in a tough category. Good-looking well-designed paper.
Division 5, Semiweeklies 4,000 or Less
1. The Angleton Times — What won it - consistency of style. You make each page different but the fonts, spacing and other elements look the same. This takes good design skills plus hard work. Nit to pick - kicker head in fair (front page story) seems out of place. Good photo page.
2. Lampasas Dispatch-Record — A close second. Love your front page. It’s the best. Letter placement on editorial page seems haphazard. Centered heads on Sports and Lifestyle page also in consistent. I hate to be picky, but someone had to win.
3. Lamesa Press- Reporter — Good consistency throughout. Good photo layouts. Probably the best editorial page design. Try for a thinner rule design. Trapped white space also hurts a bit. Too many pictures on lifestyle feature. One good picture beats five boring ones.
4. Rockwall Texas Success — Very good design throughout, but a little cluttered. It’s like every page is trying to do too much. Try to cut down a little on your fonts and boxes. It should help.
Division 6, Weeklies 3,001 or More
1. Colorado County Citizen — Excellent front page. Nov. 10 proves color photo not always needed. I’d makea few changes in left hand column, but it’s a nice front. Inside photos help draw interest. Not crowded. Good.
2. The Examiner, Navasota — Nice layout throughout. Paper has inviting look. Layout is consistently good on all pages.
3. The Azle News — Very readable design. Liked openness, especially on Opinion page. Had trouble with entire page length of boxed in items on front (Oct. 14.)
4. The Cameron Herald — Very eye-catching front page. Consistent yet varies. Nice photos played as they should be.
Division 7, Weeklies 2,001 to 3,000
1. The Community News, Aledo — Great job of combining strong layout and strong photos. Front page and Editorial page are exceptionally well-designed. Editorial page uses good layout to draw the reader in. Good homecoming photos, although use of numbers makes reading them a little cumbersome.
2. Colleyville News & Times — Outstanding entry. May have been the winner, but page on the Market seems borderline between a Lifestyle page and an ad. Photography and reproduction are good across the board. Opinion page could use some design tweaking. Good consistency from Front page to Sports.
3. Lancaster Today — Photography is strong point throughout this paper. Design is strong but somewhat predictable. Good typography. Opinion page is well-designed, but I don’t care for the type running uphill. Lifestyle photos are good.
4. The Springtown Epigraph — Good, consistent design. Good use of color. Excellent sports photos. Lifestyles features strong photos.
Division 8, Weeklies 1,201 to 2,000
1. The Albany News — The paper has a nice flow. Good use of space and typography. Photos are all of good quality.
2. Midlothian Today — Nice balance on the Front page. Cutlines could use more information. Overall solid presentation!
3. Lake Cities Sun, Lake Dallas — A fine weekly paper! Try to develop some simple design elements to bring the while edition together!
4. Hansford County Reporter-Statesman — Nice front page. The design was a little blocky. Enjoyed the purple tone used for Veteran’s Day.
Division 9, Weeklies 1,200 or Less
1. The Clarendon Enterprise — This paper is a pleasure to read. Good use of photos. Nice layout. Would possibly have used color on flag and moved homecoming bar to bottom of page.
2. Motley County Tribune — Excellent page one. Lifestyles page: bumping graphics on top makes it look busy and house ad “stuck” between other ads.
3. The Eagle Press, Fritch — Nice layout for a tab-size newspaper.
4. The Eldorado Success — Easy to read layout. I’d like to see some larger size headlines on page one.
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