Capitol Report/PIM writers win first-place MNA awards

A staff writer and a freelance writer for the St. Paul Capitol Report and Politics in Minnesota won first-place awards Thursday night in the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s 2009-2010 Better Newspaper Contest.

Staff writer Betsy Sundquist placed first in in the “local spot news story” category for weekly publications with circulations of up to 1,500 for a September 2008 story about the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

“This article demonstrates thorough information coverage, specifically important to local readers,” the judges wrote. “I especially enjoyed the ‘brisk business in red neckties’ line and the ‘under a blanket of 200,000 balloons (inside the Xcel Energy Center) and clouds of tear gas (outside on the streets)’ introduction.”

Kevin Featherly, who works as a freelance writer for the Capitol Report, placed first in the “human interest story” category for weeklies of up to 1,500 circulation for his July 2009 profile of St. Paul’s poet laureate, Carol Connolly.

“Comprehensive review of a long life without plodding,” the judges wrote. “The subject’s feistiness is matched by punchy writing.”

One Response to “Capitol Report/PIM writers win first-place MNA awards”

1. Nigel Parry Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 1:38 pm

   Betsy Sundquist’s reporting for PiM and the Legal Ledger were definitely excellent. Congrats!