AP-and-at-'em!

In case you haven't heard by now, the Daily Messenger, the esteemed local paper I write for, has once again laid claim to the state's "Newspaper of Distinction" award from the Associated Press Association. The prizes were handed out Thursday night in Albany.

Never mind. Let me tell you about the shot in the arm this gave many of the Messenger staffers who have been sweating it out the last couple of weeks as touring "suits" march through to take a look at the building, our papers, and property to decide if they want to bid a purchase offer for the company. Let's just say there was no need to drown our sorrows in goat milk this time around. Instead, there was much arm-pumping, hand-clapping, congragulatory yells across the cubicle walls. It was a better energy boost than coffee.

Now, the last time the DM won this award, for the 2004-05 "year," the higher-ups decided to publish a golden banner atop the front page proclaiming "Best Newspaper in the State*" And when you went to the *, you'd read something akin to " for papers with a circulation under 25,000." While it may not sound like much of a compliment, our "classification" is the one with the toughest competition in the state's annual AP awards, because more daily papers fall into that "under 25,000" circulation category than do in the three larger categories (25K-50K, the roughly "above 50K" category and the "above 125K" category). The NY Times and the Rochester D&C compete in the largest category, if that gives you a better idea of the differences. I believe there's something like 5-7 papers in the top category and most are in NYC/Long Island, while there are perhaps as many as 15-20-something in the under 25K category.

Anyway, back to that golden banner. A few of us were wondering if it would begin running again on our front page. But one editor suggested a minor modification, given the circumstances our company is now in. His idea for a banner? "Just try and shut us down now, you (unprintables)!"
He garnered quite a few laughs with that one.

My own personal reaction? "Don't 'Mess' with the Best" (I even briefly considered it for a possible blog post headline.) But that's just because I'm so gosh-darn proud of the work we do around here. And I'm not talking just reporters (although the writing weighs rather heavily with the judges). The editors, page designers, press room technicians, carriers and those in the circulation and advertising departments keep the whole thing working as a well-oiled machine. Without them, great editions like the six-day countdown to Bush visit coverage wouldn't have happened. The commemorative "Worth the Wait" edition published the day after Bush came to Canandaigua wouldn't have happened. (Yes, that was one of the editions submitted for consideration in the "Distinction" award - so thank YOU, Mr. President!) Without those folks, our day-after election edition wouldn't have happened. (We always clean up on that sort of local coverage, if I do say so myself. And yes, that, too, was one of the dates the judges requested.)
Providentially, the other required submission was our paper's annual report on "Sunshine Week," when newspapers tout the highs and lows of the state's Open Meetings Law and its bearing on freedom of the press. Providentially, our "Sunshine" edition was published the day after our Presidential paper, and it was still stocked with lots of leftover George W. Bush coverage.

So, yes, I felt it in my bones that we were going to be named "Best in State" again this year. I was convinced it was a matter of when, not if. And I was even more convinced when the AP wires made the early announcement the Daily Messenger won 10 writing, graphic and photo awards in August. (They always hold the "Newspapers of Distinction" prize announcement until the night of the awards banquet.)

This was definitely a red-letter day at the office. I think I can sum it up in one word:
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!