Arkansas Newspaper Wins Back‑to‑Back Excellence Award

The Arkansas Democrat‑Gazette has been named the top large newspaper in the state for two consecutive years, earning the General Excellence title at the 2025 Arkansas Press Association Better Newspaper Editorial Awards.

Multiple First‑Place Honors

• Sports – Tom Murphy and Matt Byrne captured the winning story about the Razorbacks’ head coach dismissal.
• Editorial Columns – Lead editor David Barham topped the column competition with “Not chicken feed.”
• News & Political Column – Senior Editor Rex Nelson’s piece “Too many sad, angry souls.”
• General Interest – Columnist Steve Straessle won with “The German kid.”
• Photographs – Colin Murphey (“Partly Sunny”) and Thomas Metthe (“Top Hogs”).
• Front‑Page Design – Sarah Smythe, Michael Hoge, and Heather Kersten for a layout covering devastating tornadoes across 14 counties.

Other Recognized Winners

• Investigative Reporting – Ainsley Platt (Arkansas Advocate) received the Meredith Oakley Award for Freedom of Information Act use.
• Photo of the Year – John Balch (Nashville News‑Leader) for “Long Day at the Fair.”
• Column Awards – Andrew Bagley (Helena World).
• Finalists – John Brummett (columnist of the year), and Missouri Press Association members selected finalists among 1,280 entries.

Award Categories Highlighted

• News stories from small and medium papers
• Investigative series
• Beat reporting
• Business, education, health coverage
• Freelance work
• Sports columns
• Editorial and political columns
• General interest pieces
• Humorous columns
• Photo contests across all categories

The Democrat‑Gazette’s success showcases its broad coverage—from local sports to statewide political issues—and its strong visual and editorial standards.