The Ironton Tribune is a finalist for 14 awards in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors’ 2020 newspaper contest.

1,418 entries, from 52 newspapers in the state were submitted for the contest in January, comprising work from 2020.

“We are humbled to be considered for such a wide swath of awards,” Sarah Simmons, general manager for The Ironton Tribune, said. “It is a testament to the hard work of each and every member of our staff, from writing the words, to aesthetically arranging them, to printing them right here in our facility. We’re proud to be a part of Lawrence County and will continue to focus on bringing our readers a quality, entertaining and informative product that showcases the best of our community.”

Longtime sports editor Jim Walker led the Tribune’s team, coming in as a finalist in five categories for Best Headline Writer, Best Sports Writer, Best Sports Columnist, Best Sports Feature Writer and Best Sports Section.

Creative director Kandi Thompson is a finalist for four awards, two in the category of Best Illustration or Infographic and one for Best Full Page Design and Best Graphics Artist.

Jeremy Holtzapfel was a finalist for two awards, for Best Photographer and Best Feature Photo.

Also a finalist for photography was reporter Mark Shaffer, for Best News Photo.
Community Editor Heath Harrison was a finalist for Best Editorial Writer, while former Tribune intern and freelance contributor Austin Johnson was nominated for Best Enterprise Reporting.

Actual order of finish for the finalists — who will come in at either first, second or third place — will be announced later along with the General Excellence, Hall of Fame, Rising Star and First Amendment winners.

“This is the largest number of finalists The Ironton Tribune has seen in this annual contest in several years,” Harrison said. “While we are a small town, community paper, it shows that we have a strong team, covering a broad range of skills — from veteran writers like Jim Walker, who has a wealth of experience, to the contributions of those just starting in the field, like Austin Johnson. The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a challenging year for newspapers around the country and we strove to keep our readers informed and adapt to the environment. We are proud of the hard work behind all of these finalist selections.”