The Beat: Xpress wins six awards from the N.C Press Association

In the 2011 North Carolina Press Association awards, Mountain Xpress was honored in six different categories for various stories, projects and publications produced last year:

• 1st place: News Feature Writing — In “Turf War: Democrats, Republicans Square Off Over Congressional Districts” (July 19, 2011), one of a series of political analyses by Xpress news staff, Jake Frankel examined the political maneuvering that led to big changes in Western North Carolina’s election districts — such as moving most of the city of Asheville, a Democratic stronghold, out of the 11th Congressional District and into the 10th. The full election series includes Intro: What Redistricting Means for YouTurf War: Democrats, Republicans square off over congressional districtsA House Divided: Statehouse, commissioner districts spell big changes ahead, and Déjà vu all over again: History looms large in redistricting fight.

• 1st place: Best Multimedia Project — To accompany the print story “Mountain Shame” (March 29, 2011), a tale of the 1929 Marion Massacre, reporter Jake Frankel put together a multimedia collection that included a scrapbook, audio documentary by Kim Clark and a slide show, with photos by Jonathan Welch, technical contributions by reprography specialist Will Rice, and assistance from a group of avid local historians, including Mike Blankenship, Patti Holda and Anne Swann.

• 2nd place: Online Breaking News — “The Big Deal: Linamar Will Bring Almost 400 Jobs to Asheville” (June 30, 2011), by David Forbes, Jake Frankel and Margaret Williams, caps up-to-the-minute reporting on an economic-development announcement.

• 2nd place: News Enterprise Reporting — In “Hidden Hazards” (Jan. 11, 2011), reporter Susan Andrew reviewed the more than 50 inactive hazardous-waste sites in Buncombe County.

• 2nd place: Best Niche Publication — Published each March, the WNC Green Building Directory is a collaboration between Mountain Xpress and the WNC Green Building Council; the directory includes about 30 articles, how-to guides and resource listings, such as a roundup of green-building specialists.

• 3rd place: Profile Feature — In “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (June 14, 2011), Mackensy Lunsford profiled up-and-coming chef Katie Button of Cúrate, who is a semifinalist in this year’s James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year Award.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Margaret Williams
Editor Margaret Williams first wrote for Xpress in 1994. An Alabama native, she has lived in Western North Carolina since 1987 and completed her Masters of Liberal Arts & Sciences from UNC-Asheville in 2016. Follow me @mvwilliams

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.