Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News comes runner up for O2 Newspaper of the Year award

Jul 6 2009 by Adrian Short, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

THE RUNCORN and Weekly News has come runner up in the battle for the coveted title Newspaper of the Year in the O2 Media Awards 2009.

And our sports editor Dave Bettley has also gained a runner up position in the category Sports Journalist of the Year.

It is the second year in a row that our newspaper scooped a “highly commended” award in the competition, which was launched in 2008.

Guests at the awards ceremony at Preston Brook’s O2 call centre heard that the judges had a tough time whittling down the finalists from more than 150 entries across several categories.

The event, on Thursday, July 2, was attended by our editorial team - comprising news editor Adrian Short, sports editor Dave Bettley, reporters Mark Smith, Oliver Clay and Paul Glynn, exec editor Andrew Bowan and designer Tony White.

The judging panel included Paul Newman, director of communications at Media City, Paul Byrne of the Daily Mirror, Peter Charlton, editor of the Yorkshire Post, Jan Lever, Newsquest regional managing director and Richard Catlow, chairman of the Society of Editors and former editorial director for Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers. They praised our titles for quality of content and design.

Two of the four runners up for the top title included our sister publications the Liverpool Echo and Southport Visiter.

An event spokesman said: “O2 aims to honour the region’s most talented writers and broadcasters in the awards competition.

“The quality of entries from the region’s press is outstanding.”