Sarasota Observer named No. 1 weekly

For the second consecutive year, a newspaper published by The Observer Media Group has been named Florida’s top weekly newspaper in the highest circulation division in the Florida Press Association’s Better Weekly Newspaper Contest. At the awards ceremony July 7, at SanDestin Beach Resort, the Sarasota Observer took home the top prize in the general excellence category for newspapers with a weekly circulation of 15,000 or more.

This year’s contest included a total of 1,607 entries in 44 categories for three circulation divisions: 15,000 or more; 15,000 to 7,000; and 7,000 or fewer.

In total, The Observer notched 14 first-place wins out of 35 awards for all of its newspapers: the Sarasota Observer, the Longboat Observer, the East County Observer, the Pelican Press, Gulf Coast Business Review and the Palm Coast Observer.

The Longboat Observer, competing in the middle circulation category, has won first place for overall graphic design for four of the last six years and has won first for front-page makeup three of those years. This year, the newspaper took first place for overall graphic design and front-page makeup (Nancy Schwartz).

Shanna Fortier, community editor of the Palm Coast Observer, won the Robert J. Ellison Memorial Award for Excellence in Portfolio Photography. The Palm Coast Observer, competing in the largest circulation division, also received first place for overall graphic design (Mallorie Bruce); sports column (Andrew O’Brien); sports picture (Shanna Fortier); portfolio photography (Shanna Fortier); and humorous column (Mike Cavaliere).

The Gulf Coast Business Review, competing in the smallest circulation division, notched five first-place wins: education reporting (Mark Gordon); informational graphic (Caleb Stanton); business reporting (Mark Gordon); feature story, profile (Mark Gordon); and in-depth reporting (Jean Gruss, Matt Walsh and Jay Brady).