Board approves BNC changes
The Mississippi Press Association Board of Directors okayed one editorial category revision and a change to one circulation division for the Better Newspaper Contest during its final meeting of the year Thursday in Jackson. Members approved a revision to Category 30, formerly Best Online Edition, to become Best Website. With the change in category name, the criteria for judging will now also focus on the functionality of Websites, including ease of navigation and customer service interactivity. The category criteria also now lists “quality of local content” as one of the key judging factors. The changes were based on a recommendation made by the Membership Committee, which oversees BNC-Editorial.
Additionally, the board approved a revision of circulation division for Daily A. The threshold was lowered from 20,000 and above to 15,000 and above to account for a slight dip in circulation at two newspapers. The revision was the choice of the board since it minimally impacts the contest or the divisions in which papers compete.
Entry forms for the 2006 contest, including a full explanation of rules, will be released Dec. 29. For additional information, contact member services coordinator Beth Boone (bboone@mspress.org).