BILOXI — Journalists working for Mississippi newsrooms large and small took home nearly $30,000 in cash awards from the 2025 Better News Media Contest, and newspapers in Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada and Charleston were recognized as the best in the state in their audience classes.
Reporters and editors from nearly 40 Mississippi newspapers and online newsrooms were honored Saturday during the 160th Annual Meeting of Mississippi Press.
The Daily Journal of Tupelo, The Commercial Dispatch of Columbus, the Grenada Star, and The Sun-Sentinel of Charleston were singled out for General Excellence in their competition classes as the leading newsrooms in the state.
Gwen Dilworth and Michael Goldberg of Mississippi Today in Jackson were the winners of the Bill Minor Prize for Investigative Reporting for Multi-Day members. They were honored for their reporting on Mississippi's prisons and the health of inmates in the system.
"This is outstanding journalism," judges said of the team's reporting. "The treatment of people under care of state government is reprehensible. These stories do an excellent job of exposing state-sponsored health care corruption. It's about politics, accountability and human suffering."
Adam Prestridge and Chuck Hathcock of the Grenada Star won the Bill Minor Prize for Investigative Reporting for Weekly members. They reported on developments in the murder case of a University of Mississippi student who originally disappeared in 2022.
"Sweeping coverage," judges wrote of the Star's reporting. "Good use of courtroom quotes from the victim's father and the judge. Best in a highly contested category."
Dilworth was also the winner of the Bill Minor Prize for General News Reporting for her coverage of mounting complaints against a Jackson plastic surgeon. Judges called the reporting "well-written" and "comprehensive."
Amy George of the Deer Creek Pilot in Rolling Fork won the Bill Minor Prize for General News Reporting for Weekly newspapers for coverage of the reopening of a church heavily damaged by an EF-4 tornado that decimated much of the community in 2023.
The winners of the Minor Prize for General News Reporting receive individual shares of an $8,000 prize fund. The fund was established in 2003 by Mr. and Mrs. Tim Medley of Jackson in memory of Minor's long career as a Mississippi journalist.
Zack Plair, Emma McRae and Cadence Harvey were the first recipients of a new award recognizing fairness, accuracy and transparency in reporting established by the Center for Integrity in News Reporting. The trio share a cash prize of $5,000 for reporting on a high-speed crash in Columbus that law enforcement officials falsely blamed on a civilian.
"These articles featured strong evidence reporting using sheriff’s reports, body cam footage, hospital statements, city police documents, interviews and follow-up reporting that confirmed outcomes," judges wrote of the Dispatch team's work. "(They are) a model for how to present a restrained tone — no dramatic narrative storytelling, no emotionally manipulative victim descriptions, and minimal rhetorical framing."
A team of reporters from WLBT-TV of Jackson were recipients of the first-ever A-Mark Prize for Freedom of Information Reporting for their ongoing coverage of the City of Jackson's water crisis. The winning team of Anthony Warren, C.J. Lemaster, Quentin Smith, Keith Honore, Teddy Reidy, Jerome DeLoach and Mike Evans share a $5,000 prize for first place in the category. The newsroom itself was also awarded $2,500 by the A-Mark Foundation, which has funded dozens of similar prizes across the country.
It was the first time a broadcast station was honored in the news contest. Through arrangements with A-Mark, this category is open to all newsrooms in the state regardless of their membership in Mississippi Press.
Sean P. Murphy, managing editor of the Laurel Leader-Call, won the J. Oliver Emmerich Award for Editorial Excellence for his opinion writing that called out a local state senator for abandoning the interests of Jones County residents in favor of political insiders through two key redistricting votes.
Judges described Murphy's commentary as "well-written" pieces that "outline the problem and solutions."
Adam Prestridge of the Grenada Star was awarded Photo of the Year for his news photograph of the aftermath of a tornado strike on a Grenada County family's home (photo at top). It was the second consecutive year Prestridge was honored with the award.
Allen Siegler of Mississippi Today was the winner of the Dan Phillips Award for Freedom of Information for his reporting on how the state is — or isn't — spending millions diverted to it in the national opioid settlement.
"A powerful indictment of Mississippi's handling of millions of dollars in opioid settlement funds at the state and local levels," judges wrote. "Well written and deeply sourced."
SuperTalk Mississippi News was the winner of the Community Service Award for Multi-Day members. The Grenada Star was the winner for Weekly members.
"It was especially gratifying to recognize these winners during our 160th Annual Meeting," said outgoing Mississippi Press President George R. Turner, publisher of The Greene County Herald and The Richton Dispatch. "All are fine examples of the hard work being done day in and day out by local journalists."
Thirty-nine Mississippi Press member newsrooms submitted a total of 1,801 entries in the 2025 editorial division contest. Judging was conducted this spring by volunteers from other press associations nationwide.
Now in its 160th year, the Mississippi Press Association is the trade group representing Mississippi newspapers and digital media.
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