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Times is GX finalist again

Clearwater’s North Thompson Times and Barriere’s North Thompson Star/Journal are two of the three finalists in B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association's 2011 general excellence competition

There is a 66 per cent chance that the winner for being best small community newspaper in B.C. and Yukon will come from the North Thompson Valley this year.

Clearwater’s North Thompson Times and Barriere’s North Thompson Star/Journal are two of the three finalists in B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association's 2011 general excellence competition, category A (under 3,000 circulation).

“It shows that our newspapers are for the community and involved in the community,” commented Al Kirkwood, publisher for both the Times and the Star/Journal. “To be judged by our peers to be in the top three is the ultimate.”

The third top-three finalist is the Bowen Island Undercurrent.

This is the eighth time the Times has been a top-three finalist in general excellence in its circulation category with BCYCNA during the 13 years that Black Press has owned the newspaper. The Times won first place in 2010 and in 2006.

Contestants in the general excellence competition submit copies of one issue from each of two months from the previous year selected by BCYCNA. Judging is based on a total of 100 points.

Of these, 60 points to for editorial content (20 points for the front page, 15 for community news, 10 for the editorial page, five for local features, five for sports, and five for arts and entertainment).

Photography and production get 10 points each for a total of 20.

Another 20 points are divided equally between advertising content and design, and the classified pages.

Although BCYCNA's category A (under 3,000 circulation) has the smallest circulation, with 21 newspapers it has the largest number of competitors of any of the general excellence competition's seven circulation categories.

Winners of the general excellence competition and the other contests in BCYCNA's Ma Murray Community Newspaper Awards will be announced during a gala event at the River Rock Casino in Richmond on April 30.