We have been asked once again about the Roundup's small paper award from the Arizona Newspapers Association (ANA). If you care, here are some things to consider:
1. It costs money to enter the ANA competition - hundreds of dollars based on the number of items a paper enters. The Mogollon Connection could not afford to enter - not even one story. So we don't know how the Roundup stacks up with its local competition. Nor do we know how many or to what extent other papers around the state can afford to enter. Remember, the Roundup is owned by a Kansas chain with deeper pockets than your average small newspaper.
2. Entries are submitted to the ANA in a vacuum. Because they have no knowledge of our community and its dynamics, the out-of-state judges have no idea how thorough, fair and honest a story is.
3. The Roundup has traditionally been heavily involved on the board of the ANA. Who knows how much, if any, influence that has. All we know is that the Roundup wins every year. It even won back when Mike Maresh was writing for them. It even won back when I was writing for them. Everything changes, but nothing changes.
4. If the ANA competition meant much, one would think the Roundup would also dominate the much tougher Arizona Press Club Competition. They don't.
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