CRESTVIEW — The Crestview News Bulletin has one of the country's best Facebook pages for a twice-weekly newspaper its size, according to GateHouse Media, its parent company.
The News Bulletin was awarded Best Facebook Page, Second Place, in Division C of the Best of GateHouse 2014 Awards, which evaluated more than 400 newspapers' entries.
The Middletown Transcript in Middletown, Del., and the Stephenville Empire-Tribune in Stephenville, Texas, won first and third place, respectively, in the weekly newspaper division.
Last year, the News Bulletin's Facebook page featured carefully curated and designed content, and staffers sharpened their focus on audience engagement and aggregation, soliciting readers' photos and moderating discussions on topical issues.
The changes resulted in record-setting page views, likes and shares, along with consistent, week-to-week fan engagement. In addition, reader contributions helped boost the CNB's print and digital offerings.
GateHouse's awards follow the Florida Press Association's announcement that News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni won the Better Newspaper Contest's Serious Column-The Sally Latham Award and Feature-Profile. The News Bulletin will release full details on those awards after the FPA's July 23-24 convention in Lake Mary.
All three awards are evidence of the News Bulletin's commitment to quality, Boni said.
"When it comes to local news and commentary, it's clear: the CNB sets the bar — statewide and nationwide," Boni said.
Other Best of GateHouse recipients include Travis Mewhirter, Northwest Florida Daily News, Second Place, Sports Writer of the Year, Division A; Julie Hatfield and Jenn Schaefer, Daily News, Third Place, Special Sections and Niche Products; The Panama City News Herald, Honorable Mention, Newspaper of the Year, Division B; and Patti Blake, the News Herald, First Place, Multimedia Initiatives.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: News Bulletin's Facebook page wins national award