Gazette named finalist for four APME awards

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Finalists in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors 2022 Newspaper Contest have been announced, and The Delaware Gazette is in the running for the top prize in four categories.

Competing in Division I — the largest in the state with 40 publications — The Gazette has been named a finalist in both the Best Public Service category and Best Special Sports Section category. In addition, Gazette Managing Editor Joshua Keeran is a finalist in the Best Sports Columnist category, while reporter Dillon Davis is a finalist in the Best News Writer category.

The nomination in the Best Public Service category is for The Gazette’s 2022 Progress edition. Titled “The New Normal,” the edition focused on how businesses, organizations, governments and schools throughout Delaware County made changes during the pandemic that have now become everyday practices.

“Every year we produce a Progress edition, and after this particular one was sent to the press, I realized it was one of the best we’ve done,” Keeran said. “I’m glad the judges found it to be one of the best public service projects put together in 2022 because the staff put a lot of time and effort into it. All the credit goes to the reporters who worked on the edition: Gary Budzak, Dillon Davis and Glenn Battishill.”

In the Best Special Sports Section category, The Gazette is being recognized for its 2022 Fall Sports Preview, which featured stories and photos on the local high school football teams in addition to schedules for all the fall sports teams.

“Our sports editor, Ben Stroup, puts a lot of time into the special sports sections,” Keeran said. “He always does a great job previewing the upcoming high school football season each and every year.”

As for the individual award nominations, Keeran said he’s thrilled to be a finalist in a sports category.

“I got into this business to be a sports writer,” he said. “While I don’t get to write many sports stories these days, I do try to find time to write sports columns about some of my favorite things in life — my son’s athletic endeavors and my love of the Bengals, Reds and Buckeyes. I’m glad the judges found my ramblings interesting enough to be considered a finalist.”

Keeran has now been named a finalist 10 times throughout his journalism career, which began as a sports writer in 2004 at the Urbana Daily Citizen. A graduate of the Ohio State University and a Delaware resident since 2011, Keeran began working at The Gazette in September 2017. He was promoted to managing editor in February 2018.

As for Davis being named a finalist in the Best News Writer category, Keeran said, “I couldn’t be happier for Dillon. He was the first person I hired when I became editor, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career. He is as reliable as they come, and he puts in the time to make sure his articles are factual and informative. Being an editor can be difficult, but he makes the job a whole lot easier.”

Davis, who is a native of Urbana, Ohio, began his journalism career in 2015 covering high school sports before joining The Gazette as a news reporter in 2018. In addition to covering local news, he also covers high school football and the Ohio State football and men’s basketball beats.

The awards in actual order of finish — first, second and third places — will be announced during an awards luncheon on May 7 in Columbus.

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