Repository wins more than 20 writing, video and design awards in Ohio APME contest

Canton Repository front-page design by Rick Armon on Scribd

The Canton Repository and its journalists have been named finalists for 21 awards in the annual Ohio Associated Press Media Editors contest.

The competition honors the best print and broadcast journalism throughout the state. The contest featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2023.

Finalists were announced Monday. The awards in order of finish — first, second and third places — will be announced July 21 at an awards ceremony in Columbus.

The following staff members are being honored:

• Tim Botos: Best feature writer; and best investigative reporting for his story on a how a baby who had been raped was sent home from the hospital with her abuser.
• Tim Botos, Kelli Weir and Charita Goshay: Best digital project for assembling an online database of more than 1,200 Stark County military servicemen and women who died while serving in the military since World War I. The project appeared online on Memorial Day.
• Steve Doerschuk: Best sports columnist; best sports writer; and best sports enterprise for his series looking at the best football team in Kent State University history .
• Ben Duer: Best video for his video with David Upshaw , a corrections officer at the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Massillon who was attacked.
• Charita Goshay: Best columnist
• Nancy Molnar and Amy Knapp: Best spot news coverage for the stories on a Lake Township murder-suicide that took the lives of the Dunham family.
• Julie Vennitti Botos: Best photographer; best sports photo; two entries in the best feature photo category; and two entries in the best photo story category.
• Robert Wang: Best explanatory reporting for his behind the scenes look at the insults and accusations hurled in the Plain Township trustees race.
• Kelli Weir: Best news writer; best enterprise reporting for her look at Norfolk Southern's safety record following the crash in East Palestine; and best explanatory reporting for how Patriot Software responded to the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.
• Josh Weir: Best sports feature writer

2023 Ohio APME Newspaper Finalists by Rick Armon on Scribd

Designer Samantha Wong also is a finalist for the best full page design for "A flaw in the system."

The Repository competes in Division IV for Ohio newspapers among papers such as the Warren Tribune Chronicle, Findlay Courier, Lima News and Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Meanwhile, Massillon Independent staff writer Amy Knapp and photographer Kevin Whitlock — whose work appears in the Repository — also received awards. Knapp is a finalist for best news writer in Division I, the smallest among the divisions. Whitlock is being honored for best sports photo.

Knapp and Duer also contributed to the statewide project "Chaos in Ohio's Youth Lockups." That project, which was submitted by the Cincinnati Enquirer, also is a finalist.

Molnar also is a finalist for best news writer and best investigative reporting in Division III for her work with the Times-Reporter in Tuscarawas County before joining the Repository as a staff writer.

The Repository, Independent and Times-Reporter are owned by Gannett.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Repository wins more than 20 writing, video and design awards in Ohio APME contest