The Northern View has been recognized by the British Columbia-Yukon Newspaper Association (BCYCNA) with a nomination for general excellence in the 2024 Ma Murray Better Newspapers Competition (BNC).
Melissa Ash, publisher of the local Prince Rupert paper said it is always an honour to be nominated for a Ma Murray, but this one is special.
“The General Excellence category encompasses all aspects of the newspaper from the quality and diversity of content to the layout to the design of ads compared to all the other similar circulation papers in B.C. and Yukon,” she said. “As publisher, this is the one that means the most to me.”
The Northern View’s Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Seth Forward was also honoured with a nod in the Business Writing Excellence category for his three-part series “How will cruises impact Prince Rupert’s future?” The ran in the Dec. 14, 2023, Dec. 21, 2023 and Dec. 28, 2023 editions of The Northern View.
READ MORE: FEATURE STORY: How will cruises impact Prince Rupert’s future?
The feature was an in-depth, investigative examination of the cruise ship industry in Prince Rupert from its rapid growth to the current negative and positive impacts tens of thousands of passengers have on the city to the projected growth and challenges that will bring.
“Seth is a very good, determined young reporter who demonstrates a lot of insight into issues and the ability to dig into all aspects of a story,” said Thom Barker, regional editor for Black Press Media in northwest B.C.
“He showed a lot of initiative in identifying this as a major issue, pitching the story and bringing it to fruition with a full range of voices and solid research. He definitely deserves recognition for this work.”
Barker is also nominated along with Ash and Terrace multimedia sales consultant Owen Merrill in the Special Publications category for the 2023 Terrace Standard Progress Edition.
The Ma Murray Awards winners will be announced at a gala event in Vancouver on April 20.
Margaret “Ma” Murray was an American-Canadian newspaper editor, publisher, and columnist and the wife of newspaper publisher and British Columbia MLA George Murray.
She was invested as an Officer into the Order of Canada on March 31, 1971 “For her contribution to journalism and her spirited and outspoken interpretation of life in the interior of British Columbia, over many years.”