Arkansas Life, a monthly magazine published by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc., has been recognized nationally as the best niche product among newspapers in its circulation division in the 27th annual Excellence-in-Features Awards of the Society for Features Journalism.
Stories written by former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Cathy Frye placed first in two categories in the features journalism contest in the 90,000 to 199,999 circulation category, the Society for Features Journalism announced Tuesday.
Contest judges called Arkansas Life "[a] brilliantly executed magazine full of lively reads and beautiful photography.
"The interesting mix of topics and energetic writing styles make this a publication for all of the newspaper's readers," the judges said.
Distinction, a publication of The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., placed second in the niche product category in the same circulation division. The Baltimore Sun's B placed third, and the Kansas City Star's Ink received an honorable mention.
Frye, her photographer husband, Rick McFarland, and Democrat-Gazette Assistant Managing Editor for Design and Graphics Kirk Montgomery were awarded first place in the features series or project category for "The Other Side of Nowhere."
The series, written in the first person, recounted a hike in a southwest Texas state park that Frye and McFarland made that turned into a near-death experience for Frye after the couple got lost in the desert. After three days of wandering, Frye persuaded McFarland to go for help on his own. Searchers would not find her for another day and a half.
Another story by Frye won first place for best short feature, which recognizes "tight, bright writing of fewer than 1,000 words," according to the features journalism organization.
The story captured the emotions of a teenage tornado survivor as she searched the wreckage of her family's west Pulaski County home. The girl's father and two sisters were killed in the storm.
Contest judges praised the story's rich descriptive detail.
"You can almost feel the horror of this poor teenage girl as she sifts through the rubble of her home, but the story isn't maudlin or overwritten," the judges said.
Metro on 06/25/2015