TOP PRESS SERVICE AWARDS GIVEN

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 10, 1992                   TAG: 9202100067
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium
TOP PRESS SERVICE AWARDS GIVEN
The top community service awards of the Virginia Press Association have been awarded to The Daily News Leader of Staunton, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk and Anita Shelburne of The Daily Progress of Charlottesville.
The awards were presented Saturday night at the association's winter meeting.
The Virginian-Pilot won one of two W.S. Copeland Awards for journalistic integrity and community service, the sweepstakes award for overall excellence in its circulation category and three of four best-in-show awards given to daily newspapers.
The association also presented sweepstakes awards to the publications earning the most points in each of seven circulation groups. The Pilot was the winner for daily papers with circulation greater than 50,000.
The Staunton and Norfolk newspapers won the 42nd annual W.S. Copeland Awards for journalistic integrity and community service; Shelburne won the fifth annual D. Lathan Mims Award for editorial leadership.
The Daily News Leader was chosen from among three entries in the Copeland's under-30,000 circulation group; The Virginian-Pilot led the field of four entries in the over-30,000 circulation group. Shelburne was the winner from among seven entries.
The Copeland competition was judged by Martin L. Gibson, professor of journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. In citing the achievements of The Daily News Leader, Gibson wrote that the newspaper "did the job that must have been envisioned in establishing criteria for the W.S. Copeland Award."
Of The Virginian-Pilot's entry, Gibson wrote, "This embodies the qualities that all good newspapers strive for. The newspaper fulfilled its obligation to serve the public trust with news and editorials on issues of importance to the community.
"The entry dealt with four subjects: a mayor's maneuverings, indictment, conviction and ouster; a school superintendent's ouster for nepotism and other problems; police brutality; and the clearing of a convicted man's name."
For the second consecutive year, the Virginia News Photographers Association chose Bill Tiernan of The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star as photographer of the year.
Judges picked winners from 554 entries in 15 categories Friday night at the annual print competition. Sixty-five photographers competed this year.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB