Wise County Messenger Wins Top Honors at Journalism Contest

Local newspaper takes home Sweepstakes award with nine first-place wins.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 5:50pm

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A grid of brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen prints of a stack of newspapers, conceptually representing the Wise County Messenger's recognition for excellence in community journalism.The Wise County Messenger's award-winning journalism is celebrated through a vibrant pop art interpretation.Decatur Today

The Wise County Messenger was named the top newspaper in its category at the North and East Texas Press Association's annual convention, taking home the Sweepstakes award with nine first-place wins across a variety of journalism categories.

Why it matters

The Messenger's strong performance at the prestigious regional journalism contest highlights the high-quality reporting, photography, and community engagement efforts of this local news outlet, which serves readers in Wise County, Texas.

The details

Competing in the large weekly division, the Messenger accumulated the most points of any division to claim the Sweepstakes crown. The newspaper's first-place awards included general excellence, column writing, feature photo, feature story, headline writing, news writing, news photo, sports coverage, as well as the NETPA Community Service Award and Sports Photographer of the Year.

  • The NETPA annual convention was held April 9–11, 2026 in Pilot Point, Texas.
  • The Messenger won Sweepstakes and multiple first-place awards at this year's convention.

The players

Wise County Messenger

A local newspaper serving readers in Wise County, Texas.

Austin Jackson

Editor of the Wise County Messenger, who won first place in news writing, column writing, headline writing, and feature photo.

Brian Knox

Special projects manager at the Wise County Messenger, who co-authored a first-place feature story.

Brendan Marchand

Assistant editor at the Wise County Messenger, who co-won first place in news photo and placed third in News Photographer of the Year.

Micah McCartney

Sports editor at the Wise County Messenger, who was named NETPA's Sports Photographer of the Year.

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The takeaway

The Wise County Messenger's strong performance at the NETPA journalism contest demonstrates the high caliber of local reporting, photography, and community engagement efforts that this small-town newspaper provides to its readers. The Messenger's multiple first-place wins across a range of categories highlight its commitment to excellence in local journalism.