Maine's biggest paper gets beat in competition

By Ted Cohen

Maine's largest paper was eclipsed in two top newspaper contest categories by a smaller daily in the central part of the state.

The Lewiston Sun Journal beat out the Portland Press Herald as Maine's best newspaper in competition sponsored by the Maine Press Association.

The contest judges, who hailed from the Tennessee Press Association, wrote the Sun Journal had the “best use of headlines and storytelling."

The Press Herald didn't even place in the general-excellence category.

The Kennebec Journal placed second to the Sun Journal, while the Bangor Daily News placed third.

The Portland paper wasn't even mentioned by the contest judges.

The Press Herald also lost in the journalist-of-the-year contest, to Bangor, whose reporter, Callie Ferguson, won the top prize.

The contest winners were announced Saturday during the association's annual convention.