The Crittenden Press has won the 2022 Al Smith Award for public service through community journalism by Kentuckians.
According to the Kentucky Press Association, Chris and Allison Evans own the Marion newspaper in a town of 3,000 and a county population of 9,000. Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues in the University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism and Media said this is one of the smaller newspaper markets but The Press shows that a paper doesn’t have to be big to be good.
Cross added that The Crittenden Press has long been a standout paper in West Kentucky, from the days when Allison’s family, the Micks, owned it. He noted it has always punched above its weight and set an example for others to follow. The Institute presents the Smith Award with the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Chapter President Tom Martin said that the Press is the embodiment of a vital community newspaper.
The Kentucky Press Association pointed out The Crittenden Press was an early adopter of online journalism, as evidenced by its URL; during a major ice storm in 2009, Editor-Publisher Chris Evans ran it on generator power and published a special news flyer with updates on electricity status and aid stations.
The Smith Award is named for the late Albert P. Smith, Jr., who was the driving force for creation of the Institute, headed its advisory board and was its chair emeritus until his death in March 2021 at the age of 94. He published newspapers in Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, was founding producer and host of KET’s “Comment on Kentucky,” and federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. He was reportedly the first winner of the award.
The award will be presented to the Evans at the Al Smith Awards Dinner on November 3 at the Embassy Suites Lexington.
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