WORCESTER —
The Fifty Plus Advocate newspaper and its online partner, www.fiftyplusadvocate.com, was recognized for General Excellence among several first place honors they received at the at the 2013 annual convention of the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA) held in Buffalo, New York in late September.
In 11 competitive categories that the newspaper and website entered, they received 10 first place distinctions and one second place win.
The monthly newspaper, currently in its 39th year, was also recognized for Best of Show, for having the most winning entries, and Best Overall Design.
“This publication makes good use of its feature writing, columns and news articles to attract its audience,” the judges noted. “Readers are certainly well-informed on a variety of topics.”
Fifty Plus Advocate is published monthly by Fifty Plus Media, which is owned by Philip Davis, who founded the publication in 1975.
“To receive so many honors among your nationwide peers is positive reinforcement for all the hard work we have done,” said Davis. “I thank all my co-workers for their dedication. Our print and online 50+ media is more of a service to older Americans than anything else and this proves we are doing a very good job.”
Executive Editor, Sondra Shapiro, came in first place in the Senior Issues category for her columns: “Long-term care can bankrupt Americans” and “Early feminism didn’t prepare women for old age security.”
Noting the paper’s senior issues coverage, judges wrote, “A variety of voices on relevant topics such as health, well-being and money, as well as people-driven features, make this publication stand out.”
Staff reporter Brian Goslow was awarded first prize in the Feature Writing category for “Best Friends: What generation gap?” which looked at how today’s parents and children are closer than their predecessors; and in the Topical Issue category for “Foreclosures slam older Americans.”
The newspaper’s website, fiftyplusadvocate.com, won General Excellence honors for being “full of articles and helpful tips. … The plentiful content will keep readers returning for more.”
The publication’s 14th annual Elder Care Resource Guide won Special Section honors for providing readers with thorough listings of services for senior residents and articles that explore topics of high interest to older readers and their family members — selecting a nursing home, managing care from afar, veteran benefits for funeral costs and downsizing homes — and add considerable value for readers.
The newspaper’s art director, Susan J. Clapham, received accolades for Best Overall Design and Best Single Ad in both the color and black & white divisions, with judges noting, “The visuals are nicely woven together” and “effective design and content.”
NAMPA member publications were judged in various categories by an independent panel of experts from the University of Missouri School of Journalism generally considered one of the top journalism schools in the world.
NAMPA is composed of over 35 publications with a combined circulation of over two million readers in the United States and Canada. It is a non-profit association of publishers producing newspapers and magazines for the boomer and senior markets in the United States and Canada.
