TTNC Recognized by Delaware Press Association
3 Honors Received in DPA's 2022 Communications Contest... Plus, a Look Forward
A few weeks ago, just about one year after getting started with regular Facebook posts and occasional longer stories, I was pleasantly surprised and very grateful to receive notice that Town Topics: New Castle City had won three honors in the Delaware Press Association's 2022 Professional Communications Contest.
For subscribers, I offer a bit more detail than the posts you may have seen on social media… While there are already too many “I”s in this post for my liking and writing about myself feels unnatural, a year in and with a few milestones in tow, I wanted to give subscribers a glimpse behind the veil, and an idea of what is to come.
This post is really just for you - it will appear on the website for those who go directly to it, but will not be shared on social media.
First Up, the Awards
Town Topics: New Castle City won…
1st Place: Non-Profit/Educational Social Media Presence,
3rd Place: "Life Between the Cobblestones," a ‘personality profile’ about 'Teditor' Ted Joslin (whose fascinating story really wrote itself), and
Honorable Mention in the 'Specialty Article - Gov or Politics' category for TTNC’s very first full-length article, "An (Un)Common Trust."
Though they are not Firsts, I am especially proud of the two writing awards, having studied journalism a lifetime ago in high school and college, but not really practiced it since. Competition in these categories was genuinely tough, and it is an honor for me just to be on the same list as writers from my own go-to news outlets, like WHYY, Delaware Public Media and Out & About magazine, let alone to have placed.
I encourage you to check out some of last year’s incredible stories from the other winners in the same writing categories as TTNC:
“Fighting the Good Fight,” by Robert Yearick of Out & About Magazine - Greater Wilmington (Personality Profile, 1st Place)
“Wilmington woman’s relentless quest to hold police accountable for killing Black men,” by Cris Barrish of WHYY (Personality Profile, 2nd Place)
“Gov. Carney Visits UD’s Governor’s School for Excellence,” by Adam S. Kamras of the UD Division of Professional and Continuing Studies (Specialty Article - Gov / Politics, 1st Place), and
“How much & how to spend? Delaware small cities and towns have COVID relief questions,” by Larry Nagengast of Delaware Public Media (Specialty Article - Gov / Politics, 2nd Place).
In the Social Media Presence category, in the interest of full disclosure, it does not appear that @TownTopicsNCDE had any competition. However, the out-of-state professional journalists employed as judges by DPA are discouraged from giving awards to sole entrants unless “they feel it is of the excellence to merit a first [place award],” according to contest director Katherine Ward.
The judges looked at both content - which you’ve seen if you follow TTNC on Facebook - and metrics, which I’m happy to share a bit of now (all data 4/1/21-4/1/22):
29.5K - Total Reach (distinct individuals who’ve seen TTNC content)
431 - New Followers (for 686 total) on Facebook… Of these:
51% are residents of New Castle, and
63% are women, 37% are men.
Having won the state competition, TTNC’s social media presence will now be judged at the national level… so, fingers crossed.
“The purpose of the Delaware Press Association,” according to its mission statement, “is to promote and uphold the highest ideals and standards of journalism and communications, to encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences, to offer professional development opportunities, to recognize outstanding work and to coordinate” with the National Federation of Press Women, of which it is a member. DPA also offers members support in the form of networking, an array of online resources, and access to tools such as libel insurance.
I joined DPA last Summer in order to have access to those resources, but also just to support that mission. Independent journalism is a precious thing in an economy that rarely gives civic and community endeavors the value (and resources) they deserve, and in a media landscape dominated by players driven primarily by ratings and bottom lines. That’s part of why I am proud to work with The Weekly, and to live in a town that still has an independent, printed paper.
Future Goals & Topics
TTNC has more than served the goal I had when I first created the Facebook page after moving to Washington Park in 2019. I have learned so much about New Castle, its history and institutions, and had the chance to meet and speak with many passionate and interesting people who give a lot to the city.
This “community project,” as I have described it, has thus far been a mostly one-man operation, with the ‘community’ referring mainly to TTNC’s orientation toward providing local info and boosting organizations and events in town. With big thanks to the Topic Tipsters out there and those who’ve already contributed photos and other content, the future of this project is in even more community involvement and collaboration with other local creators. I want TTNC to be more participatory.
Though nothing is official yet, I’ve recently discussed either one-off or recurring contributions with two individuals I’d be excited for Town Topics: New Castle to provide a platform for. One is a local historian, the other a fellow recent transplant. Generally, aside from the fact that one person can quickly get stretched a bit thin, I want to highlight others’ New Castle stories and perspectives.
With only 5,551 residents according to the 2020 Census, New Castle enjoys a civic and cultural vibrancy rarely matched even in larger cities. Yet, without some effort, it can be difficult for new residents and those in the outer neighborhoods to know what institutions and organizations are around and what is going on. ‘Boosting the signal’ of local groups and institutions seeking to engage with people and helping residents and visitors alike to find what interests them about New Castle is important.
This is why I’m thrilled for TTNC to boost, applaud, record and share events like New Castle Community Partnership’s ‘On the Same Page: Your City & You’ speaker series, which was hosted at New Castle Public Library and concluded on Thursday. The videos from that event, plus a wealth of additional information, will be part of the next two posts you will see, a two-part Guide to Civic Life in New Castle that can stay on the website as a long lasting resource.
Other topics planned for this year or already in the works include:
birds-eye-views of New Castle’s best spots through partnership with a talented drone photographer,
monthly digest newsletters (starting in May or June) featuring big news from the past month, events coming up in the next month, exclusive short interviews, and more,
coverage of unfolding stories such as what the state-wide property tax reassessment will mean for New Castle, the city’s potential new municipal building, and developments from the Sea Level Rise Task Force, and
the unknown/untold histories of some of the ‘outer neighborhoods,’ starting with my own Washington Park.
On the structural side of things in 2022, I hope and plan to incorporate this project as a not-for-profit community publication (though doing so might require a name change). TTNC will never chase dollars or subscriptions, and if I ever do ‘turn on’ Substack’s paid subscriptions feature for those who choose to support the work, all content will remain free and all resources will go into back into the project.
Community journalism is not the road to riches, nor should it be. It’s also not about muckraking or pot-stirring, but rather just providing the information that citizens need in order to engage meaningfully in civic life. While that might entail ‘holding power to account’ when called for, most of the time it is much more basic - what’s happening, when and where, how to get involved - and not always exciting. But it is continuously rewarding to learn about and to share what’s great about New Castle and its community.
For the last year and what’s ahead, I have lots of gratitude… Huge thanks to Ted Joslin, who is an inspiration in addition to being a fascinating subject and easy to write about. Thanks also to Linda Ratchford, who gave a brand new local blogger his first serious interview. And to many other interviewees, sources, tipsters and others who’ve helped make this work possible. Thanks to my editors, and of course to you, the readers.
A Shameless Plug for the 80th Anniversary May Market, May 6-7, 2022
After moving to town in 2019, May Market was the first of New Castle’s traditional events that I went to, along with a greenthumb friend. The lively atmosphere, community spirit and abundance of pleasant people told us we were in the right place. This year, I’m excited to be helping with the publicity for May Market’s 80th Anniversary event! (Apologies if TTNC is a bit slower until it passes…)
For the 80th Anniversary, Arasapha Garden Club’s delightful co-chair, Linda Suskie (who also pens the Delmarva Backroads Blog and, more recently, Experiencing Route 66, among myriad other endeavors) has delved into the history of the event. She’ll share her fascinating findings in a Zoom Webinar on Wednesday, April 27 at 7pm.
Then, on the first weekend of May (coincidentally, my birthday weekend), May Market will be open Friday, 5/6 (12-5) and Saturday, 5/7 (9-3). To celebrate the 80th Anniversary, there will be an experienced fortune teller and a special book sale, both features of May Market in its earliest years. The book sale is being held by New Castle Library Friends, which always welcomes new members to become supporters of New Castle Public Library (another shameless plug, as I am a Friend - sorry, not sorry).
Please save the date and come out to Find the Unexpected - plants, herbs and donated home and garden treasures - at this historic annual event that raises funds to maintain New Castle’s historic gardens and Arasapha programming.
I hope you enjoyed this first post for Subscribers only - please feel free to offer feedback. And now, I happily return to namelessness behind the TTNC curtain. :D