The Bolivar Bullet receives accolades
The Bolivar Bullet won seven awards including two first place awards in the Mississippi Press Association’s Better Newspaper Media contest on Saturday, June 17, at the MPA Awards Luncheon at the Sheraton Flowood Refuge Hotel and Conference Center on Saturday, June 17, in Flowood.
The awards are a great accomplishment for a newspaper that rolled out it’s first edition on May 6, 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. The Bolivar Bullet opened its doors after The Bolivar Commercial closed its doors in April, 2020 after 104 years of operation.
Scott Coopwood, Publisher and Owner of The Bolivar Bullet, was excited about the awards and the power that print media still has in the communities in Mississippi.
“Community journalism in print is alive and well in Mississippi and all of the many awards our newspaper received as well as the other newspapers around the state is proof that small town newspapers work hard to deliver the news to their communities and stories that you cannot find on the Internet,” said Coopwood.
Sports Editor Andy Collier and graphic designer Maggi Masco won first place for Best Sports Page or Section in the All Weeklies Division.
One reviewer said, “Great Photos! Your layout and format are nice. The contest was good also.”
Collier won another first place for Best Sports Feature in Class C. The feature was titled, “Olemaha: Local fans travel to watch Ole Miss’ run in the World Series.
One reviewer noted, “I love the fan side of such an historic event. Each family’s reasons and memories add depth to the story and help produce a unique piece.”
Collier also received a second place citation in Best Sports Feature in Class C, The Bolivar Bullet Newspaper won third place for General Excellence in Class C, Coopwood won third place in General Interest Column in Class C, Collier took third in Sports News in Class C and Collier earned Honorable Mention in Sports Columns in the All Weekly Division.
“I’m very proud of Andy and our team here at our newspaper,” said Coopwood. “We’re very thankful that after the closing of the 104-year-old Bolivar Commercial back in April of 2020, Cleveland and Bolivar County have supported this new newspaper. That support has allowed us to keep a newspaper in the community and bring quality journalism to the place we all call home.”