LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
The Prairie Press recently earned multiple honors at the Illinois Press Association’s annual convention, including a second-place finish in the prestigious General Excellence competition among nondaily newspapers across Illinois.
The awards were presented June 4 during the Illinois Press Association convention in East Peoria, where more than 75 daily and nondaily newspapers competed in 39 editorial categories. The Hoosier State Press Association judged the almost 1,600 editorial entries for work done across the state in 2025.
The Prairie Press was recognized for excellence in journalism, photography, design and community coverage, earning multiple awards for published work, including a state-wide first-place prize for its page design.
Comments from members of the judging panel continually praised the work of Prairie Press writers and photographers for their dedication and “a strong focus on community, and local content, unmatched by many other papers.”
Exceptional praise was given to the Press’ lead writer, Victoria Leitch, who took home a half-dozen individual awards, including first prize for ‘spot news photography.’
“When I think of personality portraits, it’s photos like this one that come to mind,” a member of the judging panel commented. “Beautiful work.”
General Excellence is considered one of the Illinois Press Association’s highest honors, with evaluation focusing on the overall quality of a newspaper rather than a single story or project. Last year, the Press took home a third-place award in this category.
“This continual recognition reaffirms our commitment to our community and the need for a paper focused on and for our county,” Prairie Press publisher Bethany Wagoner said. “I am exceptionally proud of our dedicated staff who put their heart and soul into their work every day. Awards like this are only possible because of an incredible staff.”