General News
29 May, 2026
Best free paper in the state
CAIRNS Local News (CLN) has been judged the best free newspaper in Queensland.
The weekly publication, published every Friday, picked up the award at last week’s Queensland Country Press Association 2026 awards.
It follows the newspaper winning ‘overall journalistic team excellence award for a newspaper’ last year and in 2024.
Judge Dr Caroline Graham said Cairns Local News was “impressive as an all-rounder in this category”.
“The layout is clean and engaging, with clever regional headers clearly anchoring stories to their communities,” she said.
“It carries a strong mix of news and features and was notable for polished writing, excellent photography and a robust advertising profile, all of which is particularly impressive given the small editorial team covering such a broad geographic footprint.
“The letters to the editor and the publication of lively online debate in the print pages demonstrate the paper’s strong connection to its audience.”
Dr Graham said the award category was “wonderfully rich … with a large number of entries arriving from every corner of the state".
"It was a genuine delight to find them arriving in my post box," Dr Graham said.
“Each paper was produced with obvious care and pride, reflecting the distinct character of its community while also advocating on its behalf,” she said.
“The breadth of coverage was impressive, spanning hard news, local issues, events, human interest, sport, history and community storytelling.
“After the significant loss of so many local newspapers during COVID, it is particularly heartening to see so many start-up titles coming into their own as now established parts of their community, alongside legacy publications continuing to serve their communities with strength and purpose.”
CLN also picked up third place in ‘overall journalistic team excellence award for a newspaper’, which was won by Local Ipswich News and Local Redland Bayside News was second.
Strong coverage
Judge Peter Owen said CLN had “consistently strong coverage of local news, including sport, which sometimes is overlooked or underdone in some regions”.
“Picture quality is good and the captions often enhance the story-telling," he said.
“The editorial team covers local government well, as it should, but also focuses on the stories of ordinary people, which readers generally find just as interesting as council agendas.
“Quality of writing and news sense at a high level. A strong contender.”
The paper was third in best magazine or special publication for its Emergency Preparation Guide after CQ Today’s CQ Lifestyle spring edition and Burnett Today’s Touring the South Burnett.
Judge Darren Robinson said it was “a purposeful and community-focused publication that delivers highly relevant content in a clear, accessible format”.
“The structured layout supports ease of use and encourages readers to retain the guide for future reference," he said.
“It presents strong value for advertisers while playing an important role in informing and supporting the local community.
“Further enhanced inclusion of personalised local voices would strengthen the relatability.”
Finally, the website also received a bronze for ‘best online digital presence’ after Glasshouse Country and Maleny News (first) and Burnett Today (second).
Crisp website
Judges Professor Kristy Hess and Dr Alison McAdam said the CLN website was “clean, crisp and simple to navigate”.
“The introduction of a weekly newspaper wrap helps connect the content across mediums. A strong contender.”
Editor Nick Dalton said it was a tribute to a small team, all of whom were involved in the editorial side of the business, with sales representatives providing news tips, admin staff helping with proofing, a dedicated lay-out staffer and the owner who writes the occasional sports or general news story.
“We have a hardworking small journalism and contributors’ team bringing local stories to life,” he said.
“In the past year we have backed the ongoing campaign to save the Babinda pool, but unfortunately we were unsuccessful in stopping the Botanic Gardens Café and Restaurant from destruction.
“We have championed beloved trees, highlighted the filthy state of the CBD, reported in detail the long, drawn-out takeover bid of the city’s Reef Hotel Casino and helped save the decades-long Babinda Harvest Festival.”
