General News
6 June, 2025
Paper rated the best
CAIRNS Local News (CLN) has again won the ‘overall journalistic team excellence award for a newspaper’ at the 2025 Queensland Country Press Association awards.
The weekly paper also picked up the award last year.
Judge Celine Foenander congratulated the CLN team for “producing an outstanding series of publications”.
“Your storytelling from the front page to the back informed, inspired and connected your communities and your commitment to highlighting local voices shone through.” she said.
“There are multiple elements enhancing the reader’s experience:
Simple layout and story flow
The use of subheads
The headers highlighting the story’s location and within longer stories to break up copy throughout the publication are an asset
Large, bold straps and page headings to highlight features.”
Ms Foenander was also impressed with the “clean layout, great use of headers to break up long copy, regions/towns/suburbs clearly identified”.
“Nice looking letters page which combines online comments. Good, strong local content. ’Golden casket’ story was a standout. Well done
“The Cyclone Jasper follow-up displayed a high-level of community advocacy and the personal stories were sensitively covered. Keep telling the stories that matter.”
CLN was rated third best free newspaper after Noosa Today and Redland Bayside News.
Judges Dr Kristy Hess and Alison McAdam said a “clean, modern design of the Cairns Local News helped it stand out from the crowd”.
“We were impressed with the list of staff on page two, with names, photos and contact details making the newspaper easily accessible to its readers,” they said.
CLN was judged second for best online digital presence after the Burnett Today paper.
Judge Celine Foenander said it was “great to see the work to convince your advertisers there is a place for them on your online platforms”.
“And, of course, you get them – and the public – to your platforms by delivering up-to-date and engaging content,” she said.
“Good luck with the exclusive content hub – will be great to see how it works in a regional city like yours.”
CLN editor Nick Dalton said winning again was a tribute to the small team who were passionate about the paper and the community of Cairns.
“We make no apologies for emphasising local in everything we do,” he said.
“Everything in the paper and online is focused on local stories.
“Grassroots journalism is what we do best.
“We were the first print media to report the retirement village rate rises which have become a major community campaign and picked up by other news organisations.
“Our story about the future of the Great Pyramid Race in doubt after Woolworths pulled its major sponsorship sparked a rethink by the supermarket giant for this year but others are expected to fill the void in coming races.”
