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Floods coverage secures international accolade

The Evening Press at York has been recognised by its American owners for the way it handled the November floods crisis.

The paper has won an Innovator Drive for Excellence award to become one of only five prize-winners in the annual competition run by Gannett, owners of Newsquest.

The Evening Press is the only UK paper to have won an IDEA award.

Gannett’s citation recognises “leadership and service by the York Evening Press during England’s disastrous floods. The Great Floods swamped parts of Yorkshire last November and Newsquest’s York Evening Press was right in the middle of the emergency.

“From its coverage in the newspaper and on its website, to its determination to print and deliver the paper despite its own presses being threatened and hardships for staff, and its leadership in helping the city begin to rebuild, the Evening Press was more than equal to the task.”

At the height of the crisis, as well as the day-to-day coverage the paper produced two colour Great Floods of York supplements. The 30p cover price raised £3,000 towards flood relief fund.

Evening Press managing director Daphne Ellis hailed the award as a tremendous achievement and editor Liz Page (pictured right) said: “This is a tribute to all our staff who worked so hard during the crisis.”

The Evening Press’s entry took the form of a colour booklet charting the paper’s response to the floods crisis.

They charted the trail of havoc caused by the swollen rivers in the area, which have submerged Malton, Norton, Stamford Bridge – and eventually – York itself.

More than 14,000 copies were sold.

The company will receive a plaque and will be featured in the next edition of the group’s trans-Atlantic staff publication, Gannetteer.

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