This category is for the community or rural newspaper that demonstrates the most substantial improvement in quality and relevance to its readers across all media platforms available to it.

This award is judged on innovation and success in responding to challenges, not on greatest resources or highest circulation.

Entries to this category are automatically entered for Newspaper of the Year as well. It is not necessary to submit two entries.

Who can enter

All News Limited community, free or rural newspapers (except The Weekly Times and mX) are eligible for this award.

For the purposes of this award, Community Newspapers are every masthead in the following groups:

• Cumberland-Courier
• Leader 
• Quest 
• Messenger
• North Queensland Newspapers (except the Townsville Bulletin)
• Cairns Post Group (except The Cairns Post) 
• Davies Bros (except the Mercury and Sunday Tasmanian) 
• Gold Coast Publications (except The Gold Coast Bulletin) 
• Nationwide News NT (except the Northern Territory News and Sunday Territorian) 
• WA Community

In addition, the following mastheads may compete in this category:

Centralian Advocate, The Echo (Geelong) and Geelong News

Criteria

Improvements to the masthead need to be demonstrated by a combination of: 

• News breaking and campaigning in the public interest 
• Engagement with the community on important public issues 
• Original and leading coverage 
• Performance as a multi-platform publisher 
• Business innovation to meet the challenges of circulation and readership and to strengthen the brand 
• Best use of available resources and talent development 
• Design, layout and artwork in print and online 
• Level of improvement in past 12 months

What to submit 

1. A supporting statement of up to 1200 words, plus any relevant supporting documentation, to show how the entry meets the selection criteria, 
2. Two copies of your newspaper from within the judging period. These may be two copies of the same edition, or separate editions from different dates.

Your paper’s website address or links – if applicable - should be provided in your supporting statement.

Please send newspaper copies ONLY in the internal mail (where this service is provided) to News Awards, c/o Corporate Affairs, Level 5, News Limited, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010.

Important note to editors

Your supporting statement provides the context to judge your entry. It is the most important element of your submission. You need to be detailed and specific in addressing how your paper meets the criteria. Your entry is not judged on the quality of the printed newspaper alone and will be assessed on your innovation and use of other available platforms to increase penetration of your potential audience. Please include details of how your newspaper had a competitive advantage over not just print rivals but also other media outlets and websites.

Who can nominate

Entries for Community Newspaper of the Year must be lodged by editors, editors-in-chief or divisional managing directors.