The Green Eyeshades have recognized the very best journalism in the southeastern United States since the 1950s. Run by Southerners from the Society of Professional Journalists, journalists in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia can enter their work.

Up & Coming Weekly is pleased to announce first and third-place wins in several categories for our non-daily print reporting.

Publisher Bill Bowman’s editorial collection won first place for Editorial Writing. His editorials tackled local politics, the chamber of commerce, downtown Fayetteville, the Arts Council, and lack of local news.

“Honest editorial and opinion writing are crucial aspects of good journalism, and this has always been Up & Coming Weekly's commitment to the Fayetteville community. We are extremely proud of these awards and recognition by peers in our industry,” said Bowman.

“Bad news comes in three” was one of the publisher pens submitted for the award. The article can be found at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/8999-bad-news-comes-in-three.

“I believe honest editorial and opinion pieces disclose viewpoints and expose potential biases upfront. This kind of transparency and awareness allows our readers to evaluate information within the context of the perspective, enabling them to make informed judgments, much to the chagrin of several local government officials,” Bowman said.

Columnist Margaret Dickson received first place for Serious Commentary. Her columns touched on national politics, redistricting and book banning.

“Ostriches put their heads in the sand out of fear,” was one of the columns submitted for the award. The story can be found online at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/8969-ostriches-put-their-heads-in-the-sand-out-of-fear.

Dickson’s collection of columns also received first place for Opinion Writing from the Association of Community Publishers.

“Journalists who are honest about their opinions build trust with their audience and are held accountable for the accuracy and fairness of their work. If we wrote it, we own it! This is what we do and it continues to be our newspaper's commitment and contribution to the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community,” Bowman said.

Staff Writer Kathleen Ramsey took home third place for Feature Writing for her article, “Curate Essentials: An herbal apothecary and boutique in the heart of Haymount Hill.” The story can be found online at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/entertainment/8882-curate-essentials-an-herbal-apothecary-and-boutique-in-the-heart-of-haymount-hill.

This article also won third place for Business Writing from the North Carolina Press Association.

Assistant Editor Hannah Lee took home third place for General News Reporting for her coverage of Fort Bragg. Some of the coverage included the NATO Deployments in 2022, the renaming of Fort Bragg into Fort Liberty, and the Armed Services YMCA food pantry located on post.

“Deployments underway for thousands of Fort Bragg troops” was one of the articles submitted for the award. It can be found online at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/local-news-briefs/8380-deployments-underway-for-thousands-of-fort-bragg-troops.