Europe's most innovative newspaper 2006: De Morgen

Dusseldorf/Frankfurt/Zurich/Salzburg (ots) - In this year Europe's
best newspapers come from Belgium, Norway, Finland, Portugal and
Spain. 287 newspapers from 26 countries participated in the eighth
European Newspaper Award.

As the four main newspaper genres such as national paper, regional
paper, local paper and weekly differ considerably, they are awarded
by the jury separately so that four chief awards can be presented
each year.

Europes best newspapers in 2006 are:

Europe's Best Newspaper
Category: National Paper
De Morgen, Belgium

Europe's Best Newspaper
Category: Regional Paper
Bergens Tidende, Norway

Europe's Best Newspaper
Category: Local Paper Plus
Hufvudstadbsladet, Finland

Europe's Best Newspaper
Category: Weekly
Expresso, Portugal

Europe's Best Newspaper
Judges' Special Recognition
Superdeporte, Spain

In this largest newspaper competition in Europe the design as well
as the concept are honoured. The European Newspaper Award aims at the
improvement of the exchange of information concerning newspaper
design and concept within Europe and the contribution of new and
creative solutions.

In the results of the eighth competition the trend to tabloid
format is documented: three of the main winners are in the tabloid
format, two in Berlin format.

The eight members of the jury come from seven different countries:
Spain, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and
Germany. The members are journalists, scientists and designers:

- Prof. Joachim Blum, media consultant, Germany
- Theo Dersjant, Fontys School of Journalism, Tilburg, The
Netherlands,
- Sylvia Egli von Matt, director of MAZ - Swiss Journalist School,
Luzern, Switzerland
- Javier Errea, University Pamplona, Spain,
- Martin Huisman, "De Morgen", Belgium,
- Walter Jensen, "Bergens Tidende", Norway,
- Annette Milz, editor-in-chief "Medium Magazin", Germany,
- Anna Sundkvist, "Östersunds Posten", Sweden, (Jury members don't
judge their own newspaper.)

The European Newspaper Award has been founded and is organized by
the newspaper designer Norbert Küpper, Meerbusch, Germany. He
cooperates with the jornalists' magazines "Medium Magazin",
Frankfurt, Germany, "Der Österreichische Journalist", Salzburg,
Austria and "Schweizer Journalist", Wilen bei Wil, Switzerland.

The Targets
The competition has established itself quite well as it fulfils
various functions:

- Forge of ideas: Publications of the awarded pages in the
yearbooks of the competition and on the home page
www.newspaperaward.org will encourage creativity and the search
for new ideas.
- External effect: Newspapers will report about the awards they
have won and, thereby, underline their own high standards. In
doing so, they also advertize their own publication.
- Internal effect: The award certificates will certainly be put up
in many publishing houses and, thus, motivate the employees.

Awards of Excellence
Awards of Excellence were given to 91 newspapers in 18 countries.
A detailed list of all winners is available at www.newspaperaward.org

European Newspaper Congress
The presentation of the awards will take place in April or May
2007 at the "European Newspaper Congress" in the City Hall of Vienna.

Details about the main winners of the eighth competition:

De Morgen, Belgium
Europe's Best Newspaper in the category national newspaper.

De Morgen has a circulation of 60.000 and is nationwide published
in Belgium. This paper has been changed from Broadsheet to Berlin
format. With the new format a very modern and unique page-layout has
been introduced. The front page highlights a lot of themes and
persons and also on inside pages a lot of innovative ideas can be
seen. De Morgen has 70 writers, 6 photographers and 11 layouter.

Jury Statement
The front page alone is a most distinguishing feature with the
Belgian newspaper De Morgen and sets it apart from other newspapers
the jury has examined. Page one is marked by a much varied layout and
a great number of small news elements. Often the masthead is placed
near the centre of the page. On inside pages the generous page makeup
for double pages is very convincing. Photographic sizes and cuts are
exemplary on all pages, service boxes help to structure long
articles.
On the whole, with its new layout De Morgen creates a youthful,
positive and future-oriented image. More cannot possibly achieved
with the means of newspaper design, namely colours, typefaces and
photos.

Bergens Tidende, Norway
Europe's Best Newspaper in the category regional newspaper.

This newspaper has a circulation of 87.000. It has been changed to
tabloid format in September 2006. The jury liked very much the work
with white space through all sections of the newspaper. Because of
the tabloid format and the white space this newspaper comes close to
a daily published magazine. Bergens Tidende has 100 writers, 13
photographers, 15 layouter and 3 designer.

Jury Statement
Bergens Tidende stands out against all other regional papers
submitted to the competition by their use of white space - not only
in the culture, sport or fashion section, but also and most
consciously on news pages. Because of its tabloid format and the
generous white space this newspaper looks very much like a magazine.
In future we will certainly see more of those newspapers in this
North European style.

Hufvudstadsbladet, Finland
Europe's Best newspaper, category local plus.

Hufvudstadsbladet is published in Finland, however in Swedish
language. Two third of the circulation is concentrated in the
Helsinfors metropolitain area, but one third is sold all over
Finland. So Hufvudstadsbladet can be named a local, regional and
nationwide published newspaper. To mention this unique situation the
name of the category of the competition is "local plus". The
newspaper has a circulation of 50.000 copies. The circulation raised
slightly since the conversion to the Tabloid format in the year 2004.
Hufvudstadsbladet has 52 journalists, 4 photographers and 8 layouter.

Jury Statement
Hufvudstadsbladet is a Scandinavian newspaper at its best: Their
main focus is on functionality, which means clarity, visual
exactitude and perfect readability. Especially as regards their
reader guidance, Hufvudstadsbladet is extraordinary: New sections are
opened with a larger section head and a gallery with brief news in
the masthead area. Their design exudes modernity as well as
relaxation. It is certainly optimally geared towards their readers.

Expresso, Portugal
Europe's Best Newspaper in the category weekly newspaper.

Expresso is published in Portugal and has a circulation of
130.000. It's a typical weekly newspaper. The paper is divided in two
sections: politic and business. Expresso has 75 writers, 13
photographers and 13 layouter.

Jury Statement
Expresso's concept is to inform the readers about recent und
future events: What happened in the past week and what is going to
happen in the coming week? Sectional headlines are: politics,
education, reportage, science, media, sport - just to name a few
examples. Two additional magazines complete the range of information
offered to the reader: "actual" provides a survey of exhibitions,
theatre, music, books, TV, and cinema; the glossy magazine "Única"
deals with fashion, lifestyle and travelling.

Superdeporte, Spain
Judges' Special Recognition

Superdeporte is a local sport newspaper in tabloid format. The
newspaper is published in Valencia, Spain. Circulation 2004: 12.893,
Circulation 2006: 13.009. Superdeporte has 32 writers, 5
photographers and 6 layouter.

Jury Statement
The sports newspaper is marked by its attention to detail, since
each article is added with extra information like facts, tables,
figures and citations, which in turn fill the readers with anything
they could possibly take in about local sports activities. Should
anyone be of the opinion that local sport journalism is boring or
that news on local sports are not read, they would be well advised to
subscribe to Superdeporte. There is no better way to report sports
events than in Superdeporte's creative, exciting and stimulating
articles.

More information:
Norbert Küpper
Büro für Zeitungsdesign
Gutenbergstraße 4
40670 Meerbusch
phone: 02159 911615
mail: nkuepper@zeitungsdesign.de
homepage: www.newspaperaward.org

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