The Post-Signal took third place in Division 6 of the Texas Better Newspaper Contest for the work the newspaper published in 2025.
The Pilot Point paper came in behind the Uvalde Leader-News, which earned 875 points, and the Frio-Nueces Current out of Pearsall, which earned 550 points.
'We did not bring home any first-place plaques, but I am proud of the work our staff produced throughout the course of 2025,' Editor & Publisher Abigail Bardwell said. 'We faced competition from incredible fellow weekly publications, and we are proud for them of the recognition they received for excellent work.
'We see this as an opportunity to learn from what our colleagues have done well to continue to grow and develop our coverage of the communities we serve.'
The Post-Signal took second in four sweepstakes categories: feature photography, headline writing, page design and sports photography.
Of the entry for feature photography, the judge said, 'these photographs show a lot of heart and a close connection with the community.'
'The ‘Danny Dimes’ photo in particular conveyed so much emotion,' the judge said. 'Readers are wellserved by photos that reflect moments in their lives.'
The headline writing judge was also complimentary of the entries included, saying, 'Really good headline writing on display here; loved the 'gills' headline; ‘Glow again' a nice headline for a standalone image and good sports topper, too.'
The sports photography judge also highlighted the way the Post-Signal photographers captured fleeting moments.
'Some very big shots here, which shows the photographer is skilled and knows what a good picture is all about,' the judging remarks read. 'This makes it worth picking up an issue to see the sports both in print and in photo work.'
The paper also placed third in column writing, a sweepstakes category, and fourth in two other sweepstakes categories—advertising and feature writing.
About the feature writing submissions, a retirement feature about Harold Schon and a piece about the work BJ Wheeler and Shawn Dollar have done to increase blood donations in the Pilot Point area, the judge said both 'were well-written, and the retirement story stood out.'
For the first time in recent history, the Post-Signal entered a community service submission at the state level for its work in sponsoring and promoting the Pilot Point Health Fair, and the paper took third in the nonsweepstakes category behind the and the Gladewater Mirror.
'This is a great idea for folks to team up on,' the judge said. 'I appreciated seeing the ads as well as the news promotion and coverage. There’s such a need for health care resources in this country, so this project is tailor-made for community service.'
The contest results were shared at the close of the Texas Press Association 2026 Convention held at the Hyatt Regency DFW Airport Hotel from June 18 through Saturday.
The event began with an open government training session provided by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.
'That session was a great refresher concerning the laws around open meetings and public records,' Bardwell said. 'There were several issues that have come up in the recent past around the area that were covered during the course of the session.'
Also at the conference were sessions regarding the possible uses of artificial intelligence in journalism, postal changes, rural issues at the state level and the perspective of the local journalists who covered the deadly Kerr County flood.
'Hearing my fellow journalists recount the way they handled covering their friends and neighbors' experiences in the July 4 flood was heart-wrenching but also reaffirming,' Bardwell said. 'Community journalists feel the tragedies that affect the communities we serve because we are an integrated part of our towns.'
