Vanguard editorial among “Golden Dozen”

An editorial by Vanguard editor Fred A. Hatfield has been selected as one of the “Golden Dozen” in the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors annual editorial writing contest.

Each year the ISWNE selects 12 editorials from newspapers in the contest. This year there were 100 entries. The ISWNE has member editors throughout North America, England, Ireland, Australia, Japan, Scotland and New Zealand. Hatfield’s editorial was one of five selected from Canada.

His editorial appeared in the Vanguard’s March 27 edition last year and questioned a proposal put before the House of Assembly to declare the Sable Island pony the province’s official horse.

He wrote: “Our Legislature, like those in other provinces, is rarely without its comedic moments but dragging this issue to the House has got to be right up there among the things we have gotten along quite nicely without and could probably go a few more centuries without.”

The contest judge was Ben Burns, formerly of the Detroit News and now director of the journalism program at Wayne State University. Burns has also twice been a Pulitzer prize juror.

Commenting on Hatfield’s editorial Burns said: “Writing with humour is an art and this is perhaps the best example in the contest to make its point with a sense of the silly. It correctly suggests there are more important items that should be on the agenda than declaring a pony Nova Scotia’s official horse. And it ends up to a kicker that causes an involuntary chuckle in the reader and the sense of the absurdity of government.”

The last line in Hatfield’s editorial read: “….if you’re wanting to declare an official jackass, start looking in the House of Assembly, you’re sure to find one there.”

The Golden Dozen awards were presented at the ISWNE’s annual conference in Detroit, Michigan. One of the Golden Dozen writers receives the Golden Quill. This year’s winner of the quill was Melissa Hale-Spencer from Altamont, New York.