A Brief History of the Tidewater Review

The Tidewater Review newspaper is an award-winning growing weekly newspaper located in West Point, Virginia. First published in 1889 as the Plain Dealer by Rev. C.L. Morrison, the Tidewater Review is proud to provide continuous coverage of news in the counties of King William, New Kent, King & Queen, and the Town of West Point.

Although the name has changed over time, the Tidewater Review’s dedication to the areas it serves and its goal of providing quality, community journalism remains the same. The May 1, 1903 fire that destroyed most of West Point’s business district claimed the newspaper office as well. Still, the newspaper never missed a week of publication. Later in the year the plant was rebuilt with the installation of the first linotype and power press to be put into operation in West Point.

In 1928 the newspaper was renamed the Tidewater Review and has continued as such under several different owners and editors. Robin Lawson was named editor in 1998.

In 2001 the Daily Press Inc., a subsidiary of Tribune Co., bought the entire Virginia division of Chesapeake Publishing, which included the Tidewater Review and the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg, and pledged to preserve the competitive spirit of news and advertising between the newspapers. Under Daily Press ownership, improvements in technology and printing enhanced the look of the paper, including wider application of color. Internal improvements extended throughout all departments to improve workflow and productivity.

The Weekly News seen above became The Tidewater Review in 1928	The Tidewater Review has been the source for local news since before WWII.

Tidewater Review staff wins for writing, photography & design

Frances Hubbard, Robin Lawson, and Amy Jo Martin (left to right)

The Tidewater Review came away with 10 awards in the categories of writing, photography and design in the annual Virginia Press Association journalism competition for work produced by its editorial staff last year.

The results were announced at the Virginia Press Association Awards Banquet in Virginia Beach on Saturday, March 14. The VPA received 3,153 total entries from 107 publications for this year’s contest, which was judged by the Indiana Press Association. Daily and weekly newspapers throughout the state compete in categories based on their circulation size.

Staff Writer Frances Hubbard won second place in education writing for her thorough coverage of King William County Schools. Judges said her entries “tackled subject matters that have a wide impact on the readers.” In government writing, Hubbard won second place for her “nice mixture of government action and real-family impact” and being able to take an “otherwise boring agenda item and make it hit home for the readers,” judges said.

Hubbard also took second place in feature series or continuing story, second place in page design, and second place in health, science and environmental writing for which judges said she “demonstrates a great ability to interact with subjects.” Hubbard's editorials on law enforcement, local government, and the Indians’ federal recognition struggle won her third place and accolades from the judges. “She stood up for people and issues, and gave them a voice on their own when they might not otherwise have had one,” they said. “She was very concise and to the point, yet she still managed to evoke feelings and be convincing.”

Hubbard was commended as well by judges for her captivating coverage of historian Robert Selig’s belief that Washington and Rocham-beau traveled a different route to their victory at Yorktown in 1781. For this, she won third place in general news writing.

Editor Robin Lawson won first place for her general news photo of the Army National Guard’s return to West Point in July last year, which judges said captured “a real moment.” Lawson also won first place for the newspaper’s “compelling” headlines that judges said “make readers want to learn more.”

For her breaking news story of a driver who died in a police chase, Lawson won third place. “This was a concise, easily understandable account of a car accident. The sidebar recalled a similar accident years earlier, which was a bonus and gave the story context,” judges noted.

Lawson and staff writer Amy Jo Martin, along with Virginia Gazette Editor Rusty Carter and Gazette staff writer Amanda Kerr, won third place in public safety writing in the Virginia Gazette’s competition category for their collaborative work on the botched Lanexa drug robbery, which resulted in the death of a Williamsburg teen. Judges commended them for their “good investigative work, clear concise narrative, and...good presentation of a controversial issue.”

“Some journalists might have backed off too easily,” they noted.