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 state awards for writing, photography & design;
Honored as one of best weeklies in Virginia

WEST POINT – The Tidewater Review came away with 17 awards in the categories of writing, photography and design in the annual Virginia Press Association (VPA) journalism competition for work produced by its editorial staff last year. The newspaper also received the 2009 Sweepstakes Award for publications with a circulation up to 5,000, honoring it as one of the best weeklies in the Commonwealth.

The results were announced at the Virginia Press Association Awards Banquet in Roanoke on Saturday, March 20. The VPA received 3,140 total entries from 101 publications for this year’s contest, which was judged by the Pennsylvania Press Association. Daily and weekly newspapers throughout the state competed in different categories based on their circulation size.

Staff Writer Frances Hubbard won first place for her “No Bull” pictorial photo, first place in headline writing, first place in page design, and first place in health, science, and environmental writing for her “good, solid reporting,” judges said.

Hubbard also won first place for her public safety writing. “Frances does a fine job in gathering the key info that is helpful to readers for these types of stories. Frances also effectively pairs this info with supplementary quotations and commentary from experts, especially in her leads. The result is a well-crafted, easy-to-read, informative story that amounts to a beneficial reader service,” the judges said.

For her in-depth and investigative reporting on the King William Reservoir project, Hubbard won first place. Judges said she did “a good job keeping relevant an issue that's faced a community for 20 years.”

“Hubbard reports timely news, but also enterprises the subject. In the end, the project fails, and Hubbard is right there delivering the news,” they noted.

Editor Robin Lawson won second place for the paper’s front page design. Judges said she paid “a lot of attention to the lead package on each front page” and displayed “good use of photos and graphics.”

Lawson also won second place in headline writing, second place in picture story or essay for her feature of the YMCA’s “Young at Heart” exercise class, and second place for her breaking news photo during the November Nor’Easter.

Staff Writer Amy Jo Martin won second place for her pictorial photo of New Kent County’s Relay for Life, second place in government writing, and third place in in-depth or investigative reporting for her coverage of a botched robbery. “She follows the story well, and reports thoroughly,” judges said.

Martin also won third place in health, science and environmental writing, and third place in education writing. She was commended by the judges for keeping the community informed.

“It's not a glamorous job, but someone has to go to school board meetings while the rest of the world watches American Idol. Martin does a good job of keeping residents informed about important issues,” they noted.

Together, Hubbard and Martin won first place for lifestyle or entertainment pages.

The Sweepstakes Award is given to one publication in each competing category signifying the winning of more prizes for writing, photography, artwork, presentation and multimedia. To qualify for the sweepstakes, a publication must have won at least one point in each of the competition’s three major areas – writing, art/photography and presentation. The Tidewater Review won with 43 out of a possible 184 points in a field of 14 newspapers. The newspaper led its group in writing and news presentation. The Tidewater Review also won the award in 2007.

Its sister publication, The Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg, also won the Sweepstakes Award for its circulation size with 31 out of a possible 190 points in a field of 17 newspapers. The Gazette led its group in news presentation.

Frances Hubbard ------------------------Robin Lawson --------------------------Amy Jo Martin