The Rotherham Advertiser has been named as the regions best newspaper and awarded the Weekly Newspaper of the Year title at the O2 media awards for Yorkshire and Humber 2011.

Judges from regional and national newspapers, television and radio described the Advertiser as an excellent local paper and it has beaten the Yorkshire Evening Post (which won the title of Daily Newspaper of the Year) in  winning the overall  best newspaper in Yorkshire and the Humber. The judges selection was based on all round appeal  and for excellence in news, sport and features. They also praised the way the paper interacted with readers and for providing a superb package at a value for money price.

Congratulations everyone at The Advertiser. I do agree that the paper is good value for money – there’s not a lot you can get for 60p after all.  It has a variety of news, stories and features that appeal to a range of people and tastes.

Just the “interaction with readers” bit sticks in my throat somewhat.

If what is meant by this is competitions, talking with local people and reporting community events, then The Advertiser does that. But how the “Letters to the Editor” are chosen to be printed appears to becoming more politically motivated as each week goes by. No doubt it will be classed by some as ‘sour grapes’ on my part as it’s a while since a letter of mine was printed – though I continue to write faithfully on a number of issues.

But it rankles to continually see published letters from Alice Rodgers  who’s ethics and motives I have questioned on many occasions.

Michael Conlon who failed to be elected as an independent councillor at the last election now writes about hoping the electorate will vote for the Socialist Worker Party.

It is not surprising that Maltby people could be confused and concerned about what is happening to their town when these two attempt to have the monopoly on Maltby’s published opinion verified by The Advertiser.