PINCH garners top award from International Newspaper Association

CHICAGO — pinch, a free weekly publication produced by the Marketing Department of The Spokesman-Review, received the top award granted alternative newspaper publications published by newspapers of 75,000 to 300,000 in circulation. The award was announced here Friday, April 7 as part of the 2006 World Congress of the International Newspaper Marketing Association (INMA).

Second and third prizes in the alternative-newspaper category went to publications produced by the Providence (R.I.) Journal and the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman.

The award was one of 60 first-place awards granted in 20 award categories, with each category divided into three circulation divisions. The competition featured more than 1,045 entries from more than 160 newspapers in 29 countries. Judging for the 2006 competition was held Feb. 16 in Dallas, and conducted by 30 top executives with Dallas-area media companies, product marketers, and advertising agencies.

The judges cited pinch for excellence of design, readability, promotion and effectiveness as an advertising medium.

pinch is made available each week to households in Spokane County who do not subscribe to The Spokesman-Review, as well as to newspaper subscribers who request delivery of pinch with their Wednesday newspaper. Total distribution is about 70,000. pinch will soon be available on area newsstands, and an Internet facsimile of the publication is available on the Web at www. spokane.net.

pinch was launched by the paper in June 2005 when it replaced the newspaper’s previous non-subscriber product, Food, Etc.

The colorful weekly features food information, recipes, entertainment news, puzzles and occasional articles of local interest, along with classified, retail and grocery advertising. Its colorful cover was designed by Marketing Services and Advertising designers Klay Arsenault and Kerri Squires, under the direction of pinch associate publisher Kathleen Coleman and pinch‘s Senior Operating Executive Shaun O’L. Higgins. Editorial content is under the direction of pinch Managing Editor Tricia Jo Webster and weekly production is handled by Production Editor Peter Tormey. Advertising for pinch is handled by The Spokesman-Review advertising staff, and delivery by the newspaper’s Circulation department.

“We are extremely pleased that pinch has been recognized with this prestigious international award,” said Higgins. “Our collaborative team of designers and editors works hard to make each week’s pinch pleasant, fun and informative for readers — a ‘not quite newspaper’ that brightens their day, while serving the needs of advertisers who want to reach virtually any household in the county who wants it.”

Since its inception, pinch has grown in size from an average of eight pages to an average of 14 pages. “By year’s end, we expect to publishing 24 pages a week,” Higgins said.

For more information contact Shaun O’L. Higgins via e-mail at shaunh@spokesman.com.