Oxford Free Press takes home nine awards in statewide contest

The Oxford Free Press has won nine awards in the Ohio News Media Association’s (ONMA) 2025 Osman C. Hooper Competition on April 3, including two first place wins. This was the first year of the newspaper’s eligibility.

The Hooper Awards honor work produced by nondaily print publications across Ohio. The Free Press participated in Division B for papers with circulations below 2,000.

At this year's awards ceremony, two dozen publications made more than 700 submissions across both divisions.

Founding Editor Sean Scott and designer Macey Chamberlin took home first place wins in in-depth reporting and newspaper design respectively. Taylor Stumbaugh, the Free Press’ first intern, won third place in in-depth reporting for her story covering affordable housing developments in Oxford. James Rubenstein, the Free Press' founding board president, took home a third place award for his work designing advertisements.

Chamberlin, who creates the full layouts for every edition of the Free Press, took home an additional third place award for page design. Scott won additional second and third place awards in the local profile, news reporting, sports feature and headline categories.

As a 501(c)(3)-registered nonprofit organization, the Oxford Free Press relies on the charitable support of our readers to keep producing our award-winning journalism. You can support our mission by signing up to make a recurring donation here or by making a one-time contribution through this link. The Free Press also accepts donations via check to P.O. Box 857, Oxford, OH 45056.

For a more detailed look at our award-winning stories from the past year, follow the links below.

First Place Newspaper Design and Third Place Page Design: Macey Chamberlin

Designer Macey Chamberlin laid out hundreds of pages of content across 23 print editions in 2024. Her work earned her two awards: first place in newspaper design and third place in page design, an award for a specific layout. The judges highlighted Chamberlin's use of large photos throughout the paper, as well as information boxes which added flare.

First Place In-Depth Reporting: Uncondemned

Our most-read news story of 2024 took a deep look into the history of one Uptown property and what it revealed about the tension between historic preservation and economic development. Scott placed first in in-depth reporting for his work on "Uncondemned." The story took more than a month to complete and incorporates a variety of multimedia elements, from a photo slider to an interactive timeline.

Third Place In-Depth Reporting: Affordable housing developments

As Oxford's Habitat for Humanity development off of Hester Road neared completion last August, our intern Taylor Stumbaugh took a look at the city's future plans for affordable housing developments in town. Stumbaugh went door to door to speak to current residents at Reckford Woods and followed up with both city and nonprofit officials, and her work ultimately earned her a third-place finish in the in-depth reporting category.

Like all news, Stumbaugh's story was a snapshot in time. Since its publication, one of the housing developments she's written about has fallen through, while another has moved forward. We continue to write about housing policy and homelessness regularly at the Free Press.

Second Place Best News Story: Resignation from Talawanda Board prompts search for new member

Last September, the Free Press broke the story that Talawanda board member David Bothast was resigning from his position, citing personal attacks on his family. After our breaking coverage the day of his resignation, Scott wrote a follow-up piece explaining the circumstances that led to Bothast's resignation and what would come next. That follow-up won second place in the Best News Story category.

Second Place Best Sports Feature: Oxford Brave Field Hockey enters second season as club team

After Talawanda failed to pass a levy in 2022, budget cuts led to the cutting of the school's field hockey team. In 2023, a group of parents and students started Oxford Brave Field Hockey as a club alternative to preserve access to the sport, and the club entered its second season last summer. Scott caught up with several parents and students about their experience with field hockey for his feature on the team, which ultimately won second place in the Best Sports Feature category.

Second Place Best Headline: Uptown alley abuzz with activity as artists paint honeycomb mural

One of the most visible changes Uptown in 2024 was the addition of the Oxford Hive Mural on two alley walls near High Street. Scott's feature on the artwork incorporated multiple photos and interviews, but it was the headline featuring a bee pun which won recognition at the Hooper Awards. Scott won second place in the Best Headline category for his work.

Joe Prescher, the main artist behind the mural, was named Oxford Citizen of the Year for his efforts. That honor was first announced in the Oxford Free Press this January.

Third Place Best Local Profile: Oxford parent shares daughter's journey with cognitive testing in new book

Louisa Casper has always been a people person. From dancing with Larry Slocum at the Oxford Farmers Market to joining Talawanda Middle School's cheerleading team, she's always been happy to make new friends. Her mother, Pepper Stetler, said when Louisa, who has Down syndrome, began taking cognitive tests in kindergarten, Stetler worried about reducing her daughter to a number.

That fear became the basis for a book Stetler released last summer. Scott wrote about Stetler and Louisa's relationship, Talawanda's use of cognitive testing and Stetler's book in a profile last August which earned third place in Best Local Profile at this year's Hooper Awards.