October 22, 2025
Miles W. Turnbull Master Editor/Publisher Award
The first WNPA Master Editor/Publisher award was presented at WNPA’s 1994 annual convention.
This award may be given to any person who is actively engaged in editing, managing and/or publishing a newspaper which is a member in good standing of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.
The recipient must have worked hard and unselfishly and made a significant contribution to his/her newspaper, community, state, as well as the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. Selection criteria also includes service to a free press or freedom of information, and service to the cause of community newspapers.
John C. Hughes spent 50 years in journalism, and just recently wrapped up his career retiring as the state’s historian.
The Chinook Observer shared Hughes poignant conversation with TVW, beginning its story thus: “John C. Hughes is, at root, a storyteller. As he marks the end of a nearly six-decade career that spanned hot-type newspapering on the coast to crafting the biographical record of Washington’s political and civic leaders, he recognizes a shift in his own disposition. Once sanguine about civic life, even with all its faults, he finds himself in a funk at this time of transition — morose, melancholy and discouraged.”
Read more about this remarkable journalist and historian here.
Link: https://chinookobserver.com/2025/07/15/state-historian-closes-book-on-career-in-a-melancholy-mood/
Get the latest updates on journalism in Washington State — from legislative news and industry trends to training opportunities, awards, and member highlights. Whether you’re a publisher, reporter, or supporter of local news, our newsletter delivers timely information straight to your inbox.