1st time in Newspaper History

By Staff at Yellowstone County News

Yellowstone County News achieved the top spot in recognition last weekend at the Montana Newspaper Association’s Annual Meeting in Kalispell. It was recognized as the #1 Newspaper in Montana (Division 3 with circulations of 2,000 or above). Based in Huntley, the Yellowstone County News has been publishing 47 years, since 1977. It is published by Jonathan and Tana McNiven.

In Division 3, Yellowstone County News placed in 17 categories and took home the 1st place spot in nine of those categories. Amassing those 17 categories included nine staff members and contributors from David Crisp, Evelyn Pyburn, Krayton Kerns, Michael Marino, Tana McNiven, Chase Doak, Connor Waddingham, Elisa Schlosser and Jonathan McNiven.

Evelyn Pyburn has won the Best Editorial for the third year in a row. This year’s three submissions included “How To Get The Truth, A Bow to Those Who Make it All Happen, No One Has Right to Coerce”.  Michael Marino won the Best Investigative Journalism category with his story entitled, “Nightmare off Yellowstone Trail, More Details Emerge,” while YCN Sports Broadcaster Connor Waddingham won the top spot with the video he captured while broadcasting the last shot of the game, as “Shepherd Boys Won” right at the buzzer, in Big Timber. Jonathan McNiven won the Best Portrait Photo as he captured all but a couple legislators of the Yellowstone County Delegation in Helena, as they sat together in the House Chambers.  Tana McNiven won 1st place in her first-ever full-page ad, which she put together for Tree Mechanics LLC in Billings, entitled “We Are a Full-Service Tree Company,”

Other ads and graphics produced and published in YCN that won 1st place included Dig It Days Entry 2023 @ MontanaFair, Blue Body and Paint’s black and white ad entitled, “Honey,… Stop Hunting with the Car,” and YCN’s Marketing campaign called “Where is YCN Today,” in which readers take pictures with their paper and send them to YCN with a caption.

Owner and Publisher Jonathan McNiven stated, “Thank you to all those staff members and contributors who work so hard to help put out a great, informative and local product every week. We could not do it without their attention to detail, hard work and dedication. This honor of winning goes to our whole entire staff that includes our delivery drivers, proofreaders, production specialist, legal staff, reporters, as well as our readers, contributors and advertisers. It definitely takes a team effort and we did it together so thank you!”

The Yellowstone County News is among 80 newspapers that belong to the Montana Newspaper Association. The Yellowstone County News has produced the most statewide display ads for the last nine years consecutively to the Montana Newspaper Association.   

Jonathan and Tana McNiven are the fourth owners and publishers of the Yellowstone County News since its beginnings in 1977. Jonathan and Tana will mark 10 years in October 2024 in owning the hyper-local newspaper covering Yellowstone County.