Weekender and Electric City readers recognize NEPA Scene as Best Blog in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Readers of local newspapers Electric City and The Weekender have recognized NEPA Scene as the leading arts and entertainment blog in Northeastern Pennsylvania with two awards among a growing list of accolades over the last year and a half.
In January, NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells received the Best Local Blogger award at the Electric City Best of 2015 Bash at the Backyard Ale House in Scranton, and on Thursday, April 28, NEPA Scene picked up the Best Local Blog award at the 2016 Weekender Readers’ Choice Awards at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains. While both papers have covered arts and entertainment in the area for over 20 years, NEPA Scene has offered a truly alternative perspective and innovative delivery that not only gained a significant following almost immediately upon its launch in late 2014, but also set it apart from these larger media companies.
“I’m thrilled that local readers are turning to us for fresh and inventive daily content among the many print and Internet publications in the area, and I’m honored that they would choose us as their top website in these categories,” Howells said.
“As an independent digital publication with a small budget and no outside advertising, we have to work extra hard to stay in the big leagues, and it’s clear that we’re holding our own and growing exponentially. We break news before anyone else, engage readers every day through social media, and offer exclusive stories every week that you won’t find anywhere else. The Weekender staff is clearly keeping a close eye on our work and is now using the same website layout that we started with in 2014 despite the fact that they’re backed by a national media company, so we’re really leading the way, not simply following what came before us.”
In addition to also being voted Best Local Blog in last year’s Weekender Readers’ Choice Awards, NEPA Scene has earned 2014 and 2015 NEPA Blog of the Year Awards at NEPA BlogCon, was featured twice as NEPA Blogs‘ Blog of the Week on “PA Live” on WBRE and WYOU, and Howells was chosen as Local Music Journalist of the Year in the 2015 Steamtown Music Awards.
“We’re very thankful for the awards, but we never rest on our laurels. In fact, we rarely rest at all,” Howells added.
“We have a million ideas and we’re always working towards bigger and better things, so if readers are impressed now, just wait until they see what we do next.”
