ONE of of Pembrokeshire’s oldest newspapers has scooped a top media award.

At the 2017 Wales Media Awards in Cardiff, the Western Telegraph was crowned best weekly newspaper in the country, with judges calling the publication the “stand out newspaper in its category”.

West Wales Multimedia Editor Steve Adams said the win was a massive honour.

“The Wales Media Awards recognises outstanding work across the industry and for the Western Telegraph to have been chosen as the best the country has to offer is a source of immense pride for us all," he said.

“The award is a just reward for 12 months of hard work from the Western Telegraph team, and the honour is an indication of the respect and admiration shown to the title by the rest of the media industry in Wales.

“While many are quick to herald the imminent decline of local newspapers, we have witnessed rocketing web figures and seen our print sales surpass all expectations.

"These successes are down to the determination, dedication and passion of Western Telegraph staff."

He added: “I feel immensely proud and privileged to work with such a team, and would like to thank each of them for their outstanding efforts.

“However, a weekly newspaper requires more than just its news team to succeed – it is a partnership made up of the editorial team, the advertising and sales department, those behind the scenes who rarely get the credit they deserve, and advertisers and readers who support us and read us online and in print every day and every week.

“This award is recognition for everyone who has played their part in our success over the past 12 months.

“I would also like to express my gratitude to the people of Pembrokeshire who continue to show their support for the Western Telegraph and help make it the best weekly newspaper in Wales.

“The statistics and awards achieved throughout 2016 make it clear that the Western Telegraph is the best-selling, most read and most trusted news outlet in south-west Wales - this award will spur us on to be even better and achieve even more.”

The awards, presented by Sky News’ Dermot Murnaghan, saw print, broadcast and online journalists from around the country celebrate quality in the industry, while also supporting the Journalists’ Charity - helping journalists in need since 1864.

The Western Telegraph was shortlisted with the Cambrian News and County Times.

Judges in the Western Power Distribution-sponsored category said: “The Western Telegraph provides up to 120 pages of news and sport to the people of Pembrokeshire each week, making it an authoritative voice throughout the county.

"Theirs was the stand-out entry in this category, said the judges - a lively newspaper with a great mix of community content and hard news with a strong campaigning voice.”

Western Telegraph: