No surprise here. Even though The Tampa Tribune has some good reporters, columnists and designers, the Times is consistently better in reporting, writing, editing and design, thanks to its emphasis on journalism rather than profits. The Times recruits and promotes the cream of the crop and trains its editorial staff well. It's also one of the few independently owned newspapers left in the country while the Trib is owned by media conglomerate Media General. (What's surprising is how good the Trib manages to be in spite of its ownership.) One thing's for sure: The competition between the two papers keeps them both on their toes. We're lucky to live in a town with two dailies, especially when one of them is the St. Petersburg Times.
(Thanks also to those two astute voters who cast their ballots for the Weekly Planet in this category.)
