ATLANTA — The Valdosta Daily Times and its editor, Jim Zachary, received the Associated Press Media Editors Freedom of Information award Saturday. 

It is the fourth year in a row that Zachary has received the Freedom of Information Award from APME. The award goes to only one newspaper each year, across all circulation categories. 

Reporter Thomas Lynn received top honors in the Best Non-Deadline Reporting category. 

Lynn received the first-place award for a SunLight Project report headlined “Breaking the Cycle: Domestic Violence.” The judge said, “Thorough, broken down into several key areas. The infographic added a much-needed visual element for the reader to take a break and easily compare the statistics. Found the way the narrative and data were interwoven to be very effective and give an extra impact.”

Zachary received both second- and third-place awards for editorial writing. 

An editorial headlined “Get Help” that focused on opioid addiction received second-place honors. Judges said, “This is a public service editorial that addresses an important issue of public health and human suffering. It is well-written, timely and provides excellent information.” 

The third-place editorial dealt with Georgia’s campus carry legislation that the newspaper opposed. Judges said, “This is another well-written editorial on a timely topic that potentially affects the safety of our communities. Good job.” 

Managing Editor Kristin Patten garnered third-place honors for the newspaper’s website, which she oversees. The judge described the site: “A wide array of content meets an effective design.” 

The Associated Press announced winners of the Georgia Associated Press Media Editors contest at a luncheon held in Atlantic Station. More than two dozen news organizations submitted 550 entries in the contest. 

The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.