As a monthly publication, the Arcadia News only has 12 chances a year to make a first impression on readers. Our cover format is unique as far as newspapers go, since we allot 65% of it to photo space. So that cover photo better be special. It needs to encourage readers to dive in and see what else we have to offer. It needs to set the tone, whether it’s seasonal or a part of one of our feature stories. We have won several national awards just for our covers. I think many of the overall “Best of Show” and “General Excellence” awards were decided because we stood out with our unique appearance. The cover might make all the difference to the judges for the content inside, (insert joke about judging a book by its cover) whether it’s for a contest or a reader. Here are some of our favorite covers from the last several years that won national awards. Along with some comments, for a peek behind the scenes at what went into these creations. — Greg Bruns, Publisher — Mallory Gleich, Editor 1. READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? (Greg): This was my first photo shoot from the field at a Titan football game. I had only a few seconds to get the shot before I had to get out of the way as the young men busted their way onto the field. If #77 wasn’t injured, he would’ve been wearing a helmet like the others – and we would’ve missed his expression, and the appeal of the photo. This image won first place from the International Free Papers Association in 2015. 2. 25 (Greg): Much like this anniversary issue, we spent a lot of time brainstorming a special cover to help share the news about our 25th anniversary. I don’t recall exactly how much photo studio and photoshop time went into this but I know it was a lot. Our designer, Gabe, always does a great job of bringing our crude sketches and scribbled brainstorming notes and ideas to life. This front page won awards from both of our national newspaper associations in 2017. 3. SPIRITLINE (Mallory): They’ve got spirit, yes they do! The Arcadia High School Spiritline has been on a roll since their first tournament, which Arcadia News featured in March 2016 – their first time competing at the AIA Championships won them a top 10 placement. 2020 was monumental. In just four years, the teams’ hard work paid off when Cheer and Pom took first and second place at the Arizona State Championships. In 2021, the Pom team earned their very first state championship win. This cover won an Honorable Mention at the Association of Free Publications Awards Show in 2017. 1 2 3 Arcadia News 30 th Anniversary Feature OUR PROCESS AND PASSION BEHIND ICONIC COVERS

4. MARSHALL SHORE (Mallory): I was putting events in the July 2019 calendar when I happened upon Marshall Shore, aka: The Hip Historian. I was intrigued by his super-fun outfits and his presentations on Arizona, so we reached out to do a story on his upcoming presentation. This cover won first place at the ACP Awards in 2020. In 2021 Shore was featured on an episode of the Arcadia Podcast, proof that he can be entertaining on any platform. 5. ROLLER DERBY (Mallory): Before this story emerged, I had no idea that roller derby was a thing in Arizona. What’s cool about this photo is that I was at the event, where I saw the “guts and glory” these women put into their sport. The power and strength they have is otherworldly! The ladies I interviewed looked intimidating, but they’ve all got hearts of gold. The action-packed cover photo, featuring The Runaway Brides and the Schoolyard Scrappers, bagged us second place for Best Front Page at the 2021 ACP Awards. 6. MY FAVORITE DOG (Mallory): This photo helped us earn second place for Best Front Page at the 2021 ACP Awards. It also happens to be one of my very favorite covers that we’ve printed thus far. Something about a happy dog makes a happy human, right? Our September 2020 Summer Vacation Photo spread was smaller than usual as families attempted to return to normalcy after the events of the past year. Travelers made the best of national and international trips – like regal-faced Loki and Cole Krawczyk, who were enjoying the views at Yellowstone National Park. 4 5 6 Arcadia News 30 th Anniversary Feature