Karpe Dogie columnist on top again
Sonja Karp, the News Letter Journal’s sports editor, was named the top sports columnist in the small weekly newspapers division in the state for the ninth time since she began working for the paper in 2013.
The honor was announced during the recent Wyoming Newspaper Association’s annual convention in Cheyenne. The recognition comes through the annual WPA’s Better Newspaper Contest.
During the 2017-18 sports season, the only year she didn’t claim the top prize, Karp took second in column writing.
“I have other publishers and editors tell me all the time that it just isn’t fair,” News Letter Journal Publisher Bob Bonnar said. “Sonja’s grasp of high school sports, combined with her writing skill and passion for youth competition, simply puts her in a class by herself. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told how lucky we are to have her.”
Because of her background in sports, Bonnar said Karp was a perfect choice to cover sports through her writing and photography over the years, and her work highlights her vast knowledge of sports across the spectrum.
“I grew up following and watching my brothers play football, basketball, run track and play baseball. I played Little League for a while and also played softball for a bit in high school,” Karp said. “I participated in track for a couple of years, but basketball was my sport.”
Karp played basketball in both middle school and high school, and after launching her teaching career, she added stints as an assistant basketball coach for seven years and a head coach for three years at Newcastle High School. She also coached junior varsity volleyball for five years.
When she was done coaching, her love for sports sparked her career as a writer and photographer for the paper.
“When I became publisher of the newspaper, I had to replace myself as our sports writer. I had worked with Sonja in the classroom a little bit, and knew she was a good writer. Her knowledge of sports was evident also, and I knew she still had a passion for high school competition so I asked if she wanted to take over my beat,” Bonnar described. “I was a little surprised when she took me up on the offer because it is a lot of work, but she has exceeded every expectation I had and it is impressive that she has been able to produce week-in and week-out for a decade now. That’s really an incredible run.”
Karp has also discovered a passion for broadcasting basketball, volleyball and football. Her skills in that area were revealed when the News Letter Journal started to produce broadcasts on the NFHS Network, and she continues to lend her voice talents to Dogie nation even though the NLJ is not involved in the broadcasts.
“I simply love sports, and I enjoy being able to cover the kids’ games. As their teacher, I get to know them, so I have a more personal connection to them than the average reporter probably does,” Karp said. “I get very invested in their seasons because of it.”
As for column writing, she said she enjoys being able to have a voice of her own regarding what is happening in the sports world.
“I have a lot of thoughts about different issues, and I like to share those,” she said.
Picking the topics to discuss can be a challenge at times, but Karp said she usually is able to notice something in weekend games, on social media or on WyoPreps that sparks her creativity and gets her writing.
“Sometimes, I look to ESPN to see what is going on in the world of sports to get inspired. I often stumble upon an idea after I lay down to go to sleep at night and have to quick(ly) record my thoughts before drifting off.”
Her knowledge and research into the topics she chooses to write about is one thing that helped her seal her first-place award in column writing, according to the judge for that category, but the News Letter Journal’s sports guru has also been recognized in other categories for her work in journalism. In addition to her column writing, Karp has received first-place awards in 2014 and 2016, and second in 2015 in the sport stories category, as well as first in 2016 and 2020, and second in 2017 for sports features.
Karp has also received recognition on the national level through the National Newspaper Association. In 2022 alone she received first in the sports story category and third in column writing. She also received a national honorable mention in 2018 for her column work.
“Over the past decade, as newspapers have become less profitable and staffs have become smaller, it has become harder to find somebody willing to commit the time and energy it takes to produce quality sports coverage on a consistent basis in small towns like Newcastle. We are the envy of the other small newspapers in the state because — thanks to Sonja — that hasn’t been a problem for us. Our community is incredibly blessed to have someone like her,” Bonnar said.
“I just want to thank Bob for giving me the opportunity to start doing this back in the 2013-14 school year,” Karp said. “I have loved getting to write about sports, and about the kids at NHS, over the years.”
Karp’s work can be read every week in the paper’s sports section as well as online at newslj.com.
