Photo submitted Past President of the Kentucky Press Association Kriss Johnson and the Lexington Herald-Leader received this award from the World Association of Newspapers during a ceremony Oct. 16 in Amsterdam. Johnson, who serves as educational outreach manager for the Lexington paper, was recognized by the international organization for the Woody serialized story project which teaches children about U.S. history.

Kriss Johnson, educational outreach manager for the Lexington Herald-Leader and 2007 president of the Kentucky Press Association, received the World Association of Newspapers Grand Prize Oct. 16 in Amsterdam.

Johnson and the Herald-Leader were recognized by the international organization for its serialized story project designed to teach children about U.S. history in a special Literacy Category.

The chapter series, originated by the Herald-Leader, has featured author Leigh Anne Florence and her dachshunds, Woody and Chloe. A chapter series featuring the two dachshunds has been published by numerous Kentucky newspapers the last five years. Currently, some 85 newspapers are publishing a weekly chapter series, “Heads and Tails.”

The Herald-Leader was the only U.S. newspaper honored by WAN.

WAN, the global organization for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom and interests of newspapers.

Representing 18,000 newspapers, its membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 regional and world-wide press groups.

The annual Readership Conference in Amsterdam drew hundreds of publishers, editors, marketers and other senior newspaper executives to examine strategies for building audiences on both print and digital channels. Summaries of conference presentations can be found at www.wan-press.org/amsterdam2008.