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Clifton Barnes wins a pair of national writing awards
Judges say, "Sports history doesn't get any better"

Clifton Barnes, a 1982 UNC grad with majors in journalism and political science, and owner of CB3media, has won a pair of national writing awards.

Barnes won the awards, presented by DC area-based Communications Concepts through its 2010 Awards for Publication Excellence competition, for articles he wrote for UNC’s Carolina Alumni Review magazine and the North Carolina State Bar Journal magazine.

The Carolina Alumni Review article, titled “Legend Has It: The UNC-Duke Football Rivalry,” won in the Best Feature Writing category. “Nostalgia reigns supreme in this fascinating look back at a legendary football rivalry. Sports history doesn’t get any better,” judges wrote. Barnes was also praised for his storytelling and “priceless” use of anecdotes, including the opening to the article. The article can be found here.

The Bar Journal article, titled “NC IOLTA Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary,” won in the Best Series category. Judges felt that Barnes three-part series was “very well written, and did a very effective job of explaining the program’s history, funding and grantmaking.” He was also praised for his compelling use of quotes. Those articles can be found here.

Award officials said there were 3,700 entries in the contest and that competition was “exceptionally intense.” The awards are based on excellence in writing, quality of content and the success of the entry in achieving overall communications effectiveness.

Barnes, who has won at least one national journalism award for six straight years and has won more than 70 journalism awards throughout his career, served as director of communications for the N.C. Bar Association from 1987 to 2002. Before that, he was a newspaper writer and editor. He was sports editor of the Daily Tar Heel in 1981-82.

Today he is a freelance writer, editor and Web developer in Cary, NC. Along with his wife Andrea, he raises their four-year-old son William Griffin. In addition, he and college friend Dane Huffman, veteran sports writer, have started a website titled capitalsportsnc.com, which after only a few months of operation is averaging more than 4,000 visitors per month. Barnes, a Rocky Mount native, is the son of W.C. and Lorraine Barnes of Atlantic Beach.

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