Media Milwaukee Leads in SPJ contest; UWM Journalism Awards Total 62

UW-Milwaukee students won nine first-place awards in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence contest, more than any other university in a four-state region. The winners go on to the national SPJ competition. In addition, UWM students won three honors in the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association Eric Sevareid competition. The awards were announced at the Midwest Journalism Conference in the Twin Cities last weekend. Universities from six states – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska -compete in the Sevareid contest. SPJ Region 6 includes Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Media Milwaukee reporters have won a total of 62 awards this year for print/online, audio and video stories and photojournalism, and the news site earned a first-place SPJ award for Best Independent Online Student Publication.

Award-winning work includes coverage of the impact of state budget cuts on higher education, team reporting on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and stories on UWM’s low African-American graduation rate.

SPJ First-Place Winners

Best Independent Online Student Publication Media Milwaukee

General News Reporting Stories on segregated fee proposals in the state budget. JAMS 320 news reporters: Amanda Becker, Amanda Maniscalco, Danielle Miller, Dino Dominici, Evan Casey, Emily Gallagher-Schmitz, Rebecca Otis, Samuel Schmitz, Taylor Strickland, William Tewes, Ariel Goronja, Rhea Riley, Rukiya Stewart, Lillian Gonzalez.

Feature Writing Hurricane Harvey immersion project overview story. Talis Shelbourne

General News Photography Hurricane Harvey main photo. Ethan Duran

Radio News Reporting Story on black graduation rate at UWM. Nia Wilson, Chardanay Hunt and Talis Shelbourne

Radio Feature Story on Florentine Opera. Morgan Langley

Television General News Reporting Jenna Gaidosh, Tisia Muzinga, Stevan Stojanovic and Jenna Graham for stories on the Madison Women’s march

Online In-Depth Reporting 343 and Counting: series on the opioid crisis in the Milwaukee area. Brandon Anderegg, Nicole Frechette, Jenna Gaidosh, Jordan Garcia, Jordan Gasiorowski, Madison Goldbeck, Ean Holtz, Sabrina Johnkins, Dwayne Lee, Christina Luick, Ana Martinez-Ortiz, Matthew Mussa, Nelson Sederstrom, Benjamin Slowey, Margie Sponholz, Amanda Watter, Alyssa Weise

Online Opinion & Commentary Visa lottery program needs work, but has American value – Ariel Goronja

SPJ Finalists

In-Depth Reporting Sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations at UWM. Talis Shelbourne, Jennifer Rick and Miela Fetaw. This story was part of the package submitted

Online News Reporting Homicide story on Patrick Fowler case. Ariel Goronja

Online Opinion & Commentary Series of columns on the visa lottery program, UW merger plan, and #metoo movement. Ariel Goronja

Feature Writing Flint water crisis immersion project overview story. Dwayne Lee

Radio News Reporting Personal story on the opioid epidemic. Brandon Anderegg, Matthew Mussa, Nelson Sederstrom

Column Writing Package of columns. Madeline Matzinger, Kalan Taubner and Naomi Wilson

Feature Photography Flint, Michigan immersion project photos. Sabrina Johnkins and Ed Makowski. tPhotos submitted include this and this and this and this.

Online In-Depth Reporting Finding Flint journalism immersion project. Students: Brandon Anderegg, Amanda Becker, Zari Blackmon, Jack Fennimore, Keio Horton, Sabrina Johnkins, Dwayne Lee, Ed Makowski, Amanda Maniscalco, Rhea Riley, Margie Sponholz, Nyesha Stone, Keaton Walkowski, Amanda Watter, David Watters, Naomi Wilson, Darien Yeager

Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association Eric Sevareid awards:

First place, Team Multimedia Storytelling In Harvey’s Wake – Amanda Becker, Evan Casey, Brittani Cook, Ethan Duran, Chardanay Hunt, Sabrina Johnkins, Joel Kananen, Tess Klein, Muru Li, Leah Mailloux, Hailey McLaughlin, Maggie Polsean. Talis Shelbourne, Nyesha Stone, Quin Voet, Alyssa Wiese, Paul Willems, Nia Wilson

Award of Merit, Team Multimedia Storytelling Finding Flint – Brandon Anderegg, Amanda Becker, Zari Blackmon, Jack Fennimore, Keio Horton, Sabrina Johnkins, Dwayne Lee, Ed Makowski, Amanda Maniscalco, Rhea Riley, Margie Sponholz, Nyesha Stone, Keaton Walkowski, Amanda Watter, David Watters, Naomi Wilson, Darien Yeager

Award of Merit, Documentary/Special Without Words – Allison Steines and Stephen Coss