UW-Milwaukee Honored for Excellence in Student Journalism Posted on April 11, 2020April 13, 2020 by Media Milwaukee staff University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student journalists won dozens of top honors in competitive regional contests for multimedia news and feature stories published in 2019. With journalism awards ceremonies and conferences cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, winners are being announced online. Society of Professional Journalists In the prestigious Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence competition, UWM reporters brought home 17 awards, more than any public university in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North or South Dakota. First-place winners go on to compete at the national level. UWM students won in a range of print/online, audio and video categories. The awards highlight the success of the JAMS immersion program; in 2019, student journalists traveled to Fort Berthold, North Dakota to chronicle stories of missing and murdered indigenous women, and flew to Paradise, California to report on a community rebuilding from devastating wildfires. The trips were funded in part by a grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation/Journal Foundation Walter Jay and Clara Charlotte Damm Fund. JAMS student Sierra Trojan produced an award-winning video about missing and murdered indigenous women during her immersion trip to North Dakota. Other winning projects tackled vaping and the shortage of mental health resources on campus, and allegations of sexual assault against a UWM professor. Compelling audio and video features won in both news and sports categories. The Department of Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies‘ student news site, Media Milwaukee, was named Best Independent Online Student Publication; it will go on to compete for national honors against the best student news publications in the country. Faculty and staff members who oversaw the students’ work are Jane Hampden Daley, Jeff Loomis, Jessica McBride, Michael Mirer and Camila Guarda Velasco. UWM’s Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence winners: Best independent online student publication – Media Milwaukee staff – Media Milwaukee Feature photography – Royce Podeszwa and Nia Wilson – Heart of the Bakken Feature writing – Ian Bergersen, Adam Kelnhofer and Eduardo Garcia – How two brothers and their mother allegedly built a vaping empire Online news reporting – Media Milwaukee staff – Disappeared: 10,000 and counting Online in-depth reporting – Media Milwaukee staff – We are still here Radio feature – Terese Radke – Milwaukee Rep’s rummage sale features fabulous finds Radio sports reporting – Nick Kanute – Revamped Milwaukee marathon attracts thousands of runners TV feature reporting – Jodie Filenius – Deer season sees numbers drop in Wisconsin UWM’s Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence finalists: Breaking news reporting – Jodie Filenius – Man charged with hate crime, reckless injury, in Milwaukee acid attack General news reporting – Kaitlyn Herzog – Professor accused of sexually assaulting a student on campus In-depth reporting – Jodie Filenius – Lead in the water threatens generations of Milwaukee residents Online news reporting – Eddie Morales – Homeless encampment leads to housing relocation effort Online feature reporting – Matthew Cade – Fly fishing is poetry in motion for veterans Online feature reporting – Media Milwaukee staff – Reclamation on the Ridge Online in-depth reporting – Media Milwaukee staff – UW-Milwaukee can’t keep up with student mental health crisis Online/digital news videography – Sierra Trojan – Fractured UWM journalism students Talis Shelbourne and Claudia Delgadillo conduct interviews during their reporting trip to North Dakota. Milwaukee Press Club In the competitive Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism contest, UW-Milwaukee won 24 awards, more than any public or private university in the state. The awards dinner was to take place in May with CNN commentator Gloria Borger as featured speaker. The event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. UWM’s Milwaukee Press Club honorees (1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards will be announced later this year): Writing: Best News Story – Jodie Filenius – Lead in the Water Threatens Generations of Milwaukee Residents Writing: Best News Story – Kylie Zazula – Majority of Students Feel ‘Overwhelming Anxiety’ as UWM Struggles to Help Writing: Best Investigative Reporting – Kaitlyn Herzog – Professor Accused of Sexual Assault Visual Journalism: Best Still Photograph/Photos – Elizabeth Sloan– Paradise Lost Audio: Best Feature Story – Fabian Caballero – Two Generations Share the Distinctive Sounds of Their Work Audio: Best Feature Story – Claudia Delgadillo – Drumming for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Audio: Best Sports Story – Nick Kanute – Revamped Milwaukee Marathon Attracts Thousands of Runners Video: Best News Story Single or Ongoing – Sierra Trojan – Fractured: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Video: Best Feature Story – Jodie Filenius – Deer Season Sees Numbers Drop in Wisconsin Video: Best Program, Documentary or Special – Nia Wilson – Juneau Online: Best Use of Multi-Media- Media Milwaukee staff – We Are Still Here Online: Best Use of Multi-Media – Media Milwaukee staff – Nearly One-Third of UW-Milwaukee Students Vape. Are They in Danger? Online: Best Blog – Media Milwaukee staff – Pipeline of Tears Online: Best News Story – Jodie Filenius (UWM Post) – Man charged with hate crime, reckless injury, in Milwaukee acid attack Online: Best News Story – Brianna Schubert (UWM Post) – Students Concerned About Safety After Three Assaults Online: Best Soft Feature Story- Matthew Cade – Fly Fishing is Poetry in Motion for Veterans Online: Best Soft Feature Story – Jena Kleindl (UWM Post) – UWM Farmers Market Serves Students Online: Best Soft Feature Story – Brianna Schubert (UWM Post) – The Nerd returns to the Milwaukee Repertory Theater Online: Best Sports Story – Eddie Morales – Milwaukee MMA gym plans move for growth Online: Best Investigative Reporting – Media Milwaukee staff – Disappeared: 10,000 and Counting Online: Best Editorial or Commentary – Zoe Smith Munson – Another Earth Day Provides Another Reminder That Society Is Ignoring the Real Cause of Climate Change Online: Best Editorial or Commentary – Luis Mauro Queiroz Filho -Amilinda An award-winning team project documented the rise of vaping among UWM students. Midwest Broadcast Journalism Association Eric Sevareid Awards UWM’s Midwest Broadcast Journalism Association winners: Audio (use of sound) – Bethany Deyo – UWM Professor Sparks Joy in Faculty Recital Audio Feature – Terese Radke – Milwaukee Rep’s Rummage Sale Features Fabulous Finds Team Multimedia Storytelling-News – Media Milwaukee staff – UW-Milwaukee Can’t Keep Up With Student Mental Health Crisis Team Multimedia Storytelling-News – Media Milwaukee staff – Nearly One-Third of UW-Milwaukee Students Vape. Are They in Danger? Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)