UWM Journalists Win Big in Milwaukee Press Club, SPJ Awards

Media Milwaukee is again nominated for Best Website and UWM journalists won for investigative reporting, writing, video, audio and online stories in the 2016 Milwaukee Press Club Collegiate journalism competition. Ambitious class and team projects including How The Mississippi Valley Turned Red received many nominations. UWM students led the pack with 20 nominations, topping UW-Madison’s 15 and Marquette’s 14.

The featured speaker at the MPC Gridiron Awards Dinner in May will be celebrated political reporter David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post.

UWM journalists also will be well represented at the Midwest Journalism Conference in Minneapolis at the end of March. UWM won more than a dozen regional SPJ Mark of Excellence awards, competing against students at UW-Madison, Minnesota and private schools across the upper Midwest. Winners and Journalism Club members will be carpooling out for the awards luncheon and conference. First-place winners go on to the national SPJ competition.

In addition to the SPJ and MPC awards, Media Milwaukee student journalists won 14 Wisconsin College Media Association awards in February.

Milwaukee Press Club 2016 Collegiate UWM award winners:

WRITING

Best Investigative Reporting:     

Mary Jo Contino
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 TRANSparency: UW-Milwaukee Transgender Locker Room Policy Remains Under Wraps

Best News Story:

Matt Campbell
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 UW-Milwaukee Restroom Policy Brings Mixed Reaction

Best Long Feature Story:               

Keaton Walkowski
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 It’s Not the Water

Shana Wilson 
Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Against the Academic Odds

Best Short Feature Story:             

Matt Campbell
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Captain Jim Fickler: “Full of Life; Full of Fun”

Best Sports Story:            

Daniel Zielinski
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 From Texas to Milwaukee: Zac Saddler’s Journey to the UWM Men’s Basketball Program

VISUAL JOURNALISM

Best Still Photograph/Photos:    

Sabrina Johnkins
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Westboro Church protest

AUDIO

Best News Story Single or Ongoing:        

Amanda Watter
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 High School Students Learn About the Devastation of Suicide

Best Feature Story:         

Brandon Anderegg, 
Sabrina Johnkins,
 Monica Skipper
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
Milwaukee River Cleanup: Sights and Sounds

Jordan Garcia 
Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee 
A Sweet Day for Students at Dessert Fest

VIDEO

Best News Story Single or Ongoing:        

Katarina Vergara, 
Gabrielle Barriere,
 Jordan Garcia
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 The Milwaukee Vote: why the inner city did not turn out for Hillary Clinton

Best Program, Documentary or Special: 

Geoff Marshall, 
Joe Michelin, 
Somer Servais, 
Tamara Jarvi
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Parachute

Allie Mott
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Hot Dog and a Handshake

ONLINE

Best Use of Multi-Media:            

JAMS 320 class
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee 
How Trump Turned the Mississippi River Valley Red

Geoffrey Marshall
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Milwaukee’s Urban Farms: Defining Success

Best Local News or Feature Website:     

Media Milwaukee Staff
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee

Best Blog:            

JAMS 320 reporting Staff 
Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Live Blog: Milo Yiannopolous Comes to UW-Milwaukee

Best Investigative Reporting:     

JAMS 500 Reporting Team 
Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 Wisconsin High School Concussions, Sports Injuries Not Tracked

Emily Zantow, 
Pakou Lee, 
Rebecca Papenthien
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee 
Investigating Milwaukee Gun Court

Best News Story:

Keaton Walkowski
 Media Milwaukee/UW-Milwaukee
 It’s Not the Water