Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Park Rapids Enterprise Entry Title: Bullying: "Breaking the Silence" Entry Credit: Shannon Geisen, Robin Fish, Lorie Skarpness Judge Comment: Strong individual storytelling through the experiences of real people. The stories paint a heart-wrenching snapshot of the impact bullying can have, and how indifference in the schools made the situation worse. Finding the real people who have been hurt by bullying drove the situation in the schools home. Photographs and graphics only strengthened the overall writing by the reporters.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Anoka County Union Herald Entry Title: Local opioid crisis series Entry Credit: Jonathan Young, Connor Cummiskey, Paige Kieffer Judge Comment: The reporters, editors and designers who worked together to localize and develop this series about a national epidemic didn't skip a beat. The data and design elements bring it to the top, and the sidebar features provide the human element, making it about more than just the numbers. Every important angle was explored. Great work!
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Worthington - The Globe Entry Title: Rural landowners air opposition to industrial wind farms Entry Credit: Julie Buntjer Judge Comment: A clear and well-written examination of how the drive for wind energy has impacted real people in Minnesota. Telling the homeowners' stories was central to the piece, seeing how the windmills had disrupted their rural lives and affected property values. Good work.
