Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Minneapolis - Southwest Journal Entry Title: Varied voices Entry Credit: Zac Farber Judge Comment: Excellent use of an unusual detail to draw readers in right from the start. Good writing throughout. Great way to highlight something not everyone thinks about.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Mpls - Longfellow Nokomis Messenger Entry Title: Voices Against Violence Entry Credit: Tesha M. Christensen Judge Comment: Effective use of an individual's story. Great use of informational sidebar, graphics and multiple personal tales. Sensitive treatment of a problem that too frequently slides under the public radar.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Minneapolis - Southwest Journal Entry Title: 38th Street dreams Entry Credit: Michelle Bruch Judge Comment: Fascinating intersection of local history and local current events. Comprehensive, well structured, well written.
Competition Comment: A lot of excellent writing in this category. Many comprehensive stories that explored painful social topics fearlessly and with sensitivity. Great use of multiple sources in all entries.
Side note: Some of the most engaging entries benefitted from design and/or story structure techniques -- subheads, photos, pull quotes -- that help avoid giant blocks of gray text, which can discourage some readers. Even just a touch of visual relief, particularly on jump pages, can make the difference between losing or keeping a reader.
