Bridge reporters win Journalist of the Year award for 4th year in a row
- Jonathan Oosting and Mike Wilkinson were named the state’s Journalists of the Year
- It’s the fourth year in a row Bridge reporters have won the top honor
- Bridge Michigan won 14 other awards from the Michigan Press Association and BridgeDetroit earned eight.
Bridge Michigan reporters Jonathan Oosting and Mike Wilkinson have been named Journalists of the Year by the Michigan Press Association.
It is the fourth year in a row that Bridge journalists have been named the state’s Journalists of the Year.
The two earned the honor Thursday at an awards ceremony that also saw Bridge Michigan win 14 other honors. Bridge’s sister publication, BridgeDetroit, earned eight awards in the statewide contest honoring the best in Michigan journalism.
Oosting and Wilkinson’s reporting revealed problems in Michigan’s grant-making process, which has little oversight and allows lawmakers each year to dole out $1 billion in pet projects. One such project was $25 million for a health campus in mid-Michigan. Pushed by former House Speaker Jason Wentworth, the grant went to a nonprofit started by a former aide and involved the sale of land to his successor in the Legislature. The project manager for the development served time in prison for fraud.
The pair also uncovered problems in Michigan State University’s safety practices in the wake of a mass shooting on campus.
“Neither investigation was easy to produce, relying heavily on documents and sources and revealing truths that are messy and uncomfortable for those in power,” said Bridge Michigan Executive Editor Joel Kurth. “But through diligence, precision and tenacity, Jonathan and Mike produced a body of work that did a true public service to both a grieving campus and Michigan taxpayers.”
Oosting has been at Bridge since 2019 and was the MPA's Journalist of the Year for 2021 for his coverage about the presidential election and extremism. A reporter since 2007, he’s covered the Capitol and politics for more than a decade, including stints at The Detroit News and MLive.
Wilkinson has been at Bridge since 2013 and was MPA's Journalist of the Year for 2020 for his coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, school finances and the collapse of mid-Michigan dams. A computer-assisted reporter, he has also worked as a journalist in Detroit, Ohio, Tennessee and Illinois.
“Strong watchdog report detailing self-dealing, cronyism and poor government oversight of a $25 million healthcare facility planned in Clare County … raising issues and asking questions about the project prompted the state to halt the project,” wrote contest judge Mickey Hirten. “The reporting illustrated finger pointing and professed ignorance of the award, land sales and assorted businesses feeding on the contract.”
Bridge competes in the statewide news media division and won the following awards:
- First place in news enterprise, to Isabel Lohman, for Critical race theory flap makes teachers tiptoe on slavery, racism topics.
- First place in spot news, to the Bridge staff, for coverage of the MSU mass shooting.
- First place in feature writing, to Ron French, for How a tiny U.P. school became a national model for Native American education.
- First place in news photography, to Jonathan Oosting for a photo in the aftermath of MSU’s shooting.
- Second place in business and agriculture news, to Kelly House, for Uncertainty for Michigan rivers, residents as Consumers reconsiders 13 dams.
- Second place in news photography, to Dale Young, for a photo in the aftermath of the MSU shooting.
- Second place in government and education news, to Ron French, for A community defunds a library over LGBTQ books, and reaps a whirlwind.
- Second place in feature writing, to former Bridge intern Roni Kane, for Meet the Milan Bike Guy, making kids happy one free, fixed bike at a time.
- Third place in business and agriculture news, to Kelly House, for America’s bats are dying. A Michigan dam may hold a key to their survival.
- Third place in government and education news, to Ron French and Isabel Lohman, for Growth in the school security industry.
- Third place in sports reporting, to Kelly House, for Michigan aims to revive Arctic Grayling. But first, where to put them?
- Third place in spot news, to Kelly House and Robin Erb, for coverage of a hexavalent chromium river spill.
- Third place in public service, to Mike Wilkinson and Jonathan Oosting, for Pork spending, corruption in Lansing budget process.
- Honorable mention in news photos, to Dale Young, for an MSU shooting photo.
BridgeDetroit competed in the local news media division and won the following:
- First place in government and education news, Micah Walker, for Recreational marijuana: A path to Black prosperity in Detroit.
- First place in public service, to Jena Brooker, for Detroit’s cost of automotive growth: Generational displacement
- First place for special section, to Malachi Barrett, for his City Council Notebook.
- Second place for government and education news, to Bryce Huffman, for Detroit families wait-listed for ‘maxed out’ after school program.
- Third place for government and education news, to Micah Walker, for Detroit nonprofit leaders ask: Where are the men in education?
- Third place in news enterprise, to Nushrat Rahman, for Youth homelessness an “invisible crisis” in plain sight, providers say
- Honorable mention in government and education news, to Malachi Barrett, for When nature calls on Belle Isle, visitors struggle to find a bathroom
- Honorable mention in news enterprise reporting, to Olivia Lewis, for New Bargain Block season, same appraisal problems.
See what new members are saying about why they donated to Bridge Michigan:
- “In order for this information to be accurate and unbiased it must be underwritten by its readers, not by special interests.” - Larry S.
- “Not many other media sources report on the topics Bridge does.” - Susan B.
- “Your journalism is outstanding and rare these days.” - Mark S.
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