Bridge wins 13 awards in Michigan Press Association contest
Bridge won 13 awards in the 2019 Michigan Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, including three first-place honors.
Bridge was also a finalist for Newspaper of the Year, competing for the first time this year in the Class A category against the state’s largest newspapers. The Grand Rapids Press won the top prize.
“The annual MPA awards are a reminder of journalism’s crucial role in democracy and civil society in Michigan,” said Bridge President & CEO John Bebow. “We honor and congratulate the hard and excellent work of our professional colleagues across Michigan.”
After earning four straight Newspaper of the Year awards in smaller circulation categories, Bridge requested to compete against the largest statewide newspapers this year. Newspaper of the Year rankings are based on 17 awards categories, ranging from best columnist and news reporting to sports reporting and feature photography. Bridge focuses its coverage on a narrower set of news categories.
“We hope this signals to all Bridge readers and statewide stakeholders that you can depend on Bridge over the long haul for some of the very best journalism in our great state,” Bebow said. “Bridge continues to grow because of reader and philanthropic support. We couldn’t do it without you.”
Here is the list of Bridge winners, with two stories indicated below that were collaborations with other news organizations:
First place
- One woman's Facebook post leads to Michigan vote against gerrymandering, news feature, Riley Beggin
- Shooter drills. Anxious teachers. Flying staples. Michigan schools prepare, news enterprise, Ron French
- 2018 election coverage, spot news, Bridge staff
Second place
- Detroit water crisis, news enterprise, Joel Kurth
- Michigan’s child care crisis, business reporting, Ron French and Mike Wilkinson
- School hopping brings chaos to Detroit classrooms, government and education reporting, Erin Einhorn (Chalkbeat Detroit) and Chastity Pratt
Third place
- Lawsuits, ballot reform and sterile deer: Lame duck’s longest day, spot news, Riley Beggin and Mike Wilkinson
- Suicide in Michigan, suicide coverage, Ted Roelofs
- Fixing Michigan’s roads mess, special section, Bridge staff
- Best website, staff
Honorable mention
- The miseducation of Michigan: How the state fails kids at black history, column, Chastity Pratt
- She was born to fight — and did for three years without running water, feature, Joel Kurth
- Michigan lobbyist for polluter wrote law easing toxic cleanups, open records story, Craig Mauger (Michigan Campaign Finance Network) and Jim Malewitz
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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