Washtenaw Voice award winners (from left: Heed, Plop, Loomis)
The Washtenaw Voice was awarded first place in investigative reporting in the Michigan Press Association’s college newspaper contest Thursday.
The award was among those announced by the statewide journalism group in a virtual ceremony that honored professional and collegiate journalists.
The first prize was awarded to former Voice editor Cydney Heed for her story, “Why is college tuition so high?” In the two-part report, Heed looked at data over several decades to understand why tuition has in some cases doubled in 10 years. The story examined where tuition dollars go and how funding from various sources has changed.
In addition, the Voice received an honorable mention in the news story category for Doina Plop’s story “Despite pandemic, fewer people are facing homelessness in Washtenaw County.”
The story looked at conditions that led to a reduction in the number of people without stable shelter, as well as a grass-roots effort to help.
The Voice also received third place in the original cartoon category for Ian Loomis’s editorial cartoons. Judging was based on a sample of three cartoons.
The contest included work published Aug. 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021. Sixteen colleges participated in the contest.
