General News ( Division 3)
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- Place Name: First Place
Contestant Name: UT-Tyler
Entry Title: Smith County Combatting Rise in Sex Trafficking
Entry Credit: DAVID CHAPEK
Judge Comment: Well-chosen topic that is relevant to the community.
Engaging lede with a shocking statistic to Draw readers in.
Strong use of local sources (DA, victim services, nonprofit).
Informative discussion on how trafficking occurs and how to prevent it.
No independent verification of statistics.
Over-reliance on law enforcement perspectives without survivor voices.
Unclear legal explanations on trafficking laws.
Weak ending with no strong call to action.
- Place Name: Second Place
Contestant Name: Trinity University
Entry Title: Multilingual students confused over language requirement
Entry Credit: Jules Plewes
Judge Comment: Despite these issues, I enjoyed this article and learned much:
Lede is unattributed and has a slight editorial tone
AP Style inconsistencies (titles, major names, numbers)
Some confusing, wordy sentences need simplification
Weak ending – could be stronger in wrapping up the article
- Place Name: Third Place
Contestant Name: Dallas College - Brookhaven
Entry Title: Lactation room
Entry Credit: Salome Chiriva
Judge Comment: Important topic that benefits student-parents.
Strong institutional sources and nonprofit perspectives.
Clear description of the lactation room’s features and accessibility.
Weak lede—needs a stronger hook.
Lacks broader context on why lactation rooms are needed at colleges.
Only one student quoted—needs more perspectives.
Structural flow could be improved for readability.
Abrupt ending—needs a stronger wrap-up.
- Place Name: Honorable Mention
Contestant Name: Texas Wesleyan University
Entry Title: Graduate Nurse Anesthesia Program receives $500K grant, leads way for cutting-edge trauma care training
Entry Credit: Kehinde Hopkins
Judge Comment: The grant source was not identified adequately.
The article could benefit from stronger attribution and administrative details.
Additionally, the article does not fully explain how GPNA students were selected—does it prioritize financial need, academic performance, or other criteria?
- Competition Comment: Tight competition.
All of the entries needed stronger attribution, but those that placed 1-4 were the strongest overall.
