Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Del Mar College Entry Title: On Air Quality Entry Credit: Bill Eaves Judge Comment: Love the accountability journalism here. The reporter used documents, official statements and interviews with people directly responsible for a strong story.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Lamar University Entry Title: Athletics - Books, Balls and Breakdowns: Collegiate sport requires delicate balancing act Entry Credit: Luis Lemmen Judge Comment: Tons of great interviews here. Work on self-editing. There's great information here, but the story can be cut to be more impactful. No need to put everything in your notebook into the story. Pick the best of the best to illustrate the point.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Midwestern Entry Title: Human trafficking across Texas Entry Credit: George Svoboda Judge Comment: This is an interesting story, but it needs stronger attribution.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Lamar University Entry Title: Show Us the Money: FAFSA delays create uncertainty for students, university Entry Credit: Maddie Sims Judge Comment: Lots of sources here, but a lot of it feels like it's aggregated from other news reports. The story would have been stronger with fewer references to other news outlets. Become an expert on your own.
