2021 Michigan APME-Newspaper Contest

Best Public Service ( Division III)Back

  • Place Name: First Place
    Contestant Name: The Detroit News
    Entry Title: Michigan's unemployment system rife with fraud, mistakes
    Entry Credit: Beth LeBlanc
    Judge Comment: Reporter Beth LeBlanc went beyond the press conferences and held the state accountable for losing billions of dollars. Her clear, concise writing made it easy to understand. And her Kardashian lead made me laugh out loud. It was a smart way to get readers into the story while highlighting the scope of the fraud.
  • Place Name: Second Place
    Contestant Name: Detroit Free Press
    Entry Title: Free Press special report: The truth about COVID-19 vaccines
    Entry Credit: Detroit Free Press Staff
    Judge Comment: This package was well reported and presented to the community in a true "news you can use" way. I loved how it was given to vaccinated people with a call to action, and how the reporters took the time to collect concerns from the unvaccinated. It was honest without being judgemental. Great job.
  • Place Name: Third Place
    Contestant Name: The Grand Rapids Press
    Entry Title: Kalamazoo River sediment crisis
    Entry Credit: Garret Ellison
    Judge Comment: Science stories are often hard to distill for readers, but these articles nailed it. The analogies gave me a clear understanding of the size of the problem and the stakes. The video was engaging, and the writing was excellent.