Reporter of the Year

May 2, 2017

Judged by Mitch Eden, MJE, Kirkwood HS (Mo.), DJNF Journalism Teacher of the Year, 2015

1st Place – Hannah Metzger, Rangeview HS

Hannah’s portfolio commentary, with links to her stories on the Rangeview Raider Review website

Opinion: Student Press Conference Denies Reality of APS Budget Crisis

Recently, the only thing that Aurora Public Schools have been known for is our budget crisis. It is no secret to our students or staff that the district is in trouble. When meeting with Superintendent Rico Munn to discuss the crisis, I was shocked and disappointed by his irresponsible and misinformed answers to various questions. I wrote this article to invoke a conversation about a serious issue within my community and to hold Munn accountable for his disgusting attempt to use the student journalist’s of APS as a way to gain good press without providing anything in return.

One Year Later: RHS Business Diminished But Not Destroyed
Just over one year ago, the principal of my high school made the decision to take away our business department with no notice or communication for the student body. This evoked outrage which caused the principal to “reverse” his decision. However, what many were not aware of was that the Rangeview business department was drastically decreased to the point where it nearly no longer exists. I wrote this article to point out the deceiving actions of my principal and call for the outrage that saved the business department in the first place.

APS Debt Destroys Late-Start Wednesdays
When the APS budget deficit was first announced there was surprisingly little news coverage by local media outlets. The story that I posted was one of the first to discuss the issue, even though it only addressed a small consequence of the larger issue. I wrote this article to begin the conversation about the budget deficit and the impact it would have on our school directly.

APS Sexual Education Reform Takes Step Towards Reality

I wrote this article covering a recent decision to reform my school district’s standard for sexual education. This article addressed the influence that sexual education has on students and the need for a change. I chose this story because I feel it is an essential topic that needs to be covered and that more people within my community should care about.

Dolmas’s Infinite Impact
I covered the story when one of my high school’s beloved staff members decided to take the next step in his life and leave Rangeview behind. I wrote this story discussing the people that have been touched by Mr. Dolmas and how his absence would affect the school as a whole. The goal of this article is to tell a story about someone who deserves recognition.

Comments from Mitch Eden:

Love that you tackle tough topics (budget/department cuts) and show your reporting with quality sources adding credibility. And that you are uncovering/informing (dept cuts) your audience.
Your writing is clear, concise and conversational.
Your reporting is your strength. And reporting fuels writing. Excellent.
Do not need to use “I” so much in a column; it’s yours :).
Rather than lead with a national stat (Sleep Foundation) localize and compare the numbers at your school/your students.
Careful of editorializing in your news lede (APS sex ed).

2nd Place – Isaac Bugarin, Brighton HS

Here is Isaac’s portfolio, which you can find on ISSUU, with his commentary on each spread’s reporting.

Loved that you jumped on the timeliness of an event (Supreme Court) and included a story in your yearbook. Moments like this are an excellent timestamp of the year.
You do a nice job of personalizing your ledes and finding unique angles (softball/Martinez).
Make sure quotes are quote-worthy.
Over-report; gather more than you need so you can remove the average and just keep the good. That also means not having to use everything you obtain.

3rd Place – Emma Atchison, Highlands Ranch HS

Here is Emma’s portfolio, which you can find on ISSUU, with her commentary on each story’s reporting.

Love the depth you give with your secondary coverage/information (cancer)
Strong details add depth and gives clear understanding of topics (philanthropy))
Informative and well-written pieces overall
I’d love to see the “face” of your story; put a person in your lede.
Don’t lead with the ordinary (soccer) and facts/statements we already know.

Overall Comments from Mitch on this competition:

Some entrants did not follow the directions and did not include a personal statement/short commentary.
Too much editorializing; opinions need attribution.
Many ledes read like English essay topic sentences.
Go deeper than the obvious. Add context.
Make your characters real people. Tell a little about them.
Such a nice variety of topics covered overall.
A strength was the reporting and interviewing. Strong sources.
Pieces followed AP Style rules well.
Conversational, clear language.