The Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) 2024 College & High School Better Newspaper Contest opened on December 9.
The WNA’s College & High School BNC represents a great opportunity for college and high school students to submit their best work of 2024, win awards and compete against their peers for honors in all areas of journalism across the state.
BNC categories include: General Excellence, Collegiate Journalist of the Year, Breaking News Reporting, Public Affairs Reporting, In-Depth Story, Feature Story, Arts & Entertainment Story, Sports Story, Editorial Writing , Column Writing, Freedom of Information Award, News Photography, Feature Photography, Sports Photography, Infographic, Page Design, Use of Multimedia, Website and Advertisement.
Entries will be accepted Dec. 9, 2024 – Jan. 13, 2025.
There will be a $7.50 fee for each entry. Content published between Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024, is eligible for this contest. The contest site information along with the rules and regulations have been sent to journalism educators and advisors as well as campus newspaper editors.
Branen Awards
Each high school winning the 2024 General Excellence Award in the WNA Foundation High School Better Newspaper Contest will receive a $1,000 Branen Award.
One $100 Branen Award will be given to the winners of General Reporting, Public Affairs Reporting, In-Depth Story, Feature Story, Sports Story, Editorial Writing, Column Writing, News/Feature Photography, Sports Photography and Infographic/Illustration.
The monetary award for the Best Use of Multimedia/Website will go toward the winning school newspaper.
The Branen family-sponsored awards are named for William E. Branen, the former publisher and president of the Burlington Standard Press. Branen, who became the state’s youngest editor in 1953, is a past president of the then-Wisconsin Press Association.
Since 1999, the Branen Award has been awarded to the top high school general excellence winners in the WNA Better Newspaper High School Contest.
The presentation of awards will be held during the College & High School BNC Banquet as part of the annual convention of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association on March 7, 2025, at the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club.
