The Wisconsin Newspaper Association is seeking Wisconsin reporting entries for the Michael Kramer Public Notice Journalism Award.
The Public Notice Resource Center is sponsoring the Michael Kramer Public Notice Journalism Award, which highlights the best newspaper reporting based on public notices. Established in 2014, the contest celebrates the reporters and editors who bring these important stories to life.
Reporters know a great way to get story leads is to review the notices published in their papers for a potential source of news about local government operations. Reporting on that information helps ensure that matters important to their communities — including, for example, zoning applications, development plans, foreclosure auctions or filings, government and corporate disposal of private property — receive the attention they deserve.
The 2025 competition will be administered by the National Newspaper Association Foundation as a category in NNAF’s Better Newspaper Contest and first place has a $1,000 award.
The 2025 Michael Kramer Public Notice Journalism Award will be presented for a news story or series that highlights the impact of a public notice or the omission of a public notice, helps readers understand a public notice or explains the consequences of a public body’s failure to publish a notice in a newspaper, or the consequences of publishing a notice on a government website instead of a newspaper.
A successful entry will usually result from the newsroom’s having read the public notices in the newspaper and recognizing a news hook or feature opportunity coming from the subject of a particular public notice.
Stories should reference and/or provide a link to the notice; or if the story is based on a public notice requirement that was not met or was deficient, it must describe the deficiency.
The category is not intended for editorials advocating for more public notice or opposing changes in public notice law.
Send your entries to chris.mertes@wnanews.com by July 15, 2025 and make a note in the Subject line of the email that it is regarding the 2025 Michael Kramer Public Notice Journalism Award.
