The WNA Foundation’s High School Better Newspaper Contest recognizes student achievements in high school newspapering. Experienced newspaper professionals from the Michigan Press Association will serve as judges.
The submission period for the High School Better Newspaper Contest is Dec. 9, 2024 – Jan. 13, 2025.
Content published between Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 6, 2024, is eligible for this contest.
There will be a $7.50 fee for each entry.
Content published between Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 6, 2024, is eligible for this contest.
BNC categories include: General Excellence, General Excellence, Public Affairs Reporting, In-Depth Story, Feature Story, Sports Story, Editorial Writing, Column Writing, News/Feature Photography, Sports Photography, Infographic/Illustration and Best Use of Multimedia/Website.
Awards will be presented during the luncheon at the WNA’s Annual Convention on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Madison.
THE BRANEN AWARD FUND
Each high school winning the General Excellence Award in the WNA Foundation Better Newspaper High School Contest will receive a $1,000 Branen Award.
Beginning in 2024, a ONE* $100 Branen Award will be given to the winners of contest Categories 2 through 11. The monetary awards for Category 12 will be awarded to the winning school newspaper.
If multiple students are listed on a winning entry, the school is responsible for dividing the award amount among the students accordingly.
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.
Formerly known as the Branen Scholarship, the award was initially given to Burlington High School students. Since 1999, however, it has been awarded to the top high school general excellence winners in the WNA Better Newspaper High School Contest.
Questions about the contest should be directed to Laura Niemi at laura@mna.org.
