Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: The Advance-Titan Entry Title: It's time to support student free press Entry Credit: Anya Kelley, Kelly Hueckman, Mattie Beck Judge Comment: Smartly written editorial with a great lede and a call-to-action ending advocating for passage of a bill to bolster student journalism in the state. Just loved the opening twist—"Being the victim of a home invasion ... we often assume it will never happen to us ... The same could be said of student First Amendment rights." A great lede is a perfect setup for an echo ending, which could have been achieved with a short phrase. So your editor might have suggested something like: "If you agree with us, join us in this fight to make Wisconsin No. 18 and protect us from an invasion of our rights." Good examples, both from high schools and their own college newsroom. An interesting point about how student journalism can model a "professional, civil manner" that can increase civic engagement for young people. Bravo!
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: The Badger Herald Entry Title: The Badger Herald Editorial Board: The bounds of free speech Entry Credit: Celia Hiorns, Maggie Degnan, Elise Fjelstad, Janani Sundar Judge Comment: A well-researched, thoughtful piece that offers the university's administration helpful advice on how to balance allowing free speech at the same time providing resources and support for students who find ideas offensive. The editorial reinforces the long-held belief that the answer to harmful speech is more speech, not censorship. The money line: "There is a fundamental difference between freedom of speech and freedom of consequence." The article could have benefited from more writing flourishes like that, especially in the lede and for the ending. Also, as "hate speech" is a tricky term, perhaps an added line or two about the difference between "hate" and "disagreeable." The larger point is that the editorial board should be commended for taking on a serious and important topic on campus and delivering a measured, well-reasoned response. This piece should make the university administration proud.
