UMD student Grant Jones received two first place awards for best sports photo and best photo essay. He also received one second place award for government/public affairs reporting.
On top of their success, The Bark also had the surprise of meeting Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and were shouted out on Walz’s social media page.
He also mentioned them when addressing the MNA convention at the podium: “Earlier I met students here from Duluth. Great to see the next generation of journalists coming up."
Maija Jenson, The Bark’s adviser, attended the convention alongside one Bark alumna, Alyvia Taylor, who works in broadcasting at an NBC affiliate in Rochester, Minnesota.
"I am so proud of our students for publishing and submitting their best work from last year,” Jenson said. “Not only did they take home 11 MNA awards for their efforts, they attended conference sessions on best practices, audience and revenue building, community journalism and spent quality time networking with professionals from across the state."
Currently, The Bark is working on new stories that range in topic to be featured on their website, email newsletters, and the monthly print magazines that are distributed across UMD campus.
Seth Roeser serves as the current editor in chief. Weekly meetings are held every Tuesday at 4 p.m. in The Bark’s new office in Humanities 220 where students pitch, assign, and finalize ideas.
Here is a rundown of the winners:
- Alyvia Taylor, third place, Use of information graphics and graphic illustrations
- Dea Deleon, second place, Sports Story
- Delaney Shipman, third place, Arts and Entertainment Story
- Finlee Matejcek, third place, Best Use of Multimedia
- Grant Jones, second place, Government and Public Affairs Reporting
- Grant Jones, first place, Sports Photo
- Grant Jones, first place Photo Story
- Peyton Haug, third place, News Photo
- Rylee Sheeley, second place, Sports Photo
- Seth Roeser, third place, Hard News
- Seth Roeser, second place, Best Use of Multimedia
Author Mairen McNamara ([email protected]) is a communications specialist and student intern with the Communication Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth.