Contrera takes fourth in Hearst feature writing
Alumna Jessica Contrera, BAJ’14, won fourth place in the feature writing contest, the first of the monthly writing competitions in the 55th annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program.
First place went to Faiz Siddiqui of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Arizona State finished first overall and IU was fourth.
A record 153 feature writing entries were received from 81 schools in this first competition of five monthly contests where students from participating colleges and universities enter previously published work. In addition to the writing competition, the program includes two photojournalism competitions, three broadcast news competitions and four multimedia competitions.
The Hearst program awards up to $500,000 in scholarships and grants annually. For her work, Contrera won $1,000, and the school receives a matching grant in the same amounts.
Upcoming writing contests are enterprise reporting, sports reporting, personality/profile and breaking news. Finalists who win their categories or amass points are invited to the national finals, where they will complete on-the-spot reporting assignments for top prizes.
IU’s Charlie Scudder won the national prize in 2013 and Danielle Paquette won in 2011. Several others have competed at the nationals, with three placing second or third. In overall points, IU has won or finished second in the writing program finals several times in the last five years.