Voice special report finalist in national contest

The Washtenaw Voice is a finalist in a national college journalism contest.

Judges for the College Media Association selected the Voice’s May 30 special report on the COVID-19 pandemic as one of five finalists for best written special section of more than four pages.

Other finalists include student-journalists from Syracuse University, California State University at Chico, Columbia College Chicago, and Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas. (See the College Media Association announcement.)

The Voice’s entry was prepared as Winter Semester students completed their work away from campus, and from one another, following the onset of the pandemic in Michigan.

Titled “Life in a pandemic: How three months of COVID-19 changed our world,” the 12-page publication included stories about the campus shutdown, the economic fallout and assistance efforts, a WCC nursing instructor working in a hospital COVID unit, first-person stories from WCC students, and photos from a community in limbo. The work was led by 2019-20 Voice editor Lilly Kujawski, then deputy editor Claire Convis and graphic designer Vardan Sargsyan.

The winner will be announced at the College Media Association’s annual conference later this month.