A feature story about sexual assault by journalists at Noblesville High School has taken top honors in the Woman’s Press Club of Indiana’s Best of the Best portion of the annual high school journalism competition.
Judges selected “It could happen to anyone,” a feature by Caitlin Kinkead, Hailey Schultheiss and Abbie Klinker, as the overall winner from all the first place winners in any medium in the state contest conducted earlier this year.
Reporters interviewed female and male assault victims as well as a spokesperson for Prevail, a local victims’ assistance agency. They conducted background research and gathered data from local and national sources, and they compiled suggestions for helping victims. The package also featured a first-person account of an assault.
It published in the March 10, 2017, edition of the Mill Stream, NHS’ student newspaper. The adviser is Joe Akers.
Taking second place was a news story titled “Defending DACA” by Jared Rigdon and Claire Settlemyre of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. The newspaper adviser is Heather Klopfenstein. Third place went to a double-truck layout titled “Alone in the crowd” by Christina Yang of Carmel High School in Carmel. The newspaper adviser is Jim Streisel.
All of the first-place WPCI winners will compete in their categories with other first-place winners around the country in the National Federation of Press Women high school competition. Winners will be announced at the NFPW conference in September.
Best of the Best is a way to further honor talented Indiana high school journalists, said WPCi contest director Elizabeth Granger, retired high school journalism adviser and current freelance travel writer.
The high school students will join collegiate and professional communicators in receiving their awards at the WPCI annual communications luncheon June 2.
