05-05-2025
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters take top honors in national journalism contests
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel journalists have been recognized with six National Headliner Awards for their work in investigative, enterprise and digital journalism.
The competition is one of the oldest and largest annual contests recognizing journalistic excellence.
Reporter Jessica Van Egeren won first place for health and science writing for her investigation into the death of Baby Amillianna, who was born with a treatable condition at Ascension Columbia St. Mary's hospital in Milwaukee but died 30 hours later.
Van Egeren, who is also an assistant breaking news editor, revealed gaps in care and communication and how Wisconsin's malpractice laws can leave grieving families without recourse to address negligence in the health care system.
Judges called her reporting a "searing look at pregnancies where poor expected outcomes interact with legal issues."
Other Journal Sentinel reporters honored at the National Headliner Awards include:
Reporter Rick Barrett and photojournalist Mark Hoffman won third place in the newspaper series category for "Bringing It Home," an in-depth look at the resurgence of American manufacturing.
Reporter Mary Spicuzza won third place in the investigative reporting category for "My Cousin Augie," an investigation into the decades-old car bombing murder of her cousin.
Spicuzza, multimedia producer Bill Schulz and USA TODAY reporter Gina Barton also won third place in the digital narrative podcast category for "My Cousin Augie."
Reporter Cleo Krejci won third place in the public service category for for "The Gray Zone," an investigation into Wisconsin's assisted living industry.
Reporters Tamia Fowlkes, Quinn Clark and Gina Castro won second place in the journalistic innovation category for Public Investigator, a watchdog reporting team at the Journal Sentinel specializing in chasing readers' tips and questions.
"Every day our team at the Journal Sentinel, our team sets out to tell the most important story of the day -- and to tell it in a way that makes a difference," said Executive Editor Greg Borowski. "This recognition, which covers the work of journalists from across our newsroom, underlines that commitment."
Meanwhile, several Journal Sentinel reporters have also been honored in other contests in 2025 for their remarkable work.
Reporter Natalie Eilbert won second place in the Katherine Schneider Award, which recognizes excellence in disability coverage, for her series about the denial of long-term disability benefits for those with mental health conditions. The award is administered by the National Center on Disability and Journalism, which is part of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
Barrett and Hoffman, along with Milwaukee PBS, also won honorable mention in the explanatory division of the prestigious SABEW Best in Business awards for their "Bringing it Home" project.
Journal Sentinel reporters Vanessa Swales, Drake Bentley, Laura Schulte and Ashley Luthern and Appleton Post-Crescent reporter Kelli Arseneau also won first place in the Wisconsin News Association's inaugural A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism for their coverage of Wisconsin's prison crisis.
Krejci won second place for her reporting on assisted living facilities.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Journal Sentinel reporters take top honors in journalism contests
