We don’t do journalism to win awards. Our mission is to serve residents with the vital information they need to be engaged in life in Detroit. But when awards happen, it is always a humbling honor.
Please allow us a moment to share!
Earlier this month, BridgeDetroit earned top honors from the National Headliner Awards, which has honored the best in print, online, television, radio and photographic journalism for the last 92 years.
We were named the best independent community/local news site in the country based on a collection of our work. The judges described our entry as having “a clear mission backed up with a depth and breadth of high-quality reporting that puts Detroiters at the forefront.”
Former BridgeDetroit reporter Malachi Barrett was honored with a third-place finish as best digital newsletter for his work with “City Council Notebook.” (Subscribe to the current edition of “Detroit City Notebook” here.)
On Wednesday, BridgeDetroit was honored with nine additional awards at a local journalism contest, including three first-place finishes for an election-focused podcast, food writing and collaborative work.
The Society of Professional Journalists Detroit Chapter honors newsrooms across the state each year in its Excellence in Journalism Awards. BridgeDetroit founder and Executive Advisor Stephen Henderson was awarded a Lifetime Achievement recognition alongside longtime journalist and former Bridge reporter Bill McGraw and Wayne State University Professor Alicia Nails, who is the director of the school’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity.
First place:
- Best podcast: Malachi Barrett, Bryce Huffman, Stephen Henderson and Khary Frazier for “Detroit Next”
- Best food reporting/reviews: Jena Brooker for “Detroit’s Clique still the spot for hot cakes, hot takes”
- Best collaborative coverage: Nushrat Rahman for work featured in BridgeDetroit and the Detroit Free Press
Second place:
- Engagement-driven coverage: Bryce Huffman, Christine Ferretti, Laurén Abdel-Razzaq and Malachi Barrett for the Meet the Candidates event series
- Sojourner Truth Award for Reporting on Racial Justice: Work by Jena Brooker
Third place:
- Newsletter strategy: Malachi Barrett for City Council Notebook
- Collaborative coverage: Bill Kubota, Detroit PBS and Great Lakes Now and Jena Brooker for “Voices for Manoomin”
Fourth place:
- Arts reporting/criticism: Micah Walker for Culture Canvas
- Community/Local News Reporting: Kayleigh Lickliter for “Detroit police don’t prioritize auto thefts. Some victims are taking matters into their own hands”
BridgeDetroit was also honored last month with nine awards from the Michigan Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
For the third straight year, Jena Brooker won the Public Service Award-Local Category for her coverage of Detroit’s environmental and food sovereignty issues.
First place:
- Community Impact Award: BridgeDetroit Staff
- Best Digital Presentation: Bryce Huffman, Christine Ferretti and Laurén Abdel-Razzaq
- Crime/Justice: Kayleigh Lickliter for “Detroit said auto theft victims shouldn’t pay fees. Some still are“
Second place:
- Environment/ Climate: Jena Brooker and Katie Worth for “With more hot days, Detroit students’ learning and health suffers”
- Best Newsletter: Malachi Barrett for “City Council Notebook“
Third place:
- Best podcast: Bryce Huffman, Malachi Barrett and Khary Frazier for Detroit Next” podcast
Honorable mention:
- Best Education Beat Reporting: Honorable Mention, work of Micah Walker
- Education: Micah Walker for “Advocates fight for Detroit educators to follow IEPs for special education students“
Our sister publication, Bridge Michigan, won 24 awards in the SPJ Detroit contest and 34 awards at the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest, where the publication was named News Media Publication of Year and swept the public service awards category.
Help support BridgeDetroit’s work
Awards don’t tell the whole story of the work that goes into our journalism and engagement every day as we seek to serve our city’s residents. We are far more focused on impact: challenging accepted wrongs, raising awareness of important issues, holding the city administration accountable and more.
If you feel inspired to help us in our mission, please consider donating to our nonprofit newsroom. Our annual spring campaign is on now.
Thank you for your support!
CONGRATULATIONS! Not surprised at all