Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigations earn top honors in business journalism competition
The staff of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been recognized with several top awards in a journalism competition that included media outlets from around the world.
The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) Best in Business Awards, are for work published, broadcast and/or posted on digital platforms in 2021.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earned top awards in the following categories:
Video. For "America’s Dairyland at the Crossroads," a collaboration between the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel led by reporter Rick Barrett, and Milwaukee PBS.
The reporting is part of the Journal Sentinel's Dairyland in Distress series of ongoing stories recognizing the challenges and sometimes outright devastation that Wisconsin dairy farmers have been facing in recent years.
Government. For coverage of turmoil in the Wisconsin National Guard.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation found that as America increasingly leans on the Guard to fight overseas wars, provide security at protests and even drive public school buses, Guard leaders and lawmakers have failed to keep pace with the greater mental health burden facing the soldiers.
The story examined the circumstances surrounding the suicides of four Wisconsin National Guard members upon their return from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Health/Science. For an investigation into a little-known and life-threatening disparity in electrical fires in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods.
The investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that fires suspected to be started by faulty electrical wiring scorch homes in Milwaukee’s poorest ZIP code at five times the rate of the rest of the city.
More: Electrical fires hit Milwaukee's Black renters hardest. Nobody is held accountable.
The investigation also found that the already distressed 53206 ZIP code — and areas surrounding it — are the epicenter for electrical fire danger in the city.
Police and fire investigators, as well as federal, state and local officials, do little to stop it, the Journal Sentinel found, and, the people affected the most by these dangerous conditions are low-income Black renters.
The Journal Sentinel's work was recognized from among 1,277 entries submitted by 194 news organizations across all platforms and included international, national and regional news outlets as well as specialized business publications.
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Contact Joe Taschler at (414) 224-2554 or jtaschler@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeTaschler or Facebook at facebook.com/joe.taschler.1.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recognized by journalism organization
