Thanks to donors and supporters, the University of Montana School of Journalism gave more than $300,000 in scholarships to students at its annual Dean Stone Awards Banquet on April 4.
See highlights from the evening honoring founding dean Arthur Stone and the legacy he leaves to our students here:
A film produced in a collaborative course with Journalism and Media Arts students at the University of Montana is an official selection of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and four other festivals. “Tomorrow’s Town Today” tells the story of high school seniors in Colstrip, Montana as they, and their town, try to discover their futures.
Directed by senior Halley Linscheid and produced by alumna Matti Olson, the film reveals the promise and the peril of a town built around the coal industry. Students traveled to Colstrip several times in the Spring 2023 semester to document the major events and day-to-day life of the eastern Montana town. The film closely follows high schoolers through sports, home life and the prom as they decide what comes after graduation.
Journalism Professor Denise Dowling and Media Arts Professor Ryan Weibush taught the documentary film production course in the collaboration between the schools. Dowling said it was fascinating to watch the students work together, each bringing their backgrounds and sensibilities.
“Journalism students focused on truth-telling and news value while Media Arts students brought their creativity and visual design to the course,” Dowling said. “The students very much learned from each other and the resulting film is a fabulous blend.”
The film was selected as part of the Made In Montana film strand at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival scheduled for February 16-25, 2024. It has also been accepted to the Berlin Indie Film Festival, the Bozeman International Film Festival, the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest and the Winterland Film Festival in Whitefish.
Twelve winners and 17 finalists. We’d say that’s a sweep of the regional Society of Professional Journalists’ Awards for students of the University of Montana School of Journalism.
And, they didn’t just sweep one or two categories. They were tops in everything from general news reporting, to sports photography, to feature videography to podcasts to in-depth radio reporting.
Below, see a list of all our winners and finalists and click in to see the outstanding work that won these accolades.
Print/Online:
Finalist: Open-air preacher returns to campus, attracts crowd of students in opposition — by Andy Tallman, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Finalist: Brown water in Corbin raises concerns for lead safety — by Christine Compton, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Winner: Election fallout and politics of Northern Ireland — by Staff, Montana Journalism Abroad, University of Montana
Winner: The Ford factor — by Jack Marshall, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Finalist: Voices of 37 — by Tye Brown, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Winner: Montana Kaimin — by Staff, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Winner: Native News — by Montana Native News Team, Native News, University of Montana
Art/Graphics/Multimedia
Winner: Galbreath protest — by Antonio Ibarra, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Finalist: 9/11 Memorial — by Lukas Prinos, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Finalist: Hazel’s honey — by Ridley Hudson, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, University of Montana
Finalist: Asleep on the cradleboard — by Antonio Ibarra, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Finalist: Pow Wow debuts after COVID-19 — by Antonio Ibarra, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Winner: Rebound possession — by Antonio Ibarra, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Finalist: Soccer collision — by Chris Lodman, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Winner: Interwoven — by Austin Amestoy, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Finalist: Oxigenio — by Griffin Ziegert, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Audio
Winner: Food Rx — by Izaak Opatz, KBGA, University of Montana
Finalist: Fentanyl testing strip controversy — by Griffen Smith, KBGA, University of Montana
Finalist: Adderall shortage — by Max W. Bartley, KBGA, University of Montana
Winner: How checking the felony box hurts potential renters — by Elinor Smith, PRX, Montana Public Radio, University of Montana
Finalist: Green burials — by Hailey Smalley, KUFM Montana Public Radio, University of Montana
Finalist: Cattle broker — by Izaak Opatz, KBGA, University of Montana
Winner: Wilderness therapy — by Hailey Smalley, KBGA, University of Montana
Finalist: Finding home — by Staff, PRX, Montana Public Radio, University of Montana
Finalist: Superfund research — by Rachel Neal, KBGA College Radio, University of Montana
Finalist: The Kaimin Cast — by Elinor Smith, Montana Kaimin, University of Montana
Broadcast
Winner: Native fish keepers — by Henry Pree, Montana PBS, University of Montana
Winner: Unseen Engines — by Unseen Engines Production Team, Montana PBS, University of Montana
Finalist: Ham — by Grace Wolcott, Kal Bailey, Montana PBS, University of Montana
Montana Journalism 