The Michigan Interscholastic Press Association has honored Crain Communications Inc. and Automotive News as recipients of its 2016 John V. Field Award for their support of student journalists in Detroit high schools.
The award recognizes a person or organization who is not currently a student media adviser for their significant contributions to scholastic journalism in Michigan. It was first given in 1972 to John Field, who served as the executive director of MIPA for more than 20 years.
Crain is the lead sponsor of Crain MSU Detroit High School Journalism, a program run by the Michigan State University School of Journalism that serves a dozen high schools in the city of Detroit. The program provides training, equipment, newspaper design and production, travel assistance and professional mentors to help students at participating schools produce Dialogue, a quarterly newspaper and news website. The effort has been spearheaded at Crain by Automotive News Publisher Jason Stein and News Editor Krishnan Anantharaman.
“Without the help of Crain and Automotive News, scholastic journalism could have disappeared from Detroit high schools,” said Jeremy W. Steele, executive director of MIPA and a faculty member in the Michigan State University School of Journalism. “Instead, journalism is thriving in these schools and we are seeing the results in the quality of work these outstanding students are producing.”
In its first year of publication, Dialogue earned a “gold” rating in MIPA’s Spartan critique contest. That’s the second highest rating given in the contest. A Detroit high school newspaper hasn’t participated in the critique service since 2001.
Crain and MSU also are investing in new equipment and creating unique opportunities for students across the city to practice journalism. For example, Automotive News assisted the program in securing passes for several Detroit students to cover the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.
“More important, Crain is sending an army of professional journalists into schools as mentors to work directly with students,” Steele said. “We rarely see this level of engagement by professional media organizations with our youngest journalists.”
ABOUT CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
Crain Communications is a privately held media company that produces trusted and relevant news publications, lead generation, research and data products, digital platforms, custom publishing, and events with uncompromising integrity. Reaching 6 million business decision makers and consumers across the United States and in select markets in Europe and Asia, the company’s 22 brand portfolio includes many of the most influential media properties in the verticals they serve including Automotive News, Autoweek, Advertising Age, Modern Healthcare, Plastics News, Business Insurance and Pensions & Investments. Headquartered in Detroit, the company’s 880 employees in 13 locations deliver exceptional news content over a variety of platforms to empower the success of its readers and clients.
ABOUT THE MICHIGAN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1921 and housed in the Michigan State University School of Journalism, the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization composed of scholastic journalism teachers and publications advisers and their students. MIPA is committed to promoting and recognizing excellence in scholastic journalism at all levels through education, training and support of student journalists and their advisers.