WyoFile takes home 36 Top of the Rockies journalism awards

With 36 awards for its 2024 reporting, WyoFile topped its previous record in the annual, four-state Top of Rockies journalism contest. 

The nonprofit news organization’s accolades included 13 first-place awards, 13 second-place awards and 10 third places — more than any other Wyoming publication — in the contest administered by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Colorado chapter. Contest judges honored all six staff reporters, two editors, five freelance contributors and a columnist for work published on WyoFile.com. Collaborations with KFF Health News and the Gillette News Record were also recognized.

“Nobody chooses a career in journalism for the accolades, and no one pitches in to support independent reporting in order to win awards,” said Matthew Copeland, WyoFile’s chief executive and editor. “But as someone privileged enough to see both how hard this team works, and how stalwart our members are in backing that work, it’s incredibly gratifying to see all that selfless commitment lauded by our peers.” 

This year’s contest had more than 1,850 entries from more than 80 news outlets and 20 freelancers from Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico, according to SPJ. 

“The competition continues to grow each year, and we are honored to highlight outstanding journalism throughout the four-state region,” said contest coordinator Deb Hurley Brobst. “These are hard-working journalists who deserve recognition of their efforts.”

WyoFile took first place across a range of beats and journalistic disciplines including education, religion, health, mental health, science, sports, personal storytelling, photography, multimedia storytelling and illustration. 

Reporter Katie Klingsporn’s education feature, “A winding path: How a reservation school graduated its largest-ever class” won first place, with a judge calling it “an engaging and well-written report that captured personalities and pride.”  

“Impeccably researched and wonderfully written,” a judge said about Mike Koshmrl’s science and technology feature first place for “Wyoming’s mostly wolf-free policy produces precise management of a controversial canine.”

Former Health and Public Safety Reporter Madelyn Beck won first place in public service journalism for “A critical call.” A judge applauded Beck’s series for its “in-depth look at EMS in … Wyoming, first the problems then potential ways forward.”

Freelancer CJ Baker’s health feature “Medicaid expansion can’t pass the Legislature. So what’s the alternative?” also took first. A judge called the story “a masterclass in old-fashioned journalism.” 

In awarding Managing Editor Joshua Wolfson first place for his personal column “The killing of Bobby Maher and the fear at the heart of parenthood,” a judge said, “A teen’s fatal stabbing leads the father of a schoolmate to find words where it seems there really could be no words … and beautiful ones.” 

“This slate of impressive recognitions from the four-state Top of the Rockies journalism contest proves Wyoming is home to one of the best independent news media outlets in the country,” WyoFile Board President Emilene Ostlind said. “Wyoming citizens are the real winners here as we all benefit from the robust coverage WyoFile provides our state”