UConn Journalism Assistant Professor Amanda J. Crawford won first place for Human Interest Feature Reporting in the New England Newspaper & Press Association’s Better Newspaper contest.

Crawford, whose research focuses on the intersection of the mass shooting and misinformation crises, was recognized for her August 2022 Boston Globe Magazine cover story. The “epic” narrative — built from years of reporting, in-depth interviews and hundreds of pages of public records — followed the family of the youngest victim of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting for a decade from the tragedy through their lawsuits against conspiracy theorists. The story explored the origins of mass shooting denial and journalists’ role, the rise of conspiracy theories in the U.S., and the impact on survivors of high-profile crimes. The article was edited by Globe Magazine editor and UConn alum Francis Storrs.

UConn Journalism alumni were among the other winners in the NENPA contest. This includes Alison Cross (’22) of the The Hartford Courant, who was named “rookie of the year.”

You can read Crawford’s narrative in the Boston Globe here and find a PDF on her website.