Posts by Erica Michelsen
INF Awards Seven Scholarships
Seven Iowa students have been selected as recipients of Iowa Newspaper Foundation scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year. The scholarships are awarded to students preparing for careers in journalism. This year’s award recipients include- Carter Pitts/Le Mars Daily Sentinel Scholarship, $500: Tobias Landmesser is a 2026 Ankeny High School graduate and will attend Iowa State…
Read MoreFrom Newsroom Intern to Yale: A Story of Growth and Perspective
The Spencer Daily Reporter recently reflected on the impact of its internship program through the experience of Rachel Bare, who joined the newsroom as a high school sophomore in 2024. At just 16 years old, Rachel entered the newsroom eager to learn and quickly demonstrated professionalism, curiosity, and strong writing ability. Over the course of…
Read MoreCongratulations to the winners of the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting!
We are thrilled to honor these recipients and outlets for outstanding work in investigative journalism. Your dedication to in-depth reporting, rigorous research, and impactful storytelling embodies the highest standards of our profession and truly deserves this recognition. The A-Mark Prize, funded by the A-Mark Foundation, celebrates journalistic excellence in informing and strengthening our communities. First…
Read MoreSteve Fisher Recognized with Iowa Newspaper Foundation Heritage Club
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation proudly welcomed a new inductee into the Heritage Club at the INA Convention. Since 1985, the Foundation has recognized 98 individuals whose exceptional generosity and vision have strengthened Iowa journalism. Each Heritage Club member has contributed at least $5,000, playing a vital role in advancing the Foundation’s mission. Because of this…
Read MoreA Message from your INA Services President
Matt Bryant, Washington Southeast Iowa Union CNA meets 2025 sales goal, sells over $3 million into Iowa newspapers The mission of the INA Services Company is to advance the economic well-being of Iowa newspaper enterprises primarily through research, promotion, and advertising sales. INA Services Company does business under the branded name Customized Newspaper Advertising, CNA.…
Read MoreINF Launches New Business-for-Good Journalism Contest
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation has launched the first-annual Iowa Business-for-Good Journalism Contest, inviting college students across the state to explore how Iowa businesses create both economic value and positive social impact. This unique contest requires two-student teams, one journalism student and one business student, to collaborate on an original, unpublished story produced between Sept. 1,…
Read MoreGood news for local media as the government reopens
The National Newspaper Association and its partners were once again happy to see the recognition by Congress of the vital role community newspapers play in sharing information to small and rural markets. As part of the package of bills approved by the Senate and the House to get the government open after the historic 43-day…
Read MoreCongratulations to Woodward Writing Workshop Participants
Nine Iowa newspapers employees recently completed the Woodward Writing Workshop. This program is designed to provide participants with multiple contacts with a professional coach to build interviewing, writing and story development skills. Following a one-day kick off, participants have one-on-one conferences with a writing coach over the course of four weeks to hone their skills.…
Read MoreIowa Newspaper Foundation Partners with iJAG
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation (INF) has begun developing a partnership with iJAG with two main goals: helping students become stronger communicators and raising awareness of the newspaper industry and its career opportunities. As part of this collaboration, INF participated in the annual iJAG Leadership and Development Conference and presented a session on social media to…
Read More“Not only did I improve my speaking skills, but I also became a much better writer.”
I am Danica VanGorkom. I graduated from Algona High School in 2024 and am going into my sophomore year at the University of Iowa. I am majoring in Journalism and Mass Communications, and I would love to work as a reporter or journalist in the future. This summer I had the opportunity to work at…
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