i am an award winning journalist now

an ode to a year and a half of local government journalism in my hometown, madison, wi!

your girl won a state award for her print journalism!

make some noise y’all, wtf!

I don’t talk about my personal or professional life much on substack, but journalism means a lot to me. I’ve been doing this since I was like 13 years old, and now that I’m a professional, it hits a little different to be a full-time reporter amid so many unprecedented historical happenings.

I placed 2nd in the Local Government Reporting Category for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s editorial awards this year, and I think it’s worth a shoutout!

I started at the Cap Times newspaper right before the general election in 2024. I jumped right into a series of scandals, problems and challenges within the local government structure of the capital city of Wisconsin. Not only did reporting on the community I grew to know and love change me socially, but it also allowed me to cultivate a sense of community leadership that I hadn’t really acknowledged prior to graduating during college.

since I started, I’ve been simultaneously serving as a member of the Galin Scholars Board of Directors, leading the communications and scholar selection committees. this January, I was elected Vice President! I’m grateful to help lead an organization with a mission to help high-achieving students from lower-income families across Dane County receive support for college admissions, and it’s a privilege to do so as a first-generation college student coming from a single-parent household in the same community.

i’ve been asked to speak at classes at my alma mater, the university of wisconsin-madison, and to moderate things in the community, like this panel with school staff who work with homeless students.

to say I’m “blessed” or feeling “accomplished” doesn’t encapsulate the gratitude in my heart, and I just want to put that on the record. i love being able to blossom in my community this way and I’m proud of myself.

I also have been bouncing around different mediums, trying to figure out what I wanted to focus on as a journalist and which platforms I preferred. turns out, i needed to be focusing on my own, lol make sure you're subscribed to my substack newsletter and here on my website! follow me on social media @enjoyiana

But in my local government reporter job, I take an educational and informative approach to civic engagement and municipal reporting. Print journalism is a tough industry, and I’m grateful to have a safe space to grow in my hometown newspaper. Even if sometimes I just wanna say f*ck it and become a traveling journalist abroad somewhere, studying culinary arts and learning new languages with the love of my life. (a girl can dream manifest can’t she?)

anyway, here are some of the most acclaimed articles I've written since starting this role. They might not be your speed or area of interest, but they paint an interesting picture about dane county and madison, wisconsin’s local government:

• Madison’s Dept. of Civil Rights leader accused of discrimination, harassment by city employees, investigation clears him of wrongdoing

• Veteran, homeless Black man’s body found on rural farm, family searches for answers amid sheriff’s office investigation

• Nearly 200 absentee ballots went uncounted in Nov. 2024 because they were unintentionally stashed, former city clerk to blame

• Dane County Sheriff jobs vs. public health contracts debate in the annual operating budget

• Madison’s City Council votes to demolish homeless encampment ahead of looming federal housing authority funding cuts

• What’s at stake for individuals experiencing homelessness in Dane County compared to families and students in public schools?

• Does Madison need speed enforcement cameras?

these are just a few stories I could think of. as you can see, transit, elections, and housing are important to the beat. You can check out all my local government reporting here and here.

be on the lookout for more journalistic reflections and behind-the-scenes about local government in Dane County on substack and around my social media.

thank you for supporting me!

xo enjoyiana