Former Statehouse File Reporter Named Top College Feature Writer In Indiana
- Staff Report
A Franklin College senior and former Statehouse File reporter was named the top feature writer in the state over the weekend.
Isaac Gleitz claimed the top prize and $3,000 at the 36th annual Thomas R. Keating Feature Writing Competition held by the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation. Named for the late Indianapolis Star reporter, it brings 10 college journalists to Indianapolis each fall and gives them just a few hours to find and write a feature story. This year’s theme—”everyone has a story”—had them braving the snow within a mile of the Circle looking for that perfect subject Saturday.
Gleitz, of Corydon, found a construction worker endeavoring to overcome past mistakes, creating a remarkably personal portrait of a man remaking himself. “This journalist used vivid descriptions to set the scene and tell a sobriety story with sophisticated structure,” said the judges about Gleitz’s winning entry.
Franklin College junior and current Statehouse File reporter Sydney Byerly, of New Albany, also competed Saturday, one of just 10 students chosen from around the state—Indiana University, Ball State University, Goshen College and Butler University also sent representatives. Byerly wrote about a downtown Santa lookalike delighting passersby as he worked to hang up holiday lights.
Gleitz and Byerly co-edit The Franklin, the award-winning student newspaper of Franklin College, and have written extensively for TheStatehouseFile.com. Gleitz was recently a top-10 finalist for the Associated College Press’ national in-depth news story of the year.
Read all the entries here:Â https://indypressfoundation.org/keating-competition/
