Flint, MI — Flint Beat won 15 awards from the Michigan Press Association for its 2022 coverage, including “News Media Publication of the Year,” in the local circulation category for the second year in a row.

Jiquanda Johnson, the founder and publisher of Flint Beat, said it means a lot to have her peers recognize the same talent she does.

“Our team is very talented. They produce great work daily. I know this, but it’s beautiful when your peers recognize the work. It speaks volumes when journalists who have been in the business for decades also see what I see,” she said.

This upcoming year, Johnson said the newsroom is going to invest in more enterprise reporting, in-depth pieces and more investigative work. She said the community guides stories like these.

“Flint Beat is a place where the Flint residents, Flint community matters first,” she said. “We’re part of Flint.”

Johnson said the newsroom went through significant transitions last year, but she’s excited to see where the newer team members will go.

The awards received are part of the MPA Better Newspaper Contest, which received 200 entries from nine Michigan News Media members for the 2022 contest.

“It is a rare moment in our profession where we allow ourselves to reflect and experience something akin to satisfaction for a job well done,” said Wes Smith, MPA president and group publisher of View Newspaper Group, in a MPA press release.

Here’s the full list of Flint Beat’s 2022 MPA Better Newspaper Contest awards: