'Nebraska Behind Bars' wins Kennedy journalism award

Ten Husker students — eight women and two men — and two female instructors pose for a group photo in front of Andersen Hall. The words "College of Journalism and Mass Communications" can be seen on the exterior wall.

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Eleven College of Journalism and Mass Communications students produced the in-depth report “Nebraska Behind Bars,” which has won multiple regional and national awards. The team included (back row, from left) Livia Ziskey, Paloma Sanchez-McGee, Meghan O'Brien, Jackson Ingvoldstad, Maddie Ames and Shelby Rickert; and (middle row, from left) Grace Lewis, Alexandra Gryczanowski, Chloe Fitzgibbon and Ryan Luetkemeyer. Not pictured is Fatima Naqi. The students were enrolled in a spring 2025 course taught by (front row, from left) Chris Graves and Linda White.

A University of Nebraska–Lincoln student project that investigated the overcrowding, understaffing and other multilayered issues confronting Nebraska’s prison system took home the College Journalism Award at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book and Journalism Awards on May 20.

Eleven College of Journalism and Mass Communications students developed the in-dept project, "Nebraska Behind Bars," in a course taught by Deepe Family Chairs in Depth Reporting Chris Graves, associate professor of practice in journalism, and Linda White, assistant professor of journalism.

“We would like to thank the award judges and the Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center for recognizing our students’ work,” White said. “We are very proud of our students, who worked diligently and produced a variety of stories on this important topic.”

A young man interviews a formerly incarcerated man at a table on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Meier Commons. — Husker journalist Jackson Ingvoldstad (right) interviews David Gonzales, a formerly incarcerated individual, on the university's City Campus.

The award recognizes outstanding achievement in collegiate journalism focused on social injustices and human rights. This is the fourth time that a depth-reporting project from the college has received a Kennedy award and the second time in five years, with "Being Black in Lincoln" winning the College Journalism Award in 2022.

“I am beyond thrilled and humbled that our students’ hard work and tenacity was recognized," Graves said. “I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, who in some cases risked exposure for allowing the students to interview them.”

The spring 2025 depth-reporting class worked to understand the complexities of Nebraska's nine prisons and give a voice to the incarcerated, their loved ones and those affected by the challenges impacting the state's prison system.

The students' stories have received multiple accolades regionally and nationally, including the Investigative Reporters and Editors Student Award-Individual, six Region 7 Mark of Excellence Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, two Eric Sevareid Awards from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association and a Festival of Media Arts Award from the Broadcast Education Association.

The students' work has also been recognized by the Hearst Journalism Awards Program, with first and seventh place awards in the investigative reporting category, sixth in multimedia enterprise and eighth in multimedia narrative storytelling. The awards helped the college secure third place in the Hearst Intercollegiate Writing Competition.

The college’s in-depth and investigative work is funded by the Deepe Family Fund in Depth Reporting and specifically alumna Beverly Deepe Keever, the first female Vietnam War correspondent and a steadfast supporter of investigative and in-depth reporting.

Following is a list of students who were part of the project, listed alphabetically, with their year in school or graduation year, major(s) and hometown.

Maddie Ames, 2025 graduate, advertising and public relations, journalism, Lincoln
Chloe Fitzgibbon, senior, journalism, Lincoln
Alexandra Gryczanowski, senior, broadcasting, journalism, Plattsmouth
Jackson Ingvoldstad, senior, broadcasting, Omaha
Grace Lewis, 2026 graduate, journalism, Hooper
Ryan Luetkemeyer, 2025 graduate, broadcasting, journalism, Webster Groves, Missouri
Fatima Naqi, 2025 graduate, journalism, Lincoln
Meghan O'Brien, 2025 graduate, journalism, English, Fremont
Shelby Rickert, 2026 graduate, journalism, Beaver City
Paloma Sanchez-McGee, 2026 graduate, advertising and public relations, journalism, Fort Worth, Texas
Livia Ziskey, 2026 graduate, advertising and public relations, journalism, Omaha