John Patrick Hunter First Amendment Contest

SPJ Madison has partnered with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association host the John Patrick Hunter First Amendment Contest to raise awareness about the First Amendment among Wisconsin college students.

​

Student journalists can submit material associated with some aspect of protecting the use of the First Amendment in their community or on campus during the contest period. SPJ Madison and WNA together will award up to $250 in prizes.

​

Participants may enter news articles and editorials published by college newspapers or broadcast by college television and radio stations between Sept. 1 and March 30. Entries will be accepted through the Wisconsin College Media Association Better Newspaper Contest portal. 

​

Questions about the contest may be sent to spjmadisononline@ gmail.com.

​

The contest honors former Capital Times reporter John Patrick Hunter. On Independence Day in 1951, during the anti-communist campaign by Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy, Hunter took to the streets of Madison to ask people if they would sign a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Only one person signed Hunter’s petition, 111 refused.