Two Local 51 members named Pulitzer finalists

Congratulations to Mark Johnson and Kawanza Newson, two of the Milwaukee Newspaper Guild's most active members, who were named as finalists for one of the Pulitzer Prizes announced Monday.

Johnson, a metro general assignment reporter, and Newson, a medical reporter, were in the running for the explanatory reporting prize, for their Milwaukee Journal Sentinel series telling the compelling story of a girl who survived rabies against all odds. The Washington Post took the prize in that category.

For Johnson, it was his second Pulitzer showing in four years. He was also part of the Journal Sentinel team that was named a finalist in the same category in 2003 for its coverage of chronic wasting disease.

Newson has been Local 51 secretary for about two years. Johnson is in his third term as a steward leader, handling contract enforcement and coordinating the stewards serving the metro day-shift reporters, Wisconsin news bureaus and MKE staff.