UW’s Western Confluence Magazine Places in Regional Journalism Competition
Published April 29, 2026

Jill Bergman’s linocut of a pronghorn in Western Confluence magazine won second place in the illustration category in the Top of the Rockies competition.

Claire Baldwin’s watercolor illustration in Western Confluence magazine won third place in the illustration category in the Top of the Rockies competition.
Western Confluence magazine, a publication of the Haub School of Environment and Natural
Resources’ Ruckelshaus Institute at ѿTV, won three awards in
the Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies competition.
The contest received nearly 2,100 entries from over 100 news outlets and 25 freelancers.
Christine Peterson’s “” earned third place in the agriculture and environment feature writing category.
Jill Bergman’s linocut of pronghorn that accompanied “” won second place in the illustration category. This is the second year she has received
recognition for her linocuts in Western Confluence.
Claire Baldwin’s watercolor illustration, commissioned for “,” won third place in the illustration category.
All three awardees were featured in Issue 14 of Western Confluence, which explored
wildlife conservation in large landscapes around the world.
“I love that I get to work with talented artists alongside incredible writers, so
it’s a joy to see the magazine’s visual content recognized alongside its top-tier
reporting,” says Birch Malotky, editor-in-chief of Western Confluence.
Top of the Rockies is a regional, multiplatform contest for reporters and news organizations
in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Western Confluence competes in the small
newsroom division.
Western Confluence is an annual print magazine that explores the Rocky Mountain West’s most confounding natural resource issues while providing support and training to the next generation of environmental storytellers. Print and email are free to interested readers.
