MUNCIE, Ind.-- A member of the special projects team with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is the winner of the 1999 Nixon Newspapers Inc. National Journalism Writing Award presented by the Ball State University Department of Journalism.

Crocker Stephenson’s award-winning article, "The Phoenix Man," was selected from more than 70 entries of newspaper and magazine journalists nationwide. His work will be recognized with a plaque and a $1,500 prize, presented by Greg Nixon at the annual Department of Journalism awards luncheon.

Stephenson presents a lecture, "The Craft of Journalistic Storytelling," at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 1, in Cardinal Hall of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. His appearance is part of the department’s Professional-in-Residence series. He will discuss his use of in-depth reporting and narrative nonfiction writing techniques.

"The Phoenix Man," published in September, chronicles the remarkable recovery of a burn victim. The story was praised by judges as a work of extraordinary journalism and an engrossing, spellbinding narrative demonstrating a masterful use of description, detail and dialogue.

Stephenson began his career with United Press International. Six months later, he was hired as a reporter by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He has worked for the newspaper for 12 years, winning many local, regional and national awards, including the 1997 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for his coverage of welfare reform. He is a graduate of the Law School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.