For an unprecedented five years in a row, students in the Cronkite School won more awards than any other school in the country in the Society of Professional Journalists’ prestigious Mark of Excellence awards competition. Cronkite students won a total of nine awards, two of them first places, in the intercollegiate news contest that recognizes the top work done by college journalists across the country in 2009. The University of Georgia and the University of Missouri followed with a total of eight awards each, and the University of North Carolina earned a total of six awards. Student journalists from across the country submitted more than 3,600 entries. The winners will be recognized Oct. 4 during the 2010 SPJ convention and national conference in Las Vegas. The Cronkite students who advanced to the national competition first won at the regional level. This year, the Cronkite School took home a total of 43 awards in Region 11, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam and the Mariana Islands. Cronkite swept five categories, winning first, second and third places in four TV categories and in Online In-Depth Reporting. Cronkite students won more regional awards than any other school in the country, taking nearly half — 43 percent — of all the awards given in the region. The University of California, Los Angeles, won 15 awards; the University of California, Berkeley, and California State University, Northridge, tied for third with 10 awards each; and the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona received eight awards each. The Cronkite School has taken first place in the region every year since 2000. Dean Christopher Callahan applauded the dozens of students whose work was recognized by SPJ at the regional and national levels. “It’s gratifying to see them do so well year after year,” he said. “And it’s especially gratifying to see them perform so well across all platforms – in broadcast, print and online.” Results of the two levels of competition follow: 2009 National SPJ Contest National Winners and First in Region TV Breaking News Reporting Toby Phillips “NSM March in Arizona” TV Feature Photography Liz McKernan “Uganda Medical Mission” National Finalists and First in Region Best Affiliated Website Staff, The State Press statepress.com In-Depth Reporting Derek Quizon “Dream Deferred” Online In-Depth Reporting Jeremy Rudy, Carleen McGillick and Melanie Kiser “Photo Enforcement” TV In-Depth Reporting Staff, Cronkite NewsWatch “Cronkite News Tracks H1N1” TV Feature Reporting Liz McKernan “Uganda Medical Mission” TV News Photography Amber Dixon “Ocean Smuggling” TV Sports Photography Mike Pelton “GCU Basketball” 2009 Regional SPJ Contest First Place In addition to the national winners above, the following students earned first places in the regional contest. Non-Fiction Magazine Article Celeste Sepessy “A Commander’s Challenge” Television Sports Reporting Nick Landauer “Manzanita Closes” Online News Reporting Jonathan J. Cooper “Border’s Virtual Fence: Over-budget and Under-performing” Television General News Reporting Christie Post “Indigent Burial” Best All-Around Television Newscast Cronkite NewsWatch Staff Cronkite NewsWatch 2009 Sports Writing Andrew Pentis “A Labor of Love” Editorial Writing The State Press Editorial Board “Backward Bound,” “All Broken Up” and “Much Ado about Nothing” Second Place Television Sports Photography Maxine Park “Night Golf” Best Independent Online Student Publication Advanced Online Media Class “Cronkite Zine” Radio In-Depth Reporting Colton Shone “Broken Dreams on Burgess Lane” Television Feature Toby Phillips “Heritage Hats” Online News Reporting Stephanie Riel “Living on the Line: Border Fence is Boon to Some, Bother to Others” Television News Photography David Gonzalez “Lightrail Platform Safety” Television General News Reporting Brian McBride “Horse Tripping” Television Breaking News Reporting Desiree Dietiker “Light Rail Crash” General News Photography Deanna Dent “Border Patrol” Feature Writing Tessa Muggeridge “The World Down Under” In-Depth Reporting W.J. Hennigan “Special Report on Mexican Economy” General News Reporting Melanie Kiser “Legislator: Abuse Still Rampant in Arizona’s Polygamist Communities” Online In-Depth Reporting Jeremy Pennycook and Elizabeth Shell “Building Success” Television Feature Photography Toby Phillips “Heritage Hats” Online Feature Reporting Jonathan J. Cooper, Corey Schubert, Tessa Muggeridge and Megan L. Thomas “Pulse of a Corner” Radio Feature Colton Shone “Growing Your Own Garden” Third Place Radio Sports Reporting Jill Galus “Cardinals Super Bowl” Television Feature Brian McBride “80-year-old Bowler” Television Sports Reporting Maxine Park “Night Golf” Television News Photography Kenneth Wong “Agua Linda Checkpoints” Television News Reporting Amber Dixon “Ocean Smuggling” Television Breaking News Reporting Rafael Carranza “Swine School” General News Reporting James Kindle “Danger Along Border Threatens Research on Endangered Species” Sports Photography Matt Pavelek “ASU Throttles ULM, 38-14” Online In-Depth Reporting 2009 Cronkite Boot Camp “Streets of Dreams” Online Sports Reporting Andrew Pentis “Examining Football’s Two-Way Risk” Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper The State Press Staff The State Press
Cronkite Students Dominate National and Regional SPJ Contests
Monday, May 3, 2010