Latest news with #SPJ
GMA Network
22-05-2025
- GMA Network
UST's The Flame is first Asian publication to land SPJ in-depth category award
The Flame, established in 1964, is the official student publication of UST's Faculty of Arts and Letters. University of Santo Tomas' (UST) "The Flame" has become the first Asia-based campus publication to win in the 2024 Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence Awards' in-depth reporting category for large universities at the regional level. According to a statement on Thursday, the publication made history as it landed the top spot on SPJ's Region 11 with an article penned by editor-in-chief Zoe Airabelle Aguinaldo, associate editor Joss Gabriel Oliveros, Jianzen Deananeas and Ma. Alyanna Selda. The article, entitled, "From streets to sheets: Motorcycle Drivers Ride on Sex Work as they Traverse Hard Times' narrated the stories of motorcycle taxi drivers who offer sexual services to their passengers to augment their financial needs. The article was selected against two other finalists from Stanford University. "This award will inspire us to continue doing independent journalism and to pursue endeavors that will help us improve our journalistic skills. We are grateful for this recognition and we are happy to bring honor to UST in the global stage… This unprecedented feat was made possible by our experiences and training as Thomasian campus journalists," said Aguinaldo. With their win, "The Flame" is the sole non-US-based student publication to win the award and land the highest accolade within their category in this year's awards. "From streets to sheets: Motorcycle drivers ride on sex work as they traverse hard times' was also awarded best in-depth report at the 10th UST National Campus Journalism Awards (UNCJA). The Flame, established in 1964, is the official student publication of UST's Faculty of Arts and Letters. Meanwhile, SPJ is a broad-based journalism organization founded in 1909 to encourage the practice and high standards of ethical behavior in journalism. Entries at the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence Awards intended to honor the 'best in student journalism' across 12 regions, including the Philippines in SPJ's Region 11. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/BAP, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tribune-Star staffers honored with seven Indiana SPJ awards
Tribune-Star staff members received seven awards at the Society of Professional Journalists annual Indiana chapter banquet Friday evening at Carmel. SPJ organizers said a record 1,130 entries were judged by a group of out-of-state journalists in the contest, involving print media, radio, TV, online and multiplatform news outlets. The Tribune-Star awards went to editor Alicia Morgan, photographer Joe Garza, reporter Sue Loughlin, and columnist and sports editor Mark Bennett. The Tribune-Star honors came in the division for news outlets with circulations under 10,000. Morgan took a first-place award for best use of graphics and illustrations. Garza received a third-place award for best multiple picture group and a second-place for best sports photography, capturing images from a Terre Haute Police program with "He's a mean one, Mr. Grinch," and a silhouette from the John McNichols Invitational track and field meet at Indiana State University. Loughlin got a second-place award in the best non-deadline story or series category for her "Stronger than the Storm" one-year-later retrospective of the deadly 2023 Sullivan tornado. Bennett took a first-place in column writing for pieces on blues guitarist Dicky James, early 20th-century journalist Stella Stimson's city corruption coverage and Terre Haute native Michael Natt's role in the touring "Hamilton" production. Bennett also received a first in best personality profile for a piece on Terre Haute-born Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars, and a third-place in best sports column writing for pieces on ISU men's basketball, Olympic weightlifter Mary Theisen-Lappen, and former Sycamore football great Vincent Allen's nomination for the College Football Hall of Fame. Statewide, the Indiana Capital Chronicle's Casey Smith won Journalist of the Year.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Indiana Capital Chronicle takes home awards for top journalist, best website
Senior Reporters Whitney Downard, left, and Casey Smith hold the Indiana Capital Chronicle's seven awards following a Society of Professional Journalists banquet on May 2, 2025. (Submitted photo) The Indiana Capital Chronicle took home seven awards from the Society of Professional Journalists' annual Indiana chapter banquet Friday evening — including a top recognition for Senior Reporter Casey Smith, who was honored as the Journalist of the Year. SPJ board members cited Smith's accomplishments as an education writer while announcing the award, as well as her investigative work into Jamey Noel, a disgraced former sheriff now serving time in prison for misusing public funds for private gain. Judges also recognized Smith as likely being the first reporter to witness a state execution. Smith earned the trust of Joseph Cochran's defense team and was invited as part of Cochran's personal guest list. That work earned Smith — and ICC Editor-in-Chief Niki Kelly — a first-place nod in the criminal justice category. Kelly has covered Cochran's case since the beginning, when she was a courts reporter with the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Smith also won a second-place finish for her environmental reporting on a 2024 bill seeking to exempt certain products from being defined as toxic PFAs 'forever chemicals.' The ICC's four-person team won five other awards on Friday, including first place for best journalism website and third place for the publication's daily newsletter, Fast Break. Senior Reporter Whitney Downard nabbed a first-place win for her personality profile of Abbey Hall, a Hoosier who traveled to Illinois for an abortion after learning her daughter would be born with a detrimental birth defect. Downard also won second place in the Medical and Science Reporting category for her story about transportation troubles for adult day care recipients following a transition to managed care. To see a full list of nominees, visit SPJ's website. Winners were simultaneously announced on SPJ's X account. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shreveport Journalism Conference returns to LSUS
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—The Shreveport Journalism Foundation is hosting a conference where students can learn from industry professionals in news broadcasting, public relations, and sports promotion. According to the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Louisiana Chapter, on Saturday, April 26, participants will learn skills in news broadcasting, public relations, and sports promotion from industry professionals. Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the conference. SPJ invites students within a 100-mile radius of Shreveport to network and learn skills from SJF's panelists. KMSS Fox News First at 9 Anchor and reporter Alexandra Meachum is a Shreveport native with more than 11 years of experience from production assistant to multimedia journalist to independently anchors the 9 p.m. show. KTAL/KMSS Executive TV News Producer Stephanie Lepretre has more than 12 years of experience preparing and executing daily newscasts and overseeing anchors, reporters, associate producers, photographers, and video editors. Society of Professional Journalists President, freelance journalist and producer, Sergy Odiduro SWEPCO & Award-winning Public Relations Association of Louisiana's Michelle Macotte Director of Media Relations for Shreveport Mudbugs Paige Vergo 9 a.m. registration and welcome at Bronson Hall 9:30 a.m. breakout sessions 11 a.m. panel discussion 12 p.m. Audience Q&A 12:30 P.M. Closing statements The organization recommended registering for the event. Tickets are $25 for students and SJF and SPJ members, $30 for non-members. Payments can be made online via PayPal or by cash or check at registration. The conference will be held at LSU-Shreveport, 1 University Pl, Shreveport, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 26, 2025. Registration will be in the IdeaSpace, Bronson Hall 108. At the end of the conference, participants will receive a certificate of completion. For more information, contact LSU-S Assistant Professor Sezgi Basak Kavakli at bkavakli@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SPJ gives dishonorable Black Hole Award to Utah Legislature for ‘egregious violations'
SALT LAKE CITY () — The Society of Professional Journalists has chosen the Utah State Legislature as the recipient of the dishonorable 2025 Black Hole Award, an award meant to bring attention to 'the most egregious violations of the public's right to know.' SPJ is one of the largest and longest-standing journalism organizations in the country, having been founded more than 100 years ago. The Black Hole Award, however, is just shy of 15 years old — and the Utah Legislature has already been a recipient twice. 'Utah cannot be 'the best run state' and the most secretive state at the same time; these goals are inherently exclusive of one another,' said Emma Penrod, president of the SPJ Utah Headliners Chapter. This dishonorable award comes after the legislature passed several laws pertaining to public records over the past several years. SPJ's Freedom of Information (FOI) Committee said the legislature 'earned this year's award for repeatedly undermining transparency' by amending public records law to 'block the release of public records – even after court orders mandated their disclosure.' 'After the State Records Committee ruled in favor of releasing several records that government agencies and elected officials sought to withhold, the Legislature turned around and made changes to the law to keep those records secret,' the SPJ press release reads. One sponsor of a recent public records bill, Sen. Mike McKell (R – Spanish Fork), calls the SPJ claims 'inaccurate' and lacking in merit, adding that he did not hear from the organization until after his bill was passed. SPJ points to multiple bills in particular over the past three years, including one passed this session that disbanded the State Records Committee, an independent board that managed record request appeals. The committee consisted of news representatives, governor-appointed citizens, and an archive representative. With the passing of S.B. 277 earlier this month, a governor-appointed director will now make the final call on whether the public has a right to see particular government records. 'Replacing that committee with a governor's appointee can only reduce accountability and undermine public confidence in government,' said Howard Goldberg, SPJ Freedom of Information committee member. McKell, the bill's sponsor, told ABC4 this law was 'modeled after successful approaches in other states' and 'is expected to be far more effective.' He said in 2023, the average time it took the committee to receive an appeal and issue a decision was 156 days. 'It is disappointing that the Society of Professional Journalists fails to recognize the need to address an inefficient and flawed system. Their claims are inaccurate and lack merit. Moreover, it is unfortunate that we are only hearing from SPJ now, after the fact,' McKell said. He continued to say lawmakers worked with the Utah Media Coalition to refine the bill and the organization did not oppose it. He said the local coalition expressed 'support for the legislative efforts to create a structure that is both efficient and fair.' ABC4 reached out to legislative leaders and Gov. Cox for comment and did not receive additional statements at the time of publication. SPJ pointed to another instance in 2022 when the legislature voted to block Garrity Statements — comments from public employees during an investigation — from the public eye. The organization said this came after the State Records Committee released Garrity Statements regarding officer-involved shootings upon the request of the Salt Lake Tribune. Last year, the legislature passed a law saying public officials' digital work calendars are not public records and therefore cannot be requested and publicized. SPJ said lawmakers passed the law shortly after courts supported the release of Attorney General Sean Reyes' calendar as journalists investigated his connection to Tim allard, the controversial CEO of Operation Underground Railroad. The recent national award was given after the local SPJ chapter in Utah gave its state-wide Black Hole Award to the legislature these past two years. However, it's not the legislature's first national Black Hole Award as Utah lawmakers were the first recipient in 2011. The 2011 Black Hole Award was given to the state legislature after 'extreme changes made to its public records law' under Gov. Gary Herbert. 'The legislature has clearly violated the public's right to know, and as a two-time recipient of this 'award,' it serves as a reminder to journalists to keep holding those in government accountable,' said Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, chair of the national SPJ FOI Committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
