USU JOURNALISM STUDENTS WIN MOST AWARDS IN REGIONAL COMPETITION
Utah State University journalism students won 22 awards in the 2005 Mark of Excellence competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists – the most of any school in the states that comprise Region 9.
Colorado State University won 16; BYU and the University of Utah won 15 apiece.
USU’s awards were divided among six for the “Utah Statesman,” the campus newspaper, which was named best non-daily in the region; five for A-TV News, produced by students in the broadcasting sequence of the JCOM department; and 11 for the Hard News Café, http://www.hardnewscafe.usu.edu.
The Hard News Café, the online news site of students in the USU department of journalism and communication, took first place in six categories. Café writers swept the awards for online feature and in-depth reporting. Winning entries included a news account of the memorial for the USU students and instructor killed in a September 2005 van rollover; the controversy over Wal-Mart seeking another Logan outlet; and former Aggie basketball star Spencer Nelson trying to play his way onto the Utah Jazz roster.
The winners were announced Saturday, April 29, at the Region 9 Conference at the Denver Press Club. First-place regional winners advance to the national round of judging, which began in early April.
Region 9 comprises Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas.
The USU winners were:
Breaking News Reporting: First Place: Marie Mackay, “Utah Statesman,” “USU mourns.”
In-Depth Reporting: Third Place: Bryan Hinton, “Utah Statesman,” “Library falls short of Tier 1 Quality.”
Feature Writing: Second Place: Megan Maughan Roe, “The Herald Journal,” “How Bryan Bounced Back;” Third Place: Steve Shinney, “Utah Statesman,” “Down to the wire.”
Sports Writing: First Place: Aaron Falk, “Utah Statesman,” “Stunned: USU collapses in final minute.”
Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper (published 2-3 times per week): First Place: Staff, Utah State University, “Utah Statesman.”
Television General News Reporting: First Place: Gina Blake, Utah State University, “Hyrum Fire.”
Television Feature: First Place: Gina Blake, Utah State University, “Underground Tunnels.”
Television Sports Photography: First Place: Gina Blake, Utah State University, “Beaver Mountain Sports.”
Television Newscast: First Place: Staff, Utah State University, “A-TV News;” Third Place: Staff, Utah State University, “A-TV News.”
Online News Reporting: First Place: Shauna L. Leavitt, Utah State University, “Thousands gather to honor USU teacher and students killed in crash,” Hard News Café; Second Place: Mikaylie Kartchner, Utah State University, “Water limiting factor for growth in Valley,” Hard News Café.
Online Feature Reporting: First Place: Emma Lucy Tippetts, Utah State University, “Gay and out in the Beehive,” Hard News Café; Second Place: Brad Plothow, Utah State University, “Wal-Mart controversy swirls at USU,” Hard News Café; Third Place: Brooke Nelson, Utah State University, “The sky’s the limit at local hands-on hobby shop,” Hard News Café.
Online In-Depth Reporting: First Place: Jeremy Call Wilkins, Utah State University, “Some Logan residents worried about Wal-Mart’s new supercenter,” Hard News Café; Second Place: Brooke Nelson, Utah State University, “Is Internet blogging here to stay?” Hard News Café; Third Place: Brad Plothow, Utah State University, “Deer-vehicle collisions may rise as temperatures fall,” Hard News Café.
Online Sports Reporting: First Place: Brad Plothow, Utah State University, “Former Aggie Spencer Nelson vying for spot on Jazz roster,” Hard News Café.
Online Opinion & Commentary: First Place: Megan Maughan Roe, Utah State University, “Commentaries,” Hard News Café.
Best All-Around Independent Online Student Publication: First Place: Staff, Utah State University, Hard News Café.