A mark of excellence: UNC Hussman students win national SPJ awards
Students from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media scored major wins in the Society of Professional Journalists 2019 Mark of Excellence awards with first place winners and finalist honors in the national contest, which recognizes collegiate work published or broadcasted during 2019.
A UNC Hussman radio newsmagazine, a multimedia project and a radio reporting piece were all recognized by the contest, which Stembler Distinguished Professor and Senior Associate Dean Charlie Tuggle praised for its depth of categories and recognition of team projects that spanned industry platforms.
“When you’re competing against the best of the best in all these categories, it says something about UNC Hussman’s depth of talent that we show up regularly among the winners,” Tuggle said.
UNC Hussman received recognition in the following categories.
Best All-Around Radio Newscast
First Place
Carolina Connection is the radio newsmagazine produced by students at UNC Hussman. Students are responsible for all aspects of the program’s production. They report, write, produce and anchor each week’s program. They also perform all of the technical tasks. Carolina Connection is heard Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. on WCHL 97.9 FM and 1360 AM — Chapel Hill’s news/talk radio station.
“It's an honor to win this SPJ title for my final semester at Carolina Connection,” said Brighton McConnell `19. “Admittedly, this award is almost an embarrassment of riches since Carolina Connection is regularly recognized on a regional and national level for its excellent work.” McConnell, who now works as the news director for 97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com, spent three semesters at Carolina Connection in reporting, producing and hosting roles and said the experience shaped his career path.
Collaborative Journalism
First Place
Uprooted: The Faces of the Venezuelan Crisis
Uprooted is a collaborative work by students in "MEJO 584: Documentary Multimedia Storytelling" that documents Venezuelan families who have fled to Medellín, Colombia, to seek better lives. The documentary explores the Venezuelan migrant crisis and its impact on Colombia.
“This project, and this class, are the embodiment of ‘real world’ experience. Students learn about reporting in another country, about working with fixers and translators, and about how to approach new and unknown obstacles,” said Teaching Associate Professor Kate Sheppard, a reporting coach for the project. “We don't do this work for awards, but it's nice when that work is recognized. I think it's especially notable that we were recognized in the ‘Collaborative Journalism’ category, as this is really a huge priority in how we teach at UNC Hussman and how we want our students to work.”
Radio News Reporting
Finalist
Jared Weber’s `20 story about vaping in high schools placed as a finalist in radio news reporting.
The story, “Students say THC vaping products are common in some local high schools,” was produced for Carolina Connection.
Weber conceived the idea after vaping-related lung injuries related to homemade vaping products started increasing across the country. His story focused on the dangers of homemade vaping products through the eyes of local teenagers.
“It’s been really cool learning how radio can be used to paint vivid scenes. There’s certain parts in this story that I think audio brought to life in such a way that might have been difficult to access in other mediums,” Weber said.
Regional winners
The Society for Professional Journalists 2019 Mark of Excellence national winners and finalists were previously recognized by winning in one of 12 SPJ regional competitions. Each first-place regional winner advanced to the national competition.
Regional winners from UNC Hussman included:
Radio In-Depth Reporting
Patsy Montesinos `21, Jackson Lanier `21, Savannah Norris `21 and Brian Keyes `21 for their reporting on a series of crimes near campus for Carolina Connection.
Television Feature Reporting
Cambria Haro `19 for the UNC Media Hub piece “Peter Norton: The storyteller who couldn’t speak.”
Television Sports Reporting
Cambria Haro `19 for the UNC Media Hub piece “A New Life: UNC football player Jake Lawler fights depression; impacts others.”