UNC Hussman wins 7th consecutive national championship in collegiate journalism

The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media has won the 2025 national championship in collegiate journalism.

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program, often referred to as the “Pulitzers of college journalism,” announced UNC Hussman as the overall intercollegiate champion — the school’s seventh consecutive; 10^th in 11 years; and 14^th since 2002.

“Winning a seventh consecutive national championship is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the consistent quality of work produced by UNC Hussman students,” said Raul Reis, dean of the school. “Achievements like this are only possible with students who are talented and driven, faculty who are deeply committed to teaching and mentorship and a staff that ensures students have the support and resources they need to excel. This recognition speaks to the strength of our community and the standards we strive to uphold at UNC Hussman.”

Hearst conducts yearlong competitions in various disciplines for journalism undergraduates. Points earned by students in monthly competitions determine the intercollegiate rankings in each category.

UNC Hussman placed first in the multimedia category; second in writing; second in audio, television and podcast; and seventh in photojournalism.

Six UNC Hussman students were among 29 students nationally who traveled to San Francisco for competitions May 31 to June 5 to determine individual national honors in five categories.

Two UNC Hussman students placed third individually in the championship competitions, while four others were honored as finalists in their competition categories:

Henry Taylor ’24 – Third place, National Audio Championship

Hannah Zinn ’25 – Third place, National Multimedia Championship

Sarah Ellis ’25 – Finalist, National Podcast Championship

Max Feliu ’25 – Finalist, National Multimedia Championship

Samantha Hoffman ’25 – Finalist, National Television Championship

Ellie Kollme ’26 – Finalist, National Photojournalism Championship

The school’s overall national championship was fueled by strong performances from UNC Hussman students over the course of the academic year in four monthly writing competitions, two in photojournalism, two in audio, two in television broadcast news and four in multimedia. Among the UNC Hussman students who placed in the monthly competitions are:

WRITING  

Features:   

• Maya Waid ’25 won fourth place in Feature Writing for her story “After Hurricane Helene: A Story of Resilience.” 
• Sinclair Holian ’24 was awarded sixth place. 

Explanatory Reporting – Team/Individual:   

• Sinclair Holian ’24 was awarded eighth place. 

Sports:  

• Ethan Horton ’24 was awarded sixth place. 

Personality/Profile:   

• Isabella Reilly ’24 won fourth place in Personality/Profile Writing for her story “‘It was all-consuming’: How one teen’s social media addiction turned into advocacy.”  

PHOTOJOURNALISM  

News & Features:   

• Heather Diehl ’25 was awarded seventh place. 

Story/Series :

• Ellie Kollme ’26 was awarded first place in the Picture Story/ Series Competition for her series “Life on Hold.”  

AUDIO  

News & Features:   

• Henry Taylor ’24 was awarded first place in the Audio News/Features Competition for his stories “‘Everybody’s fighting the cold’: Helene survivors struggle to find housing for the winter” and “Pittsboro’s annual ‘Death Faire’ encourages people to embrace death, rather than fear it.” 
• Sofia Casini ’25 was awarded tenth place. 

Journalism Podcast: 

• Sarah Ellis ’25 was awarded second place in the inaugural Journalism Podcast Competition for her story “Carolina Connection podcast: Raw milk popularity surges as experts warn of health risks.”
• Madeleine Ahmadi ’26 was awarded sixth place. 

TELEVISION  

Television News:   

• Samantha Hoffman ’25 won fifth place in Television News for her stories “‘Don’t forget them:’ Environmental threats remain in Hurricane Helene cleanup” and “‘It’s devastating’: Alumna begs for answers surrounding alleged cancer cluster at NC State University.” 

MULTIMEDIA  

Narrative Video Storytelling:   

• Max Feliu ’25 won second place in Narrative Video Storytelling for his video project “Above the Divide.” 
• Hannah Zinn ’25 was awarded sixth place. 

Innovative Journalism:   

• Max Feliu ’25 won second place in Innovative Journalism for his multimedia project “What the Mud Took.” 
• Gerard Millman ’24 won fourth place in Innovative Journalism for his multimedia project “Bullring.” 

Digital News or Enterprise:  

• Quincy Marks ’25 won third place in Digital News or Enterprise for her multimedia project “Kate Can’t Win.” 
• Hannah Zinn ’25 won fourth place in Digital News or Enterprise for her multimedia project “All She Could.” 

Digital News or Enterprise – Team:  

• Aayas Joshi ’26 and Anna Connors ’24 won second place in the Digital News or Enterprise Multimedia Team Competition.
• Margaret McIntyre ’25, Hannah Zinn ’25, Anna Laible ’27, Hailey Patterson ’25, Mckenzie Bulris ’25 and Emily Rollins ’25 won fifth place in the Digital News or Enterprise Multimedia Team Competition.

Trophy photo credit to Jakub Mosur.