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UNC Hussman wins 8th consecutive national championship in collegiate journalism
The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media has won the 2026 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 eighth consecutive; 11th in 12 years; and 15th since 2002.
“An eighth consecutive national championship is an extraordinary reflection of the ambition, creativity and persistence our students bring to their work throughout the year,” said Raul Reis, dean of UNC Hussman. “This achievement belongs to every student who competed across disciplines, and to the faculty and staff whose mentorship, teaching and behind-the-scenes support make that work possible. We are also deeply grateful to the Hearst Foundation for its longstanding commitment to collegiate journalism and to the industry professionals who serve as judges, lending their time, expertise and high standards to the Hearst Awards. These competitions challenge our students to do their very best and help set the bar of excellence for the next generation of journalists.”
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 second in the multimedia category; second in writing; third in audio, television and podcast; and ninth place in photojournalism.
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
- Sarah Mulu ’27 was awarded third place in Feature Writing for her piece “She wouldn’t take off her boots: North Carolina’s first women’s Holocaust memorial.”
Investigative Reporting
- Brooke Elliot ’25 was awarded fifth place in Investigative Reporting for her piece “Dog eat dog.”
Personality/Profile
- Lola White ’27 was awarded second place in Personality/Profile Writing for her piece “Backpack of belief.”
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Story/Series
- Grace Richards ’26 was awarded sixth in Photo Picture Story/Series for her piece “The dead and the living.”
AUDIO
News & Features
- Maddie Policastro ’26 was awarded fifth place in Audio News and/or Features for her pieces “To reduce accidents, some Wake Country ambulances will turn off their lights and sirens” and “A one-of-a-kind Durham museum celebrates the little-known history of tubas.”
Podcast
- Gowri Abhinanda ’26 was awarded second place in the Podcast competition.
- Rachel Moody ’26 was awarded fourth place in the Podcast competition.
TELEVISION
Features
- Bethany Pryor ’26 was awarded sixth place in Television Features for her pieces “No time to say goodbye: The journey of Valle Crucis School after Hurricane Helene” and “‘Surge’: Theater group’s play based on Hurricane Helene.”
MULTIMEDIA
Narrative Video Storytelling
- Quincy Marks ’25 won first place in Multimedia Narrative Storytelling for her piece “One Percent Chance.”
- Aayas Joshi ’26 was awarded second place in Multimedia Narrative Storytelling for his piece “Adrift: forgiving the flood.”
Innovative Journalism
- Nithya Sunkara Indlamuri ’27 was awarded second place for her story “Tony’s Kitchen Lab.”
Enterprise Story – Individual
- Amelie Fawson ’27 won first place in Multimedia Enterprise Storytelling for her story titled “The magic of Marshall.”
- Maya Wasik ’27 was awarded fifth place in Multimedia Enterprise Storytelling for her piece titled “Buckets and Boots.”
Multimedia Team Enterprise Story
- Gowri Abhinanda ’26, Ella Campbell ’25, Max Feliu ’25, Sophie Hughett ’25 and Dallia Lindell ’26 received third place.
- Aayas Joshi ’26, Quincy Marks ’25, Grace Richards ’26, Shelby Swanson ’25 and Jiayi Zhang ’27 was awarded fifth place.
Trophy photo credit to Erin Lubin.
