SPJ Announces 2022 Mark Of Excellence National Winners

The Society of Professional Journalists has named the national winners of the 2022 Mark of Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate work published or broadcast during 2022. This year, 61 students and staff from 37 universities across the United States and Canada are being recognized as national winners.

Winners were previously recognized by receiving first-place in one of SPJ’s 12 regional competitions. The results of those competitions can be found in the April-Mary 2023 SPJ News archive. Each first-place regional winner advanced to the national competition.

For the first time, this year, national only categories were introduced, with all entries immediately going to national judging. The national only categories are Collaborative Journalism, Immersion Journalism, Investigative Reporting, Retail/Small Business Journalism and Science/Environment Reporting.

These awards honor the best in student journalism. As such, judges were directed to choose only those entries which they felt were outstanding work worthy of a national honor. If the judges determined that none of the entries rose to the level of excellence, no award was given. Any category not listed has no winner.

School divisions are based on student enrollment, which includes both graduate and undergraduate enrollment. Schools with more than 10,000 students are designated as large schools.

National winners will advance to the contest for the MOEy Best in Show, SPJ’s top prize given to students who entered the 2022 MOE awards competition. They will also receive a plaque to recognize their win.

The MOEy and two Corbin Gwaltney Awards for Best All-Around Student Newspaper, will be presented during the Sigma Delta Chi awards ceremony at 7 p.m. EDT June 17. This virtual event can be viewed here.

Print/Online

Breaking News Reporting (Large)
Neetish Basnet for “Arizona officials decry, delight in Supreme Court ending abortion rights” — Cronkite News, Arizona State University

Breaking News Reporting (Small)
Taylor Wooten for “Transgender sports bill receives further testimony at Senate Education Committee” — TheStatehouseFile.com, Franklin College

General News Reporting (Large)
Staff of The Vanderbilt Hustler for “Transgender health care investigation, reaction” —Vanderbilt University

General News Reporting (Small)
Alexa Shrake, Isaac Gleitz and Sydney Byerly for “Thomas Minar series” — TheStatehouseFile.com, Franklin College

In-Depth Reporting (Large)
Cami Parrish for “’I’m tired’: Teachers face mental health crisis due to low pay, pandemic stress, scant support” — Cronkite News, Arizona State University

In-Depth Reporting (Small)
Brenna Brown for “PBC small businesses: Post-COVID-19 era” — The Beacon Today, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Feature Writing (Large)
Josh Archote for “A Klansman’s sons seek to understand and redress his wrongs” — Multiple via the LSU Manship News Service, Louisiana State University

Feature Writing (Small)
Brandon Hill for “Boston buries its Black music” — The Hoopla, Emerson College

Sports Writing (Large)
Lindsay Wyson for “Name, image, likeness: Leveling the playing field for female athletes” — Universe Live Sports, Brigham Young University

Sports Writing (Small)
Catherine Galanti for “For minor leaguers, playing professional baseball is not living the dream” — The Los Angeles Loyolan, Loyola Marymount University

Editorial/Opinion Writing
Editorial board of The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University

General Column Writing
Renee Walker for “Mental health columns” — The Poly Post, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Sports Column Writing
Caleb Nguyen for “Caleb’s columns from the sports desk” — The Poly Post, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Large)
Staff of The Independent Florida Alligator, University of Florida

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Small)
Staff of The Maroon, Loyola University New Orleans

Best Student Magazine
Staff of Talon Magazine for “Bread and circus” — Community College of Denver

Best Affiliated Web Site
Staff of The Maroon Online, Loyola University New Orleans

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Staff of The 5 O’Clock Project, Syracuse University

Art/Graphics/Multimedia

Breaking News Photography
Anthony Scilla for “Mill fire” — The Kent Stater/KentWired, Kent State University

General News Photography
Grace Smith for “Roe v Wade Protest” — The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa

Feature Photography
Chiana McInelly for “GU student doubles as route-setter at Wild Walls Rock Climbing” — The Gonzaga Bulletin, Gonzaga University

Photo Essay/Slideshow
Taylor Bayly for “In focus: Migrants languish in Mexico’s chaotic immigration system” — Cronkite Borderlands Project, Arizona State University

Illustration
Trevor Brighton for “Erasing Russia” — The Post, Ohio University

Photo Illustration
Maggie Getzin for “Brain drain” — The Ball State Daily News, Ball State University

Sports Photography
Jason White for “ASU gymnastics home win” — The State Press, Arizona State University

Editorial Cartooning
Liam Simonelli for “Giving students a voice” — The College VOICE, Mercer County Community College

Best Use of Multimedia
Staff of USC JOVRNALISM for “Reflections of the L.A. uprising” — University of Southern California

News Videography
Chris Will for “Operation Island Rescue” — WUFT News, University of Florida

Feature Videography
Olivia Yarvis for “One family flees Texas in search of safer climate for their transgender daughter” — Texas Tribune, Northwestern University

Sports Videography
Manuel Serrano and Averi Coppa for “Never stand still” — The NewsHouse, Syracuse University

Data Visualization
Angeli Mittal and Zoey Soh for “The Daily Northwestern’s live midterm coverage” — The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University

Audio

Radio News Reporting
Hallie Gutzwiller for “Wildfires burn across Nebraska” — 90.3 KRNU, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Radio Feature
Autriya Maneshni for “Election translation” — Cronkite News, Arizona State University

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Jared McBride for “Mobile residents learn the history of the last known slave ship in Alabama” — TROY Public Radio, Troy University

Radio Sports Reporting
Daniel Myrick for “’B Daht,’ the Dean Dome’s new arena host, hopes to fire up the fans – and spread a positive message” — Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Staff of Carolina Connection, North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Podcast (Narrative)
Mary Steffenhagen for “Home ed” — NYCity News Service, City University of New York

Podcast (Conversational)
Simone Melvin for “Pony out: An SMU transfer story” — The Daily Campus, Southern Methodist University

Broadcast

Television Breaking News Reporting
Isabella Leahy and Matthew Noah for “Penn State cancels controversial event over security concerns” — WPSU, The Pennsylvania State University

Television General News Reporting
Albert James for “Three years on: What has changed with hazing culture at WSU?” — Murrow News 8, Washington State University

Television Feature Reporting
Henry Pree for “Native fish keepers” — Montana PBS, University of Montana

Television In-Depth Reporting
Austin Hedgecoth for “Crypto’s final frontier” — DCTV, University of North Texas

Television Sports Reporting
Nyah Adams and Aiden Farrell for “Jeremiah Minkel” — UTVS Television, St. Cloud State University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Tyler Walsh, Spencer Askinazy, Ben Ezzy and Katelyn Kucharski for “NewsVision” — UMTV, University of Miami

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Staff of UMTV for “PrimeTime” — University of Miami

All Platforms

Arts/Entertainment/Fashion Journalism
Alicia Chang for “It may look like falling water, but Lynn Hall has its own story to tell” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Pennsylvania State University

Collaborative Journalism
Fellows and faculty of Global Reporting Program/The Globe and Mail for “Growing older” — University of British Columbia

Cultural Criticism
Vivienne N. Germain for “Theater commentary” — The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University

Food/Restaurant Journalism
Athena Cheris for “Meals under $10 for the hungry college student series” — The Los Angeles Loyolan, Loyola Marymount University

Investigative Reporting
Simon J. Levien for “A secret at the hearth of Adams House” — The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University

Retail/Small Business Reporting
Josephine Walker for “Small cannabis entrepreneurs say they can’t compete against ‘Walmart of weed’” — VCU Capital News Service, Virginia Commonwealth University

Science/Environmental/Climate Reporting
Stephen Pastis for “The business of recycling: How SC recycles and why it can be so complicated” — The Carolina News & Reporter, University of South Carolina College of Journalism