Region 6 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced

Home > SPJ News > Region 6 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced

4/4/2022

CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, 317-920-4786, lharry@spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 6 with 2021 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 6 comprises Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. First-place winners will compete at the national level among other regional MOE winners from the 12 SPJ regions.

National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at the MediaFest22 convention in Washington, D.C., Oct. 27-30.

MOE Awards entries are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience. Judges were directed to choose entries they felt were among the best in student journalism. If no entry rose to the level of excellence, no award was given. Any category not listed has no winner.

School divisions are based on student enrollment, including both graduate and undergraduate: Large schools have at least 10,000 students and small schools have 9,999 or fewer students.

The list below details all Region 6 winners. If you have any questions regarding the MOE Awards, contact SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards Lou Harry by email or 317-920-4786.

This list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award entries. New MOE categories were added this year for cultural criticism, arts/fashion journalism and food/restaurant journalism.

Print/Online

Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Chauvin verdict inspires cheers, tears in downtown Minneapolis — by Mia Laube, Emily Haugen and Angeline Terry, University of St. Thomas
Finalist: Marquette student-athlete removed from team after racial slur video surfaces on social media — by Benjamin Wells, Marquette University

General News Reporting
Winner: A year-long battle over University budget — by Benjamin Wells and Megan Woolard, Marquette University
Finalist: UWM Struggles to find students for low-paying campus jobs — by Brianna Schubert, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Finalist: The UWM Student Union is getting a facelift — by Hunter Turpin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Feature Writing
Winner: Saving the planet one sniff at a time — by Jessica Gatzow, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Finalist: Thank the honeybees at Hatch Distillery — by Elizabeth Charney, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Finalist: University embraces ‘Lovell Strong’ — by Julia Abuzzahab, Marquette University

Sports Writing
Winner: The new ‘Wild West’ of college athletics — by John Leuzzi, Marquette University
Finalist: Sarah Rose battles Ewing Sarcoma — by Jackson Gross, Marquette University
Finalist: Between the lines: Student-athletes embrace mental health problems — by Sam Arco, Marquette University

Editorial Writing
Winner: Editorials — by Marquette Wire Editorial Board, Marquette University
Finalist: Op-eds — by Maddie Peters, University of St. Thomas

General Column Writing
Winner: Opinions Desk columns — by Alexandra Garner, Grace Cady and Laura Niezgoda, Marquette University
Finalist: Columns — by Hope Moses, Marquette University

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Sports Columns — by Zoe Comerford, John Leuzzi, Alexandra Garner and the Marquette Wire Editorial Board, Marquette University

Best Student Magazine
Winner: Marquette Journal — by staff, Marquette University
Finalist: Out of the Dark — by staff, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: Out of the Dark Online — by staff, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Finalist: Marquettewire.org — by Marquette Wire Staff, Marquette University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: Media Milwaukee — by staff, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Finalist: TommieMedia — by staff, University of St. Thomas

Art/Graphics/Multimedia

Feature Photography
Winner: Thinking Outside the Box cover photo — by Kalli Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Finalist: ‘Another Day in Paradise’ for Quinn XCII fans at Summerfest — by Josh Meitz, Marquette University
Finalist: ‘Even in darkness it's possible to create light’ cover photo — by Kalli Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Blackout: The dark side of the drunkest state in America — by Tamia Fowlkes, Elea Levin and Cailyn Schiltz, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Finalist: Indian Student Association celebrates the triumph of light over darkness at Diwali Night — by Kim Cook, Julianna Okosun, Ryan Hagan and Patrick Curran, Marquette University

Broadcast/Online News Videography
Winner: M-State Automotive Class — by Merissa Reed, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Finalist: Tensions, anticipation turn to relief, celebration at George Floyd memorial — by Justsin Amaker, Sam Larson, Irene Shin and Leila Weah, University of St. Thomas
Finalist: NDSU cpr — by Ty Schonert, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Broadcast/Online Feature Videography
Winner: Tattoo stigmas fading away in working world — by Mia Laube and Emily Rudie, University of St. Thomas
Finalist: Scientific glassblower — by Manuel Gonzalez Barreto and Tim Littau, Marquette University
Finalist: Archery dodgeball — by Devynn Ullyott, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Broadcast/Online Sports Videography
Winner: Softball puppies — by Jeb Duininck, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Finalist: MSUM Tennis twins — by Ty Schonert, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Audio

Radio News Reporting
Winner: Robbery rash — by Charlotte Ives, Marquette University
Finalist: Students return to campus, but not campus jobs — by Brianna Schubert, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Finalist: Restaurant staffing shortages — by Katrina Okeson, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Radio Feature
Winner: Colorful Hmong traditions shine at New Year’s celebration — by Nkaujoua Xiong, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Finalist: New composting program turns campus food scraps into rich soil — by Jessica Gatzow, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Finalist: MSUM bassoonist — by Aiyanna Hoeben-Taylor, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Red River Market — by Jack Curtis, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Radio Sports Reporting
Winner: Athlete mental health — by Matt Yeazel, Marquette University
Finalist: MSUM receiver — by Hunter Schwartz, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Finalist: MSUM Rugby — by Nick Tabatt, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Winner: Wire Weekly — by Marquette Wire: MUR staff, Marquette University

Podcast
Winner: Milwaukee Coffee: Reimagined Brew City — by Aidan Hatton, Marquette University
Finalist: Games and grub: Sports, food and everything in Halloween — by Aidan Hatton, Zack Passios and Brian Gallagher, Marquette University
Finalist: Crushin’ in COVID — by Grace Landsberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Broadcast

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Rittenhouse trial verdict divides community — by Grayson Sewell, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Finalist: MSUM Theater is closing — by Ty Schonert, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Finalist: NDSU vaccination clinic — by Mike McGurran, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Glassblower — by Tim Littau and Manuel Gonzalez Barreto, Marquette University
Finalist: Frank’s Diner: A jewel in the heart of Kenosha — by Allison Peoples, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Finalist: Go for Mars — by Amalia Liguori-Coneff and John Leuzzi, Marquette University

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Tagged — by Zoe Bockhorst, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Finalist: Navigating domestic violence during the holidays — by Matt Gotsch, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Finalist: Student mom — by Chase Scherr, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: NCAA COVID testing — by Chloe Marotta, Marquette University
Finalist: Between the lines: Women in sports — by Kristin Parisi and Tyler Peters, Marquette University
Finalist: MSUM Wrestling during COVID — by Breck Stutz, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: The Badger Report — by staff, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Finalist: UTVS News — by staff, St. Cloud State University
Finalist: Marquette Now — by staff, Marquette University

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: Campus News — by staff, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Finalist: President Wacker interview — by UTVS Television staff, St. Cloud State University
Finalist: Being the difference: Diversity and inclusion — by Marquette Wire: MUTV staff, Marquette University

All Platforms

Cultural Criticism
Winner: Reviews — by Kim Cook, Marquette University

Food/Restaurant Journalism
Winner: Old fashioned, never out of style — by Joe Rickles, University of Wisconsin-Madison

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