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ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ student journalists took home eight prestigious Mark of Excellence Awards (MOE) for 2024 from the Society of Professional Journalists, Region 8, including the coveted “Best Ongoing Student Magazine” award. Another five entries from ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ were noted as finalists in their categories.

Students were also honored with 13 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) awards for 2024, including first place wins for Headline Writing and Cover Design: Newspaper.

All three of ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Meadows’ student media outlets were represented among the winners in both contests: The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look and ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ-TV, with awards across reporting, design, podcasting, social media, broadcasting and photography categories.The TIPA and MOE contests are highly competitive, and this was a great showing by our students, said Melissa Chessher, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ’s Belo Foundation Endowed Distinguished Chair in Journalism.

“What is notable about these wins is that they highlight the strength of all three arms of our student media operation and the incredible and talented professors who advise these operations,” Chessher said. “They spend a great deal of time coaching and working with these gifted student journalists.”

The staff of The Daily Campus won MOE and TIPA awards across reporting specialties, including radio reporting and podcasting, breaking news, and investigative reporting. ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look Media, the Division of Journalism’s fashion brand that includes a digital site and award-winning magazine, swept creative awards including for cover design for ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look magazine, graphic design, story package design, and illustration. It also won reporting awards for general column writing and for arts, entertainment, and fashion journalism. ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ-TV won an MOE award for feature reporting.  

SPJ Region 8 represents colleges and universities across Texas and Oklahoma. The eight MOE award winners from ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ will now compete nationally with winners from the other SPJ regions later this spring.

“When I look at the wins from this year, it exemplifies the versatility of ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ’s Journalism program,” said Jacquelyn Fellows, Professor of Practice in the Division of Journalism and the faculty advisor to The Daily Campus. “Recognition of student journalism comes at a crucial time, and these awards are a reminder that students are part of telling ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ’s story.”

Here is a list of the winners in both contests:

2024 SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards, Region 8

Best Ongoing Student Magazine

Winner: The DC: Untold stories at ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ — by Staff, The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Finalist: Staff, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look Media, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Feature Writing 

Winner: A tale of two Janes — by Ellen Rogers, The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Photo Illustration

Winner: Pop! — by Ellen Rogers, Grace Bair, Katie Bergelin, The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Podcast (Conversational)

Winner: Ask the expert: From banking to baking — by Breanna Laureti, The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

*This is the third consecutive year The DC has won this category.

Food/Restaurant Journalism

Winner: Michelin meets the Lone Star State — by Sydney Strollo, The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Arts/Entertainment/Fashion Journalism

Winner: “Click, post … passe?” — by Virginia Wall, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look Media, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Television Feature Reporting

Winner: Chris Young: From poverty to prison to Dallas — by Brian Richardson, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ-TV, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Radio News Reporting

Winner: Brothel law’ stirs tension between students and neighborhood residents — by Sydney Schulze, Bella Monaco, KERA News, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Breaking News Reporting 

Finalist: Rashee Rice and Teddy Knox involved in high-speed crash — by Staff, The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Personality Profile 

Finalist: “Meet Mama T, the heart of ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ’s Umphrey Lee Dining Hall” — by Melanie Jackson, The Daily Campus, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

General Column Writing

Finalist: Tyler Talks Fashion — by Tyler Martin, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look Media Digital, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Illustration

Finalist: “Click, post … passe?” — by Carrington Miller, Maddie Miller, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look Media, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

Investigative Reporting

Finalist: Residents and students clash in University Park over ‘brothel law’ ordinance — by Sydney Schulze, KERA-FM, ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ University

2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) Awards

Cover Design: Newspaper

First Place: “Untold Stories at ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ” – Daily Campus Staff

Headline Writing

First Place: Daily Campus Editorial Team – Liz Cruz, Melanie Jackson, Katie Bergelin

Social Media: General Coverage

Second Place: “Solar Eclipse” – Daily Campus Staff

Static Information Graphic

Second Place: “Jorts! The baggy jeans shorts everyone loves to hate are back – and more popular than ever.” – Maddie Miller, Tami Olujobi

Cover Design: General Magazine

Second Place: ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look Spring 2024 – Leighton Cottrell, Maddie Miller, Juan Silva, Arden Eiland

Podcast

Third Place: “The Pony Pod: Ask the Expert, From Banking to Baking” – Breanna Laureti

Narrative Reporting

Third Place: “Michelin Meets the Lone Star State” – Sydney Strollor

Story Package Design: Magazine

Third Place: “Purse Pursuit” – Angelica Koutsoubis, Maddie Miller, Juan Silva, Leighton Cottrell

Breaking News

Third Place: “Multimillion dollar lawsuits filed against Knox, Rice for crash” - Caleigh Daugherty, Ceara Johnson

Overall Excellence: Social Media

Honorable Mention: ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Daily Campus Social Media – Grace Bair, Sydney Strollo, Sara Hummadi

Cover Design – Newspaper

Honorable Mention: “Pop!” - Ellen Rogers, Grace Bair, Katie Bergelin

Narrative Reporting

Honorable Mention: A Tale of Two Janes – Ellen Rogers

Blog

Honorable Mention: ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵLook.com – ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Look staff