Kent State earned top placements in the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) 2014 Mark of Excellence Awards. Kent State received five first-place awards and six finalist placements in the Region 4 competition.
The SPJ awards recognize outstanding work in student journalism. Entries are judged by professional journalists. SPJ’s Region 4 comprises Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
The first-place winners will move on to the national Mark of Excellence Awards (MOE) competition among category winners from the 12 SPJ regions.
Students placed in the following categories:
Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Finalist: Healing service – by Chelsae Ketchum, Kent State University
Feature Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Unbreakable bond – by Leah Klafczynski, Kent State University
General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Finalist: Combat water survival – by Chelsae Ketchum, Kent State University
Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Finalist: Tangled up – by Rachael Le Goubin, Kent State University
Best Student Magazine
Finalist: Fusion Magazine – by Brittany Rees, Editor Shelby Nicholson, Art Director Kelli Fitzpatrick, Managing Editor, Kent State University School of Journalism
Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Finalist: Don’t sweat the small things – by Carley Hull, Kent State University
General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Three hours of fear – by Staff, Kent State University
Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Coming home – by Chelsae Ketchum, Kent State University
Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: TV2 News: April 3, 2014 – by Nicole Septaric, Kent State University
Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Cuyahoga Valley scenic railroad – by Brian Ivey, Kent State University
Television Sports Reporting
Finalist: Kent State women’s golf team – by Zach Harley, Kent State University