One student and three alumnae from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications won national awards at the Society of Professional Journalists' 2024 Mark of Excellence Awards.
Alumna Jordyn Graff and senior journalism and political science double major Ruth Bailey placed first in In-Depth Reporting (Large) for "Where's my mom: The case of Cecilia Perez."
Alumnae Lauren Penington and Breanna Fanta won first place in Breaking News Reporting (Large) with "Outbreak of 19 tornadoes across Nebraska."
The Mark of Excellence Awards recognize the best in student journalism. This year, 73 students and staff from 38 universities across the United States received national honors.
National contenders were previously recognized as first-place winners in one of the SPJ’s 12 regional competitions. Each first-place regional winner advanced to the national competition and national winners advance to the contest for the MOEy Best in Show, SPJ’s top prize.
The winners of the MOEy Best in Show will be announced during the Sigma Delta Chi awards ceremony this summer.
