JAMS Reporters, Producers Win Major SPJ Awards

Media Milwaukee student journalists won 11 SPJ awards in the Society of Professional Journalists regional Mark of Excellence contest, SPJ announced today. The Media Milwaukee news site is a finalist for best online publication.

Students in JAMS 320 Integrated Reporting were honored with SPJ awards for their Faces Not Forgotten series on Wisconsin veterans; JAMS 500 Advanced Integrated Reporting won for profiles of local Holocaust survivors. Four students in JAMS 204 News Writing and Technology were recognized for news and feature audio stories, including Jakayla Phillips’ compelling conversation with her niece, whose father was murdered in Milwaukee.

Other students honored with SPJ awards for writing, reporting, multimedia storytelling and use of open records include: Montel Allen, Jaimie Anderson, Paul Bertling, Dylan Deprey, Ean Holtz, Amanda Porter, Stevan Stojanovic and Dan Zielinski.

First, second and third place awards will be announced at the SPJ Midwest Journalism Conference later this month in Bloomington, Minn. Members of the Journalism Club at UWM will be on hand to accept the plaques. SPJ’s Region 6 includes Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. UW-Milwaukee journalists competed with UW-Madison, Marquette and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities students for honors. Winners of the regional contest will go on to the national competition.