EAST LANSING, MI; May 18, 2023 -- The radio news team at WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University has earned 17 Excellence in Journalism awards from the Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ Detroit), including 5 first place awards.
“In this contest, we compete with some of the most well-known and respected broadcast media outlets in Michigan,” said Drew Henderson, senior director of broadcast operations. “These awards are confirmation of the high standards of journalism that our audience expects from WKAR.”
The Society of Professional Journalists is an organization dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.
SPJ Detroit announced the Excellence in Journalism awards on May 15, 2023. The awards honor the outstanding achievers and achievements in 2022 by print, broadcast, photo, digital and other practicing journalists throughout Michigan.
“Our team works daily to bring news that’s relevant and important to our audience,” said Sophia Saliby, producer and host of All Things Considered. “To be recognized with these awards on a statewide level makes me extremely proud of my colleagues and the effort they put in.”
FIRST PLACE WINNERS
- BROADCAST: EDUCATION REPORTING
1st place
MSU boasts largest publicly accessible comic book collection in the world
Sophia Saliby - BROADCAST: FEATURE REPORTING
1st place
Detroit zoo’s penguins waddle back to exhibit after a two-year closure
Sophia Saliby - BROADCAST: GENERAL NEWS REPORTING
1st place
Two years after COVID lockdown, life in Greater Lansing may never be the same
Sarah Lehr - BROADCAST: HEALTH REPORTING
1st place
‘Just kind of bracing for the worst possible scenario’: Michigan inmates worry as omicron spreads
Michelle Jokisch Polo - BROADCAST: RACIAL JUSTICE REPORTING
1st place
‘He was a peacemaker’: Parents of Patrick Lyoya want son remembered for more than fatal police shooting
Michelle Jokisch Polo
OTHER WINNERS
- BROADCAST: COMMUNITY/LOCAL NEWS REPORTING
4th place
Lansing’s Guerilla Gardeners commit radical acts of beautification with seeds and shovels
Sarah Lehr - BROADCAST: EDUCATION REPORTING
3rd place
MSU students react to reports of Board of Trustees members wanting President
Michelle Jokisch Polo - BROADCAST: EDUCATION REPORTING
2nd place
MSU researchers help develop mobile app to identify potential Lyme disease-carrying ticks
Genevieve Fox - BROADCAST: FEATURE REPORTING
3rd place
Lansing’s Mikey 23 Foundation teaches youth skilled trades while giving back to community
Megan Schellong - BROADCAST: HEALTH REPORTING
2nd place
Michigan is undercounting COVID cases. At-home testing is one reason why
Sarah Lehr - BROADCAST: HEALTH REPORTING
4th place
Michigan parents still scrambling to find formula for their babies despite formula plant’s reopening
Michelle Jokisch Polo - BROADCAST: NEWS EDITING
2nd place
Riding the rails of the North Pole Express
Kevin Lavery - BROADCAST: NEWS EDITING
3rd place
How a Clinton County spruce became this year’s state Christmas tree
Sophia Saliby - BROADCAST: NEWS EDITING
4th place
Allen Neighborhood Center gives restaurant entrepreneurs opportunity to test out their business
Megan Schellong - BROADCAST: NEWS/PUBLIC AFFAIRS
4th place
Current Sports
Al Martin - BROADCAST: RACIAL JUSTICE REPORTING
3rd place
Over 1,100 bicyclists depart MSU for annual DALMAC ride
Kevin Lavery - BROADCAST: RACIAL JUSTICE REPORTING
4th place
Ingham County Parks unveils bicycle playground for kids of all ages
Michelle Jokisch Polo