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WKAR News Staff Win Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) Awards

Lottie Ellington performs in holiday-themed attire at Tease-A-Gogo.
Sophia Saliby
/
WKAR-MSU
A story by Sophia Saliby on a holiday-themed burlesque event in mid-Michigan.

East Lansing, MI; June 6, 2024 – The WKAR news team takes home two PMJA awards, as announced by the Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) in conjunction with the organization’s annual conference held in Washington, DC. The awards celebrate the work of journalists who inform, engage, and empower communities through their dedication and skill.

Sophia Saliby and Wali Khan earned the awards this year for their work in Division B (4 to 7 newsroom staff) during 2023.

Sophia Saliby is producer and local host of All Things Considered. Her story, Tease A Gogo brings holiday-themed burlesque to mid-Michigan, won the second-place award in the Arts Feature category.

Wali Khan is a Michigan State University student and WKAR news intern. Khan’s video segment, Opening Day of Deer Season, won the second-place award in the Visual Storytelling category.

“These awards are a testament to the impact that working alongside our award-winning staff can have on students like Wali,” said Amy Robinson, WKAR news director. “Competing against professionals nationwide is one of the many opportunities at WKAR that enriches our students' learning experiences.”

“This year, we had over 1,450 entries from 144 different organizations in our awards contest,” said PMJA Executive Director Christine Paige Diers. “We’re proud to be able to recognize the great journalism across the country through this contest.”

In all, the organization is presenting 269 first and second place awards across 33 categories. Awards are presented in five different size divisions representing public media organizations with as few as one to more than 30 newsroom employees. The full list of winners is available at pmja.org.

Together we’ve already reduced WKAR’s $1.6 million budget gap created by the loss of federal funding. With your sustaining support we can close the remaining $500,000 gap and keep trusted public media strong for mid-Michigan. The best way to support WKAR is to become a sustainer. Already a sustainer? Please consider upgrading your current monthly gift.