Students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications earned five first-place awards and five finalist honors in the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2025 Mark of Excellence Awards, demonstrating strength across broadcast and multimedia storytelling.
The school’s first-place winners span multiple disciplines, including Carolina News television reporting for Father Arrested in Halloween Shooting and New English Proficiency Test Enforcement Intensifies Truck Driver Shortage, as well as visual storytelling honors for Basepath Blur in sports photography and the photo essay Carolina Cup.
Among the top-winning projects is Julia Spies’ Talmadge Moore LeGrand Photojournalism Workshop documentary, which highlights the Carolina Cup workshop experience. The project reflects the school’s continued excellence in visual storytelling and has also earned recognition beyond SPJ, including first place in the video category from the South Carolina Press Association, a second-place Pinnacle Award from the College Media Association and an honorable mention from the AEJMC Festival of Visual & Interactive Media.
"I'm proud of how our students are embracing multimedia storytelling," says Renée Ittner-McManus, instructor and photojournalist who leads the Carolina Cup workshop. "They’re creating meaningful journalism through both still images and video, and this recognition, in a highly competitive regional competition, reflects the progress we are making in our program."
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best in collegiate journalism across Region 3, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Entries are judged by media professionals with at least three years of journalism experience, who select work they consider among the best in student journalism. Awards are given only when submissions meet SPJ’s high standards of excellence. Just to be named a finalist is prestigious.
Students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications earned the following honors:
Television Breaking News Reporting
- Winner: Father Arrested in Halloween Shooting — Samantha Vassallo, Carolina News
Television General News Reporting
- Winner: New English Proficiency Test Enforcement Intensifies Truck Driver Shortage — Clarissa Meier, Carolina News
Television In-Depth Reporting
- Finalist: Fire Alarm Hell — Samantha Vassallo, Carolina News
Feature Videography
- Winner: Talmadge Moore LeGrand Photojournalism Workshop — Julia Spies, Carolina Reporter
Image Component - Unit Sports Photography
- Winner: Basepath Blur — Jack Bradshaw, Carolina Reporter
Photo Essay/Slideshow
- Winner: Carolina Cup — Staff, Carolina Reporter
- Finalist: South Carolina State Fair — Staff, Carolina Reporter
Feature Photography
- Finalist: Race Day Dawn — Jack Bradshaw, Carolina Reporter
- Finalist: Tea Ceremony — Camille Molten, Carolina Reporter
All Platforms – Arts/Fashion Journalism
- Finalist: Social Media Shopping? College Girls Making Quick, Crazy Money Renting Out Their Dresses — Lily Higgins, Carolina Reporter