At our regional conference in Santa Fe, the Society of Professional Journalists presented student journalists with the Mark of Excellence awards. These represent some of the best in student journalism, and the first-place winners advance to the national competition.
Best Affiliated Web Site (Large)
Weber State University’s The Signpost

Best Affiliated Web Site (Medium)
Southern Utah University, SUUNews.com

Best All-Around Television Newscast

3rd Place: KRWG News22

2nd Place: The Met Report

1st Place: ElevenNEWS at Noon

Best Independent Online Student Publication (Large)

The Hard News Cafe, Utah State University

Breaking News Photography (Large)

3rd Place: Melanie J. Rice

2nd Place: Ryan Borthick

1st Place: Dylan Langille

Breaking News Photography (Small)

1st Place: Alicia Hurley

Breaking News Reporting (Large)

3rd Place: Crystal Myler, Sara Michael & Shawn ielding

2nd Place: Andrew Carrera

1st Place: Universe staff

Breaking News Reporting (Small)

1st Place: Jessica Keller

Editorial Cartooning (Large)

1st Place: Jorge Perez Garcia

Editorial Writing (Small)

1st Place: Katie Blaser

Feature Photography (Large)

3rd Place: Melanie J. Rice

2nd Place: Jessica Cuneo & Melanie J. Rice

1st Place: Melanie J. Rice

Feature Photography (Small)

3rd Place: Russell James

2nd Place: Will Hebert & Josh Kimmel

1st Place: Nikayla Cooper

Feature Writing (Large)

3rd Place: Austin Briggs

2nd Place: Colleen Canty

1st Place: Mackenzie Hamilton

Feature Writing (Small)

2nd Place: Cheyenne Wiley

1st Place: Matthew Rooney

General Column Writing (Large)

3rd Place: Quinn Scahill

2nd Place: Kory Wood

1st Place: Jesse Benn

General Column Writing (Small)

3rd Place: Shawn Havel

2nd Place: Susann Robbins,

1st Place: Will Hebert

General News Photography (Large)

3rd Place: Brian T. McGinn

2nd Place: Erin Burns

1st Place: Jonathan Royce

General News Reporting (Large)

3rd Place: Charles Beacham

2nd Place: Caitlin Moffitt

1st Place: Krista Roy

General News Reporting (Small)

1st Place: Jennifer Stogsdill

Best Student Magazine

3rd Place: The Claw Magazine

2nd Place: CSU – Pueblo TODAY Magazine

1st Place: Horizon Magazine

In-Depth Reporting (Large)

3rd Place: David Lake & Robin Rodgers

2nd Place: Meredith Francom & Megan Stauffer

1st Place: Kristian Ekenes, Stacie Carnley, Rebecca Lane & Kari Merrill

Non-Fiction Magazine Article

2nd and 1st Place: Jake Bullinger

Online Feature Reporting (Large)

3rd Place: Lis Stewart

2nd Place: Rhett Wilkinson

1st Place: Ryan Cunningham & April Ashland

Online In-Depth Reporting (Large)

3rd Place: Rhett Wilkinson

2nd Place: Allie Jeppson

1st Place: Kristi Ottley

Online In-Depth Reporting (Small)

2nd Place: Susann Robbins

1st Place: Susann Robbins, Katie Blaser, Aaron Boyd, & Cassie Kelley

Online News Reporting (Large)

1st Place: Steve Kent

Online News Reporting (Medium)

1st Place: Whitney Baum

Online Opinion & Commentary (Large)

1st Place: Joe Deras

Online Sports Reporting (Large)

2nd and 1st Place: Rhett Wilkinson

Online Sports Reporting (Medium)

2nd & 1st Place: Carter Williams

Photo Illustration (Large)

3rd Place: Hunter Thompson

2nd Place: Sarah Hill

1st Place: Brad Davis

Photo Illustration (Small)

3rd Place: Russell James, Tim Bahr, & Dylan Miller,

2nd Place: Will Hebert & Bruce Enever

1st Place: Tim Bahr & Dylan Miller

Radio Feature

3rd and 2nd Place:

Mackenzie Hamilton

1st Place: Ryan Cunningham

Radio In-Depth Reporting

1st Place: Hannah Leigh Myers

Radio News Reporting

2nd and 1st Place: Brianna Bodily

Radio Sports Reporting

1st Place: Justin Taylor

Sports Column Writing (Large)

3rd Place: Jake Bullinger

2nd Place: Tavin Stucki

1st Place: Nick Ohlig, Angelita Foster, & Paul J. Marcely

Sports Photography (Large)

3rd Place: Jessica Cuneo

2nd Place: Christopher Reeves

1st Place: Chad Zavala

Sports Photography (Small)

3rd Place: Russell James

2nd Place: Shawn Havel

1st Place: Shaelie Palmer

Sports Writing (Large)

3rd Place: Bubba Brown

2nd Place: Danielle Manley

1st Place: Stephen Kasica

Sports Writing (Small)

1st Place: Cheyenne Wiley

Television Feature Photography

2nd Place: Staff at Metropolitan State University of Denver, “Zombies Invade Downtown” on The Met Report

1st Place: Brenna Donnelly, Brigham Young University for “QR-Code Headstones” on ElevenNEWS/KBYU

Television Feature Reporting

3rd Place: Julianne Horsley

“Real-life Friending” on ElevenNEWS/KBYU

2nd Place: Matt Rascon

1st Place: Alexis Flake

Brigham Young University, for “Sushi Challenge” on ElevenNEWS/KBYU

Television General News Reporting

2nd Place: Kelton Wells, Utah State University “USU Eastern Enrollment”

A-TV News

1st Place: Alexis Flake

Brigham Young University

“Trampoline Park Dangers”

ElevenNEWS/KBYU

Television In-Depth Reporting

2nd Place: Katie Bieri

New Mexico State University

“A Parent’s Hard Choice”

News22

1st Place: Staff of Metropolitan State University of Denver

“The Needle Exchange: Helpful or Harmful?” The Met Report

Television Sports Photography

1st Place: Kevin Hall & Kellan Stone

Metropolitan State University of Denver, “MSU Denver Soccer Team Buries Colorado Mines,” The Met Report

Television Sports Reporting

3rd Place: Jake Edmonds

Brigham Young University, for “Mom On and Off the Court” for CoogTube/KBYU

2nd Place: Stephanie Flores New Mexico State University “Minor Threat Roller Derby” for KRWG News22

1st Place: Britanni Good, Brigham Young University

“Ultimate Thrill” on CoogTube/KBYU

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper

The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper (Small)

1st Place: Wingspan

Laramie County Community College

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper (Large)

2nd Place: The Universe

Brigham Young University

1st Place: The Metropolitan

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Just a reminder that our regional conference is April 12-13 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Our friends in the SPJ Rio Grande Chapter are putting together a terrific program with something for journalists at all points in the profession.

The conference will be at the offices of the Santa Fe New Mexican. Click here to register.

There is less than a week to enter SPJ Colorado’s Top of the Rockies contest, which is our unofficial regional contest.

The deadline is March 3. The first entry into the contest is free, with subsequent entries costing $10 for SPJ members and $15 for nonmembers.

This contest has become a great showcase for the fine journalism that we’re doing in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico.

For more information, go to Colorado Pro’s website.

This blog entry also appears on the SPJ FOI blog

It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride in Laramie for open-government advocates.

First, in January a district court judge ruled in favor of media organizations that the names for the finalists for the University of Wyoming’s presidency should be public record. The university was planning a secret selection process, using the shop-worn argument that good candidates wouldn’t bother applying if their current employers knew they were looking for a job.

But the ink on the court ruling was barely dry when Wyoming House Majority Leader Kermit Brown, R-Laramie, introduced legislation that would make the finalists information secret. At a committee hearing, university officials testified that four of the eight semi-finalists for the job withdrew after the court decision. The fact that the bill went through the Minerals Committee instead of either a higher-education or judiciary committee raises questions about intent.

SPJ’s FOI Committee weighed in, with Chairwoman Linda Petersen and National President Sonny Alborado writing a letter urging the bill’s veto.

The bill passed through the legislature quickly, and Gov. Matt Mead allowed the bill to become law without his signature, on Feb. 8 due to the veto-proof majorities in the Legislature that passed the bill. There was a glimmer of hope in Mead’s warning that the Legislature should not further erode the state’s open-records law.

But it looked like the presidential search would be shrouded in secrecy. Then, as the Student Press Law Center reported Feb. 22, the university decided that it would make the finalists public.

But the law is still on the books, which means the Wyoming media may have to fight this battle again. But at least it can rely on this presidential search to show that sunlight did not scare off qualified candidates.

For those who haven’t heard the news yet, The National Association of Hispanic Journalists will join SPJ and RTDNA for the Excellence in Journalism conference in Anaheim next year. The boards of all three organizations have agreed to the plan in concept, and staff are working out the details.

In a nutshell, this is exciting development. Bringing together these journalism groups allows us to address common issues and expose our members to each other’s institutional cultures. It should also make for a more interesting conference as there will be a diversity of programs and ideas.

It was great seeing fellow Region 9 members at the Excellence in Journalism conference in Fort Lauderdale. Three of our four pro chapters were well represented, and I saw a few of our student members there.

Like other SPJ conventions, it was a great time to meet with folks from other parts of the country, build up the network and renew friendships. But we also got a lot of work done as well.

One great piece of news that came up during the convention was Rio Grande Pro’s decision to host the 2013 regional convention. As those of you who have hosted a regional conference know, this is not a light undertaking. I’ve been there.  I’ve pledged my support to help in any way I can, and I want to urge everyone in the region to pitch in, whether it is expertise, planning assistance or even money. While the folks in New Mexico are gracious enough to host the chapter, let’s remember it is a regional conference and work together to again demonstrate why this is one of SPJ’s greatest regions. If you are interested in helping, contact Julie Ann Grimm in New Mexico or me. And our good friend and now immediate past-president John Ensslin said he would try to adjust his schedule to come to the regional to represent SPJ’s executive committee.

Here’s a recap of what happened at the national board meeting.

The board voted to create a traveling Ted Scripps Leadership Institute. SPJ used to conduct this great training program at IUPUI’s hotel/conference center in Indianapolis, but the university is closing it to use the space for classrooms and dorms. To replace it, the board voted to give staff the go-ahead to launch a traveling program. The goal is to visit four regions a year, at a place that will be no more than eight hours’ drive for any SPJ member in the region. The program will allow for more people from chapters to get the leadership training and bring it home to strengthen the chapters. Those of you who have been through the training know what a valuable resource this is, so it is exciting to see that it will continue in a way that will make it accessible to more SPJ members than before.

Starting in January, you’ll be able to pay for your SPJ membership with a credit card. Joe Skeel, our national director, told us the office finally has the software package in place to make this possible. This will allow people to set up an automatic renewal on their membership, as well as to pay their dues on a monthly basis rather than yearly. That should make membership a bit affordable. However, you’ll have to opt in to the program, and it will cost an extra $5 a year to cover the cost of processing credit cards. But it has the potential to reduce dues to a $6.67 monthly payment. I’ll post more details as they become available.

The board also voted to roll out an institutional membership program. This will allow a news outlet to join SPJ and get its employees a $15 discount on annual dues. The program will have three tiers  — bronze, silver and gold — with additional benefits for the higher levels. For example, a gold member would pay $1,250 a year and get a free national convention registration for one person and an in-person in-house training program for all employees. Other benefits include a free regional conference registration, free job postings and customized webinar, which would be available to gold and silver institutional members. If you weigh the costs of sending one employee to Poynter, SPJ National or other training programs, the gold membership can be a bargain when you figure you can bring in a high-quality training program for your entire staff each year. Joe Skeel said the program came about after interviewing newsroom managers about what they wanted out of SPJ. One of the goals is to get the SPJ culture into more newsrooms.

SPJ also prepared guidelines for the best practices in chapter finances in the wake of the embezzlement scandal that rocked Region 8 this year. I will send out copies to the chapter leaders, but essentially it calls for additional oversight of chapter accounts and recommends such things as having second signers on checks and regular reviews of the finances.

The board also adopted procedures for creating chapters overseas. This is a response to journalists overseas who see what SPJ stands for and want to see it in their countries.

During our Sunday meeting, the SPJ national board voted to give each of the national committees that meet during the national convention one free convention registration. This is a measure I fought hard for. At points, I felt like Benjamin Franklin working the salons of Paris trying to convince the French to support American independence. But I believe that the national committee chairs are some of the hardest-working people at SPJ’s national level. And for many of them, it is a serious sacrifice to take time away from jobs and families to come to the convention to conduct committee meetings and other tasks at the convention. While a free convention registration doesn’t fully make up for that, it is a way to thank these people for their service. We’re going to do it for one year, with the option to review it at next year’s convention, which will be at the Anaheim Marriott, next door to DisneyLand.

Utah Headliners and Colorado Pro were both recognized in SPJ’s Circle of Excellence for work in FOI and campus relations respectively. Congratulations to those chapters.

I also want to thank you all for your support. You all are the people who truly make SPJ a worthwhile organization. You are the ones in the trenches fighting the battles for open government, encouraging students that journalism is a worthy profession at a time when others are writing its epitath and carrying SPJ’s standards into newsrooms around the region. You are the folks who make SPJ great, and I consider it a privilege to serve as your representative and voice on the national board.

The Sanpete Messenger, a weekly newspaper serving the communities in Utah’s rural Sanpete County, was in an open-records fight with the Utah Highway Patrol.

Christian Probasco, a reporter with the Messenger, was seeking information on an accident where a teenage boy who wandered away from a group home was hit and injured by a car on a rural highway at night. The UHP provided the information, but redacted the information on the boy. Probasco said he was told that the patrol had a policy to not release minors’ names, despite state laws saying that the media had access to accident reports.

Probasco wasn’t willing to let it go, especially with the possibility that the denial was politically motivated; he and his publisher said the investigating officer might be the co-owner — with a local mayor —of the group home the boy was living at.

Probasco appealed this denial through the Department of Public Safety and was denied, all claiming that releasing the boy’s name would constitute an “unwarranted invasion of privacy.” The next level of recourse was the Utah State Records Committee, a body that hears appeals under the state Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). Appearing before the committee can be intimidating for the average person. Those who speak have to swear to tell the truth under pain of perjury charges. They have to present their cases in about a half-hour. And they have to face the people withholding the records and their attorneys.

In this case, Probasco and his publisher, Suzanne Dean, were facing an assistant Utah Attorney General. And, they had to take off an entire day to make the trip to Salt Lake City.

Adding to the potential stress level were the consequences if they lost. If the board agreed with the highway patrol, it would set a precedent for withholding minors’ names, and embolden bureaucrats to further shroud records in secrecy.

Fortunately, Dean and Probasco didn’t go in alone. SPJ was at their side.

SPJ National FOI Chairwoman Linda Petersen was there, testifying that the state’s arguments for privacy were a ridiculous twisting of GRAMA. “It is a very dangerous thing when law enforcers become interpreters of the law,” Petersen said.

Sheryl Worsley, president of the Utah Headliners Chapter was there as well. She told the committee that having information like Probasco sought is what helps journalists tell the stories that make a difference, that put human faces on problems and motivate people to right wrongs.

Joel Campbell, a former National FOI chairman, also reminded the committee that the state Legislature said journalists could have all names listed in a motor-vehicle accident report, giving them the historical background on the legislation.

I was there as part of the contingent of reporters covering the hearing, many of whom were alerted by Campbell, Petersen and Worsley to the significance of the hearing.

The good news is that Probasco won. The committee ruled that the state, which even went as far as to suggest the teen should not be named because there was a possibility he might be criminally charged for walking in the road at night, failed to prove the request was a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. I can’t say if SPJ’s presence tipped the scales, but it showed that someone was watching and willing to stand up for the public’s right to know.

The case is not over just yet; the state is mulling a possible appeal to district court. But Dean and Probasco know if that should happen, they have friends in SPJ who will stand beside them at the barricades.

And that is why I’m an SPJ member.

The Utah Judicial Council is considering new rules that would allow electronic media, including video and audio, coverage of trials in the state. Currently, the state only allows still photography in district court cases. Another rule  allows for the use of computers, cellphones and other electronic devices in courtrooms, with the judge’s permission. These rules represent a significant change. The comment period is open until Aug. 14. You can comment here. I posted the following there:

As regional director for the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, I fully support adopting Rule 04-0401.01, which would allow electronic media coverage of court proceedings.
The rule would allow the public to see and hear more accurately what actually takes place in Utah’s courtrooms. For many Utahns,this might provide their first look into the judicial system. This rule change will place Utah’s courts at the forefront of transparency, which benefits the courts, those who appear before its bar and the public it serves.
An open court has been one of the hallmarks of American society. Our nation’s founders understood the abuses of England’s Star Chamber and secret tribunals, and made sure that trials would be for the most part open to the public. Indeed, the U.S. Supreme has recognized the First Amendment right of the public and press to attend court proceedings. Increasing accessibility is a logical extension of the right.
Today, the judicial branch is one of the more powerful branches of government. It not only defines and enforces the laws, but it also has the power to deny people of property, liberty and — in some cases — life. But it is one branch that is partly shrouded in mystery. Most people usually do not have occasion to go to a courtroom. And past rules on media coverage have helped further obscure the court’s operation from the public eye. Permitting journalists’ video cameras and audio recorders into courtrooms will allow people to see better how the courts operate, giving them a better perspective than they would otherwise have.
The court is currently engaged in a campaign to encourage more Utahns to perform their civic duty as jurors. Opening up the courts to digital media would help advance that effort as people would have a better understanding of what happens at a trial, rather than having to rely on what they see in entertainment media.
Openness would also further ensure a defendant’s right to a fair trial. With more people being able to watch or hear a trial, it would allow the public to see whether a defendant truly had his day in court and that the justice that was being administered in their name was done without fear or favor.
This rule, and 04-0401.02, recognize the realities of our modern digital age. It makes sense to allow journalists to use the modern tools of their profession to provide the public with an accurate account of the court’s proceedings. Utah’s journalists have demonstrated their professionalism in following the rules governing still photography, and they will do so with electronic technology as well.
I respectfully urge the judicial council to adopt these rules and allow Utah to serve as an example of transparency.

SPJ National President John Ensslin and I will be doing a regional town hall meeting at noon Saturday, June 23. We’ll talk about issues facing our region and my plans to seek another term as regional director. We will be doing it through gotomeeting.com, which will allow you to either call in or use your computer’s mic and webcam to participate.

Here are the details:

1.  Please join my meeting, Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 12:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time.
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/join/635108231

2.  Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) – a headset is recommended.  Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial +1 (805) 309-0011
Access Code: 635-108-231
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Meeting ID: 635-108-231

Below is SPJ’s press release on the Mark of Excellence winners. It was my pleasure to present the awards at the regional conference in Denver. I hope our first-place winners do well at the national competition.

Contacts:
Lauren Rochester, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 210, lrochester@spj.org
Abby Henkel, SPJ Communications Manager, 317-927-8000 ext. 215, ahenkel@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Region 9 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2011 calendar year. The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best collegiate journalism in the U.S.

SPJ Region 9 includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. This year, the contest received more than 4,000 entries across SPJ’s 12 regions.

The honorees were awarded certificates on April 14 during the Region 9 SPJ Spring Conference held at the Tivoli Student Union in Denver, Colo. First-place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in late April.

The winners are listed below. For additional information on the Mark of Excellence awards, please contact Awards Coordinator Lauren Rochester at lrochester@spj.org.

Four-year colleges

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Bash gone bad – by Hunter Thompson, Colorado State University
• Second Place: Denver under occupation – by Jessica Wacker, Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Third Place: End of the standoff – by Hunter Thompson, Colorado State University

Feature Photography
• First Place: Games fuse athletics, services – by Richard Payson, University of Utah
• Second Place: Inversion models could help predict formations – by Richard Payson, University of Utah
• Third Place: Inside Ramadan – by Mike Fabricuis, Rachel Fuenzalida and Brian T. McGinn, Metropolitan State College of Denver

General News Photography
• First Place: Denver shows its pride in style – by Rachel Fuenzalida, Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Second Place: High on the hill – by Michael Bettis, Colorado State University
• Third Place: A closer look at Ramadan – by Rachel Fuenzalida, Metropolitan State College of Denver

Photo Illustration
• First Place: Caitlan Stem – by Hunter Thompson, Colorado State University
• Second Place: From notebook to playbook – by Hunter Thompson, Colorado State University
• Third Place: Shelter from the storm – by Chris Bunker, Brigham Young University

Sports Photography
• First Place: Apo scores touchdown!! – by Luke Hansen, Brigham Young University
• Second Place: Football: The slump continues as a depleted offense strains Ute defense – by Nathan Sweet, University of Utah
• Third Place: Softball sweeps away Regis – by Ryan Borthick, Metropolitan State College of Denver

Best Student Magazine
• First Place: Horizon Magazine, Colorado Mesa University
• Second Place: CSU-Pueblo TODAY, Colorado State University-Pueblo
• Third Place: College Avenue Magazine, Colorado State University

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University
• Second Place: The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah
• Third Place: No award*

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Blown Over – by Spencer Garn, Weber State University
• Second Place: Millner to pledge raise – by Spencer Garn, Weber State University
• Third Place: Two women groped Friday – by Lindsey Wilbur, University of Utah

Editorial Writing
• First Place: The University Journal Editorial Board, Southern Utah University
• Second Place: Jade McDowell, Brigham Young University
• Third Place: The Signpost staff, Weber State University

Feature Writing
• First Place: Graffiti: Acts of art or of vandalism – by David Knight, University of Wyoming
• Second Place: On the Rebound: Cougar student and basketball player Kaufusi fighting strong against her cancer – by Brooke Ward, Brigham Young University
• Third Place: Day Trippin’: Leave holiday stress, catch North Pole Express in Heber – by Allie Jeppson, Utah State University

Editorial Writing
• First Place: The University Journal editorial board, Southern Utah University
• Second Place: Jade McDowell, Brigham Young University
• Third Place: The Signpost staff, Weber State University

General Column Writing
• First Place: Kory Wood, Weber State University
• Second Place: Matt Miller, Colorado State University
• Third Place: Daniel Whitney Smith, Utah State University

General News Reporting
• First Place: U student organizes protest at Chick-fil-A – by Nic Dunn, University of Utah
• Second Place: Bash gone bad at Ram’s Pointe – by Erin Udell, Colorado State University
• Third Place: No award*

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Center: Policy or politics? – by Jordyn Dahl, Colorado State University
• Second Place: Utah’s wage gap between men and women largest in nation – by Daniel Whitney Smith, Utah State University
• Third Place: Grim future for higher ed – by Allison Sylte, Colorado State University

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Daniel Laverty, Thomas Belinski and Matt Hollinshead, Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Second Place: Jake Hibbard, University of Utah
• Third Place: Cris Tiller, Colorado State University

Sports Writing
• First Place: Across the pond, Aggie legends together once again – by Rhett Wilkinson, Utah State University
• Second Place: UW football player saddles up for first time – by Mike Morris, University of Wyoming
• Third Place: Football: Utes’ loss breaks hearts – by Matthew (Bubba) Brown, University of Utah

Nonfiction Magazine Article
• First Place: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – by Jaime Pritchard, Colorado State University
• Second Place: Leading lady – by Jaime Pritchard, Colorado State University
• Third Place: No award*

Best Affiliated Web Site
• First Place: SUU News (www.suunews.com), Southern Utah University
• Second Place: The Metrosphere (www.mscd.edu/~msphere), Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Third Place: The Signpost (www.wsusignpost.com), Weber State University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
• First Place: Hard News Café (hardnewscafe.usu.edu), Utah State University
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: JCOM prof is no-nonsense, respected, loved, sometimes ‘dreaded’ – by Shirrel Cooper, Utah State University
• Second Place: From Africa to the WNBA, Logan couple works to help Senegal – by Daniel Smith, Utah State University
• Third Place: Ten years later: Everyone remembers where they were on 9/11 – by Heidi Hansen, Utah State University

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Notebook to playbook – by Cris Tiller, Kevin Lytle and Hunter Thompson, Colorado State University
• Second Place: USU Gay-Lesbian Center regroups as longtime director departs – by Daniel Whitney Smith, Utah State University
• Third Place: College grads seek other options with fewer jobs in struggling economy – by Mandy Morgan, Utah State University

Online News Reporting
• First Place: “The Dream of Helen” dance drama – by Sarah Webber and Matthew Montgomery, Southern Utah University
• Second Place: ‘Mingi’: Lournalists bring the story of Ethiopian infanticide to USU – by Heidi Hansen, Utah State University
• Third Place: Half-naked, accepting and proud: Undie Run Utahans are not uptight – by Heidi Hansen and Cathy Morgan, Utah State University

Online Opinion and Commentary
• First Place: Stephen Worthington, Max Parker Dahl and Jakob Asplund, Utah State University
• Second Place: Ben Zaritsky, Utah State University
• Third Place:

Online Sports Reporting
• First Place: Injured seniors provide leadership to SUU gymnastics team – by Carter Williams, Southern Utah University
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Radio In-depth Reporting
• First Place: Forgotten by technology, again – by Brian Grimmett, Brigham Young University
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: Hunting for poachers – by Brian Grimmett, Brigham Young University
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Radio Sports Reporting
• First Place: Inside ‘NFL Blitz’ – by Colton Denning, Ryan Garbarino and Jon Lander, Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Best All-Around Television Newscast
• First Place: Weber State News, Weber State University
• Second Place: KRWG News22, New Mexico State University
• Third Place: The Met Report, Metropolitan State College of Denver

Television Feature Reporting
• First Place: Mock disaster make-up – by Jenne Anderson, Brigham Young University
• Second Place: Dig this – by Anna Hayes, Brigham Young University
• Third Place: High school quarterback reaches beyond his limits – by Simone VonRivenburgh, Metropolitan State College of Denver

Television General News Reporting
• First Place: Fishing vs. fashion – by Anna Hayes, Brigham Young University
• Second Place: Dump truck accident – by Britta Anderson, Utah State University
• Third Place: Obama talks student debt at Auraria – by staff, Metropolitan State College of Denver

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: What’s a Libero? – by Christine Assily, Brigham Young University
• Second Place: An oft overlooked trio – by Kevin Hall, Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Third Place: Little League Flag Football – by Stephanie Flores, New Mexico State University

Two-year and community colleges

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: The walking dead – by William Hebert, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Senate: Armed service does not count as community service – by Jessica Keller, Northwest College
• Second Place: Proposed public records rule postponed – by William Hebert, Laramie County Community College
• Third Place: No award*

Editorial Writing
• First Place: Wingspan staff, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: Mark Keierleber, Gigi Hoagland and Danny Menig, Northwest College
• Third Place: No award*

Feature Photography
• First Place: Runaway train – by Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Feature Writing
• First Place: Leaving Las Vegas – by Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: A mother’s love for sons and agriculture benefits NWC club – by Reed T. Tobol, Northwest College
• Third Place: ‘Shamrock’ing in the USA – by Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College

General Column Writing
• First Place: William Hebert, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: Shawn Havel, Laramie County Community College
• Third Place: No award*

General News Photography
• First Place: ‘Empty Bowls’ help feed the hungry – by Neal Hines, Northwest College
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

General News Reporting
• First Place: Pulpit of propaganda – by Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: B.O.T. hears concerns on policy adherence – by Jessica Keller, Northwest College
• Third Place: College’s low graduation rate misleading – by William Hebert, Laramie County Community College

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Student mothers embrace heavy load – by Deborah Cobb, Northwest College
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: LCCC’s master plan – by Will Hebert, Jeffrey Pallak, Susann Robbins and Katie Blaser, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Online News Reporting
• First Place: Schaffer named as next college president – by Will Hebert, Jeffrey Pallak, Courtney Tray and Amy Walker, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: Follow-up morale discussion sheds more light on campus issues – by William Hebert, Laramie County Community College
• Third Place: Trustees postpone public records rule approval – by William Hebert, Laramie County Community College

Photo Illustration
• First Place: Zombies: Brains on the plains – by William Hebert, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: Lucky number seven – by Neal Hines, Northwest College
• Third Place: Veterans’ Day flag – by Jeffrey Pallak, Laramie County Community College

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Sports Photography
• First Place: Takin’ it to the mat – by Neal Hines, Northwest College
• Second Place: Blast off – by Jessie Jo Witte, Laramie County Community College
• Third Place: No award*

Sports Writing
• First Place: Runaway train – by Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
• Second Place: Men’s soccer continues work in the off-season – by Danny Menig, Northwest College
• Third Place: No award*

* Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best in student journalism. Judges are not required to select first, second or third place winners.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.