The Maroon, Loyola’s 93-year-old student newspaper, wins SPJ’s Mark of Excellence for “Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper”
Loyola Student News Service wins award for General News Reporting
New Orleans, La. – (April 16, 2016) Students from Loyola University New Orleans’ School of Mass of Communication received 15 coveted awards on Saturday from the Society of Professional Journalists, a professional organization devoted to producing high-quality, ethical journalism. Awards were presented at the annual SPJ conference for Region 12, held Saturday, April 16, 2016 at The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. Top marks from the professional organization went to Loyola’s prize-winning student newspaper and the Loyola Student News Service, as well as individual students.
“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our students!” said Professor Sonya Duhé, Ph.D., director of Loyola’s prize-winning School of Mass Communication. “These awards are once again a testament to the quality of our program, faculty and staff and our students.”
The Society of Professional Journalists annually presents Mark of Excellence Awards, honoring the best in student journalism. First place regional winners move forward to the national competition and are recognized during the SPJ spring conference.
This year, the Maroon, Loyola’s 93-year-old student newspaper, won SPJ’s Mark of Excellence for Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper.
“What an honor,” said Loyola Student Media adviser and instructor Michael Giusti, B.S. ‘00 ‘M.B.A. ‘12. “These awards reinforce the hard work and professionalism these students demonstrate every day.”
Loyola Student News Service, a news wire service in which student journalists write articles for professional news organizations including The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com and local NPR-affiliate, WWNO 89.9 FM, won a Mark of Excellence for General News Reporting.
“The students have worked hard, and it’s wonderful to see that work rewarded,” said Student Services Coordinator Laura Jayne, a former editor for The Atlanta-Constitution and reporter for The Associated Press and The Times-Picayune who now oversees Loyola Student News Service. “I am so pleased for them.”
Awards and recipients presented this year to students in the School of Mass Communication included:
Winner for Editorial Writing - Gage Counts and Lauren Stroh
Finalist for In-Depth Reporting - Rebeca Trejo
Finalist - General News Reporting - Marie Simoneaux
Finalist - General News Reporting - Marie Simoneaux
Finalist - Feature Writing - Zayn Abidin
Finalist - Online Feature Reporting - Burke Bischoff
Finalist - Sports Writing - Mark Robinson
Winner - All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner - Feature Writing - Louise De Vaney
Winner - General News Reporting - Loyola Student News Service
Finalist - News Reporting - Mark Robinson
Winner - Online News Reporting - Taylor Evans & Allyson Aleskey
Winner - Breaking News Reporting - Kristen Stewart
Loyola’s School of Mass Communication is fresh off a record-breaking year. During the 2014-2015 year, students pulled in 86 local, regional and state awards before The Maroon received from the Associated College Press a national Pacemaker Award, widely considered the “Pulitzer Prize of College of Journalism.”
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Loyola University New Orleans is a Catholic, Jesuit university located in the heart of the picturesque Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans. For more than 100 years, Loyola has helped shape the lives of its students, as well as the history of the city and the world, through educating men and women in the Jesuit traditions of academic excellence and service to others. Loyola’s more than 40,000 graduates serve as catalysts for change in their communities as they exemplify the comprehensive, values-laden education received at Loyola.