The Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (Pro SPJ) recently awarded some of our talented media and journalism community. From Breaking News stories to design and illustration, to featured photography and videography, our students, staff, and alumni continue to make Ball State proud. These “Best of Indiana” awards truly showcase our passion for unique and creative storytelling.

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The Ball State Daily News

  • 1st Place
    • Student Breaking News Reporting: “Ball State experiences campus-wide internet outage to block potential intrusion”
      • Grace Mccormick and Maya Wilkins
      • JUDGE’S COMMENT: Grace McCormick and Maya Wilkins did a thorough job talking to different sources – students, instructors, school officials and community members – about the impact of an almost six-hour campus-wide internet outage. The story explained how a potential security threat led university administrators to implement the shutdown to block any intrusion.
    • Student Features Photography: “Just Swingin'”
      • Rylan Capper
      • JUDGE’S COMMENT: Rylan Capper photographed under high speed and low light conditions in his photo of a young boy on a fair ride at the Muncie Mall Spring Fair.
    • Student Page One or Cover Design: “A moment of silence”
      • Maggie Getzin and Alex Hindenlang
      • JUDGE’S COMMENT: Getzin and Hindenlang designed a simple yet somber cover for a story on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. They demonstrated a good use of space and skills in typography in the less-is-more cover design.
    • Student Best Design Other than Page One or Cover: “Unspoken Truths”
      • Kamryn Tomlinson and Rylan Capper
      • JUDGE’S COMMENT: The winning entries here had a strong focus and all of the elements worked toward a single message.
    • Student Graphics or Illustration: “Red Planet Pursuit”
      • Maggie Getzin
      • JUDGE’S COMMENT: Maggie Getzin created a graphic for The Ball State Daily News detailing U.S. space missions. The graphic is as informative as it is visually interesting.
  • 2nd Place
    • Student Sports Reporting: “The circle of life: One decision at age 6 shaped Haven Fields into more than an athlete”
      • Ian Hansen
    • Student Column Writing
      • John Lynch
    • Student News Photography: “Enough is Enough”
      • Jacob Musselman
    • Student Best Journalism Website: “Ballstatedaily.com”
      • The Staff of the Ball State Daily News

NewsLink Indiana

  • 3rd place
    • Student Television News Reporting: “BSU Students receive $365 electric bill”
      • Alex Almanza

Indiana Public Radio

  • 2nd Place
    • Radio Best Newscast: “All Things Considered,” September 15, 2021
      • Stephanie Wiechmann
    • Radio Breaking News Coverage: “Former Muncie mayor sentenced to federal prison for taking bribe”
      • Stephanie Wiechmann

Ball State Sports Link

  • 2nd Place
    • Student Television Features Reporting: “The Flip: Sterling McIlravy”
      • Faith Denig and Charlie Maurer
  • 3rd Place
    • Student Television Videography
      • Faith Denig

The Indianapolis Star

  • 1st Place
    • News Photography (publication circulation above 30,000, news services and digital media): “Sikh community mourns”
      • Grace Hollars
      • JUDGE’S COMMENT: Grace Hollars’ visual reporting captures the grief and loss Indianapolis’ Sikh community experienced in the days after the mass shooting at a FedEx facility. Using powerful imagery of both individuals and groups at the Sikh Satsang, the photo story shows the gravity of the situation with empathetic reporting.
  • 2nd Place
    • Sports Photography (publication circulation above 30,000, news services and digital media): “Muddy kiss”
      • Grace Hollars
  • 3rd Place
    • Multiple Picture Group (publication circulation above 30,000, news services and digital media): “Grieving Keon”
      • Grace Hollars

 

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