Monday, April 18, 2022
Written by: Office of Strategic Communication

The Daily Iowan dominated a regional journalism competition run by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). 

The independent student newspaper took home 15 first-place awards, including for breaking news reporting, sports writing, column writing, photography, videography, data visualization, and best affiliated website. 

The DI competed against other student newspapers in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. 

SPJ judges will next select national winners from among the top finishers in all 12 regions. National winners will be notified in late spring and will be recognized at the MediaFest22 convention in Washington, D.C., Oct. 27-30.

In 2020, the SPJ named the DI the best daily student newspaper in the country. The paper was named Iowa’s best newspaper in 2020 and 2021 by the Iowa Newspaper Association.

The SPJ awards include:

Print/Online

Breaking News Reporting

  • Winner: Police served multiple warrants against FIJI and its members last year, court records show — by Caleb McCullough, University of Iowa
  • Finalist: Barbara Wilson named next University of Iowa president — by Rylee Wilson, Rachel Schilke and Eleanor Hildebrandt, University of Iowa

General News Reporting (Large)

  • Finalist: University of Iowa presidential finalists — by The Daily Iowan staff, University of Iowa

Feature Writing

  • Finalist: After 20 years, the UI and Daily Iowan remember 9/11 — by Josie Fischels and Rachel Schilke, University of Iowa
  • Finalist: Friends, colleagues, students and family reflect on the legacy of Iowa’s first Poet Laureate Marvin — by Josie Fischels, University of Iowa

Sports Writing

  • Winner: Luka Garza: The Iowa men’s basketball program’s humble, team-driven all-time leading scorer — by Robert Read, University of Iowa
  • Finalist: ‘We knew that she was the special one’: Caitlin Clark dominating in her first season — by Chloe Peterson, University of Iowa

Editorial Writing

  • Winner: Editorials — by DI Editorial Board, University of Iowa

General Column Writing

  • Winner: Columns — by Yassie Buchanan, University of Iowa
  • Finalist: Columns — by Hannah Pinski, University of Iowa

Sports Column Writing

  • Winner: Columns — by Robert Read, University of Iowa

Best Affiliated Web Site

  • Winner: Dailyiowan.com — by staff, University of Iowa

Art/Graphics/Multimedia

General News Photography

  • Winner: Vaccine — by Grace Smith, University of Iowa
  • Finalist: State of the state — by Ryan Adams, University of Iowa

Feature Photography

  • Finalist: Freakshow — by Tate Hildyard, University of Iowa

Sports Photography

  • Winner: Goodson hurdle — by Jerod Ringwald, University of Iowa

Best Use of Multimedia

  • Winner: Iowa’s first poet laureate, Marvin Bell — by Josie Fischels, Hannah Kinson, Kelsey Harrell and Parker Jones, University of Iowa

Broadcast/Online News Videography

  • Winner: John and Esteban — by Ryan Adams and Jenna Galligan, University of Iowa

Broadcast/Online Feature Videography

  • Winner: Mom: Iowa City mothers on pandemic parenthood — by Jenna Galligan, University of Iowa

Broadcast/Online Sports Videography

  • Winner: Skating past the stigma — by Daniel McGregor-Huyer, University of Iowa

Data Visualization

  • Winner: How universities across the Big Ten are continuing to combat COVID-19 — by Kelsey Harrell, University of Iowa

Broadcast

Best All-Around Television Newscast

  • Finalist: DITV — by staff, University of Iowa