The DePauw Wins National Journalism Award

September 18, 2002

September 18, 2002, Greencastle, Ind. - Chalk up another honor for The DePauw. The completely independent, student staffed and managed newspaper on the DePauw University campus has received a National Mark of Excellence Award for outstanding student journalism from The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). A story by The DePauw reporters Michelle Evans, Brandon Sokol, Craig Greiwe, Wil Myers, Jessica Schaab and R.J. Talyor was deemed "Best General News Report" (the other two finalists in the category were from Oklahoma State University and Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas). The national winners received their awards at a luncheon during SPJ's national convention in Fort Worth, Texas.

"The Mark of Excellence competition represents some of the finest examples of collegiate print, broadcast and photojournalism in the country," said SPJ Vice President for Campus Chapter Affairs Jim Highland, director of print journalism at Western Kentucky University. "National achievements such as these help young journalists increase their career possibilities following graduation."

This year's competition drew more than 2,700 entries, almost a third more than last year, in 45 categories for print, radio, television and online collegiate journalism. Before reaching the national competition, students placed first in SPJ's regional competitions, which were judged this past spring. The Society of Professional Journalists, founded in 1909 on the DePauw campus (as Sigma Delta Chi), has presented the Mark of Excellence Awards since 1972.

In the spring, The DePauw was named Indiana's best college newspaper for the eighth time in the past nine years by the Indiana Collegiate Press Association, one of 27 awards the publication received. Indiana's oldest college newspaper, founded in 1852 as Asbury Notes, The DePauw has a rich tradition of being the springboard for the careers of many of America's great journalists. Alumni of the student newspaper include "business journalist of the century" Bernard Kilgore (photo at left) and Kenneth C. Hogate of the Wall Street Journal, Eugene C. and Eugene S. Pulliam of the Indianapolis Star and Central Newspapers chain, Donald Maxwell, former editor of the Chicago Tribune, Robert Giles, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University and former editor of the Detroit News, John McWethy, ABC News Senior Pentagon Correspondent (seen at right) and James B. Stewart, Pulitzer Prize-winning former front page editor of the Wall Street Journal, best-selling author of Den of Thieves, Blood Sport and the newly-released Heart of a Soldier: A Story of Love, Heroism, and September 11th (read more here), and currently editor-at-large of SmartMoney magazine.

The Society of Professional Journalists is dedicated to improving and protecting journalism. It is the nation's most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. 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.

More information on the National Mark of Excellence Award winners is available in a story on CNET.com by clicking here. You can view the entire list of winners and finalists at SPJ's Web site by clicking here.

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