COLUMBUS – Ohio’s Best Journalism Contest, (www.ohiospjawards.org), sponsored by the Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) chapters statewide, is excited to announce its 2024 awards today. View winners here.
The categories include large circulation print (60,000 or greater), small circulation print (fewer than 60,000), radio, television, digital media/freelance, trade organizations, and college.
We’re also thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024 Emil Dansker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Journalism. This award, established last year, honors Emil Dansker, one of the founders of the Cincinnati SPJ Chapter and a longtime journalist, professor and mentor to countless journalists and students.
The Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to one individual annually for their hard work, achievements, leadership and contributions to the journalism profession. Journalism professors, publishers, broadcast general managers and editors and reporters, as well as other journalism business professionals from all media segments, are invited to apply.
Best of Show distinctions are awarded in all categories except college. Entries were for work done in 2023. Journalists who work for newspaper, magazines, radio, television, trade, online and college media in Ohio and adjacent states that have significant reach into Ohio were eligible to submit entries, as well as freelance journalists who are Ohio residents, regardless of where their work was published, broadcast or webcast. Entrants did not need to be members of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Ohio’s Best Journalism is the only Ohio competition that honors journalists who fulfill the SPJ mission: defense of the First Amendment, support of literacy, resistance to censorship, advocacy for openness of public records and meetings, media self-criticism and community service.
Journalists from Region 10, SPJ Northwest Excellence for Journalism Contest, which includes Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana, served as judges.
Save the date!
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Hofbrähaus Cleveland, 1550 Chester Ave., near Playhouse Square, for our annual contest celebration to honor the 2024 winners. We hope you can join us!
If you want to extend your stay after the celebration, the Cleveland Guardians are playing at home that evening. Ideastream’s offices and studios are next door. If enough people are interested, the Cleveland chapter, our host for the day, has offered to set up a post-celebration tour. And the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is open Sunday. Stay tuned for more details and registration information regarding our Aug. 24 celebration.
Confirm Names
Attention winners/editors/entry submitters: Please review the list of winners carefully and confirm that the individual and/or individuals listed in the column “Names on Certificate” are the names that should appear on the awards. If the field is empty, please let us know whose name should appear on the award(s). Please also confirm that the name of the media outlet is correct. If changes are needed, please email contest administrator Sarah Mills Bacha at smbacha@earthlink.net as soon as possible.
Congrats to all of the winners. We can’t wait to celebrate with you in August in Cleveland!
ABOUT SPJ:
The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.
Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry through the daily work of its nearly 10,000 members; works to inspire current and future journalists through professional development; and advocates for the protection of the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech and press.
Nationally, SPJ improves and protects journalism through national and local training; advocacy for freedom of Information and resources; its Code of Ethics that encourages responsible reporting; a website filled with career resources – www.spj.org; and a national recognition program for excellence in journalism.