WKSU staff members have won 10 awards in the Ohio’s Best Journalism contest, including Best Website - Radio. The competition recognizes excellence in work created in 2018 and is coordinated by the Central Ohio, Cincinnati, and Cleveland Professional Chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Awards will be presented on Saturday, Aug. 17, at a ceremony at BrewDog USA in Canal Winchester near Columbus.
Since the addition of broadcast categories in 1998, WKSU has been recognized with more Ohio SPJ awards than any other radio news outlet. WKSU competes in the Ohio SPJ contest with radio stations and journalists from media markets throughout Ohio and stations broadcasting to Ohio from surrounding states.
WKSU radio category winners in the 2019 Ohio’s Best Journalism Contest are:
- First Place – Best Website, WKSU Staff for “WKSU.org.” The judges say: “WKSU jumped out as a first place winner based on its all-inclusive presentation of news from many different sources.”
- First Place – Best Consumer Reporting, Reporter/Producer M.L. Schultze for “EBay Finds Akron's Jugglers, Beekeepers and Artists.”
- First Place – Best Medical/Health Reporting, WKSU Staff for the six-part news series “Navigating the Path to Mental Health.” The judges say: “Good use of music and other audio to tell the story.”
- First Place – Best Enterprise Reporting, Reporter/Producer Jeff St. Clair for a two-part “Exploradio” series on “Industry 4.0” in Cleveland. The judges say: “Great Enterprising story on the importance of IT and small business development and expansion. Lively interviews with crisp writing and nat sound and on the scene factories. Good story structure with a variety of experiences and viewpoints from business owners and experts.”
- First Place – Best Environment Reporting, St. Clair for his environment-focused stories from his ongoing “Exploradio” series. The judges say: “Writing superlative. Interviews intelligent, yet accessible.”
- Second Place – Best Reporter, Schultze for work produced in 2018.
- Second Place – Best Anchor, Producer/Host Amanda Rabinowitz for WKSU’s local broadcasts of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
- Second Place – Best Sports Reporting, Rabinowitz and Commentator Terry Pluto for the ongoing sports series “The View from Pluto.”
- Second Place – Best Feature Reporting, Rabinowitz for stories from her local music series, “Shuffle.”
- Second Place – Best Spot News, Reporter/Producer Mark Arehart for “The Last Goodyear Wingfoot Blimp Takes Flight.”