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The Marlin Chronicle Garners 13 National Journalism Awards
VWU’s student newspaper placed third for overall newspaper excellence and second for social media presence
University News | April 18, 2024
The Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ) recently honored The Marlin Chronicle with 13 awards in their 2023 National Contest. The Chronicle team submitted articles and photos from the 2023 calendar year to be considered alongside other collegiate newspapers in the honor society. In addition to several individual awards, the Marlin Chronicle staff won third for overall newspaper excellence and second for social media presence overall excellence.
Alumnus Connor Merk ‘23 won first in the breaking news category with an article entitled, “There was no thinking. There was just action and adrenaline.” Sophomore News Editor Lily Reslink followed closely behind in the category, receiving third in breaking news for an article entitled, “Fire trucks, nearby shootings shake sense of security.”
Senior and Weekender Co-Editor Sasha Saxon received three awards. She won first and second place for the photo essay category and second place for the review category.
Each year, the contest hosts a special category for a complex and relevant topic in the broader world of journalism. This year’s special category was “Truth in the Age of Disinformation.” Sophomore Community Co-Editor Victoria Haneline was awarded second in the special category for her article on how AI enters classrooms.
In the sports feature category, former writer Josh Heller 23’, won third with an article about the former assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach, Prince Charles.
Senior Sports Co-Editor Colette Kearney received an honorable mention for sports news writing with an article on the Men’s Soccer team.
Other honorable mentions include two to Reslink in the news stories and infographic categories. Senior Managing Editor and Community Co-Editor Carey Seay also received an honorable mention alongside Haneline for a photo essay of the Phi Tau Fest in spring 2023.
This year, the contest saw a 9% increase in submissions, the awards letter stated. In addition, the letter specified that judges were all professionals or past professionals from television, radio, newspaper or online news organizations. The comments from the judges of the SCJ contest said, “If this is the quality of our future professionals, the field of journalism is going to be in good hands.”
Senior Editor-in-Chief Rhian Tramontana was impressed with the team’s dedication throughout the year. “The awards weren’t simply given; they were earned through hours of hard work and passion,” she said. “I’m already proud of our staff, and they should feel just as proud holding their awards as a symbol of their effort.”
Seay expressed her appreciation for the team’s work. “These awards are important because they enable the team to be recognized on a national level. Our team works so hard and is more than deserving of this type of recognition,” she said.
SCJ opens their contest to their members, which includes about 100 schools and comprises approximately 1,200 students. In addition, it is the “oldest national honorary collegiate journalism organization,” the website states. For the purpose of the contest, SCJ said it does not separate schools by size, meaning the participating schools range from 700 to 10,000 students.
The Marlin Chronicle is a student-led newspaper that publishes five in-print issues a semester and has served the campus since 1982. View their website and view past issues.