2021 Awards

Certificates will be emailed to advisers. Any corrections, please reach out to Liz at pnajecontest@gmail.com.

Trophies will also be mailed to publications in the fall for first place winners in best website for 2- and 4-year schools.

General news reporting (non-COVID)

2-YEAR

First: Nichole Bascue, The Clipper, Budget Woes, Layoffs Shake EvCC Community

Second: Hannah Neff, The Sentinel, New dental hygiene program to start in January

Third: Kyle Ogle, The Clipper, What’s up with the ‘New Dorms’

Honorable mention: Daniel Albert, The Clipper, EvCC Eliminates 85 Part-Time Hourly Positions


4-YEAR

First: Kate Cuadrado, The Beacon, What did I just eat? On-campus students struggle with dining

Second: Anna Frazier and Ethan Myers, The Linfield Review, Tenured professor’s dismissal generates outrage, President Davis responds

Third: Millicent Durand, The Daily Barometer, Faculty Senate votes no confidence in Alexander, board, calls for resignation

Honorable mention: Nate Sanford, The Western Front, Behind the systems: WWU Newman Center forced resignation of student employee after learning of same-sex partner

COVID-19 news reporting

2-YEAR

First: Ruqaiyah Alaji, The Clipper, Fasting During a Global Pandemic: Muslim Students Share Their Insights During Ramadan

Third (tied): Alexa Villatoro, Seattle Collegian, College and district knew of positive Covid-19 case, still directed individual to come to campus; Amy Gilbert McGrath, The Clipper, Student Mothers: Teaching and Learning During a Pandemic

Honorable mention: Nichole Bascue, The Clipper, EvCC Students Cut Back on Screen Time


4-YEAR

First: Kelsy Valentine, The Daily Barometer, COVID-19 vaccination process is ‘very quick and easy’

Second: Samantha Holm, The Whitworthian, International Students Persevere In Educational Endeavors

Comprehensive coverage

Feature reporting (non-COVID)

2-YEAR

First: Madelyn Olson, The Clipper, The Long Shadow of Hysteria

Second: Sydney Jackson, The Clipper, Black History Month: Celebrating Pioneers of Freedom

Third: Hannah Neff, The Sentinel, Who done it? Mysterious posters appear in Boswell

Honorable mention: Marvin Walder, The Broadside, The Sun Mountain Fun Center’s new $2 million look – Photo Gallery

4-YEAR

First: Carlos Fuentes, The Beacon, Zoom fatigue and all-nighters: Online learning takes a toll on students' mental health

Second: Ethan Myers, The Linfield Review, Now up to the plate: Linfield baseball players start new podcast

Personality profile

2-YEAR

First: Harlow Poffenberger, Seattle Collegian, Lord Byron the Cat

Second: Allison Rorvik, Clark College Independent, Transcending Trauma: Clark Student Wins Award for Pursuing Higher Education

Third: Rick Sinnett, The Clipper, EvCC Remembers Cynthia Clarke: “A Promethean Force”

Honorable mention: Ayla Adkins, The Broadside, Meet Lilly Moore, a 10-year-old Redmond girl fighting Rett Syndrome


Madelyn Olson, The Clipper, Facing the Music: Female Empowerment in a Male-Dominated Industry

4-YEAR

First: Haviland Stewart, The Beacon, Battling cancer in a global pandemic

Second: Derek Gibson, The Mast, “It felt like WE were choking”: Members of George Floyd’s family call for justice

Third: Brie Haro, The Beacon, From UP student to Pilot landlord: How Bob Kessi became the ultimate UP landlord

Honorable mention: Sadie Wuertz, The Beacon, Arlene Goetze: Past and present;


Kiyomi Kishaba, The Mast, Professors juggle virtual teaching and parenting

Sports news/feature reporting

2-YEAR

First: Brent Pratley, The Clipper, A Double Header: An Update on Trojan Sports

Second: Taras McCurdie, The Clipper, No NWAC Championships

Third: Josh Amick, The Clipper, First Sport to Return: Trojan Cross-Country

Honorable mention: Daniella Young, The Advocate, Cross country team continues to meet in winter term


4-YEAR

First: William Seekamp, The Beacon, I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing'

Second: Maddie Loverich, The Linfield Review, Freshman makes big impact for Linfield softball

Third: Claire Platt, The Daily Barometer, Beavers' Women's Soccer freshman Amber Jackson continues to fight through adversity off and on the field

All emails go to the Baro editor

Honorable mention: Monroe Torkelson, The Mast, Student Athlete Spotlight: Seth Koivisto

Individual column/ commentary

2-YEAR

First: Astro Pittman, Seattle Collegian, Letter from the editor - austerity response

Second: Jordan Somers, Seattle Collegian, Opinion: A Reluctant Vote For an Illusory Victory

Third: Emma Dortsch, The Ebbtide, Opinion: How I Learned To Give Myself a Break

4-YEAR

First: Sienna Kaske, The Daily Barometer, Kaske: ASOSU is a racist, sexist organization with little hope to change

Second: Mia Werner, The Beacon, What the pandemic has taught me about loneliness

Third: Kate Walkup, The Linfield Review, A fifth year of eligibility should come with record restrictions

Review

2-YEAR

First: Colin Burns, The Clipper, Review of “The Queen’s Gambit”

Second: Omar Carrillo, The Advocate, RESIDUE: AN UNKNOWN HOMETOWN

Third: Nova Clark, The Ebbtide, Review: ‘The Vast of Night’ Rekindles Fascination for the Unknown

4-YEAR

First: Carlos Fuentes, The Beacon, Megan Rapinoe’s 'One Life' tells a story of wins, losses, and finding the balance

Honorable mention: Raven Lirio,The Mast, Among Us game review

News/feature/sports photo

Portrait photography

Photo essay

2-YEAR

First: Jordan Somers, Seattle Collegian, Photo essay: The SPD sweep of Cal Anderson Park

Second: Jordan Somers, Seattle Collegian, Editorial – 2020: The year in pictures

Third: Marvin Walder, The Broadside, Live Music at Worthy Brewing’s Star Bar – Photo Gallery

4-YEAR

No award given.

Photo illustration/graphics

2-YEAR

First: Erin Krogh, The Ebbtide, Photo Illustration: How I Learned To Give Myself a Break

Second: Rick Sinnett, The Clipper, To protect employees, offices are closed to the public

Third: Mary "Golden" Guevara, The Indy, Music on the brain

Honorable mention: Miina McCown, The Broadside, New Year’s resolution ideas: 10 ways to improve yourself in 2021; Logan Maruszak, The Clipper, Abstract self-portrait of the photographer.

4-YEAR

First: Cyan Perry, The Daily Barometer, Racism and misogyny in ASOSU

Second: Brennan Crowder, The Beacon, Computer get Zoom fatigue too

Headlines

2-YEAR

First: Sydney Jackson, The Clipper, Facing the Music: Female Empowerment in a Male-Dominated Industry

Second: Nichole Bascue, The Clipper, The Show Must Go On – Zoom!

Third: Sydney Jackson, The Clipper, Modern Séance: Searching for a Connection

Honorable mention: Eve Westmoreland, The Ebbtide, Opinion: Europe’s New ‘Super League’ After Super Profits


4-YEAR

First: Haviland Stewart, The Beacon, If COVID doesn't take you out, can I?

Second: Alexandra Feller and Annemarie Mullet, The Linfield Review, Life in the 'hotbox': Hewitt residents share their quarantine experience

Best use of multimedia storytelling

2-YEAR

First: Nick Gibson and Matt Fields, Clark College Independent, Multimedia coverage of Portland protests,

https://clarkindy.com/2020/06/11/the-support-system-within-the-portland-protests/; https://clarkindy.com/2020/06/18/signs-of-a-movement-the-personal-messages-protesters-carry/

Second: Madelyn Olson, The Clipper, The Art of Self Acceptance

Third: Marvin Walder, The Broadside, High desert hiking at Chimney Rock, OR – Photo Gallery

Honorable mention: Nichole Bascue, The Clipper, Speakers Share Personal Experiences at Everett BLM Protest

4-YEAR

First: Austin De Dios, The Beacon, Interactive Graphics: Pandemic brings salary cuts and furloughs to UP

Second: Gabi DiPaulo, The Beacon, Seniors: Watch the last four years unfold

Best website

2-YEAR

First: The Broadside, thebroadsideonline.com

Second: The Ebbtide, https://theebbtide.com/

Third: The Clipper, EverettClipper.com

Honorable mention: The Clackamas Print, TheClackamasPrint.com

4-YEAR

First: The Beacon, https://www.upbeacon.com/

Second: The Daily Barometer,

http://www.orangemedianetwork.com/daily_barometer/

Third: The Linfield Review, https://thelinfieldreview.com

Honorable mention: The Western Front, https://www.westernfrontonline.com/

Thank you to our judges!

Nick Budnick, reporter, Portland Tribune

Audrey Caro, former reporter for the Polk County Itemizer-Observer, The New Era/Lebanon Local and Lebanon Express

Rachel Fradette, education reporter, The Naples (Florida) Daily News

Jo Herrera, training coordinator for Report for America

Jean R. Norman, associate professor of emerging media and journalism, Weber State University

Michael W. Parks, retired college journalism professor

Olivia Sanchez, higher education reporter, The Hechinger Report

Julie Showers, marketing and communications director, Blanchet House

Sean Sperry, photojournalist

Emily Volpert, communications specialist, City of Portland

Catherine Wallace, journalism instructor and student newspaper advisor, Whatcom Community College; freelance editor/media consultant

PNAJE announces its 2021 winners in college journalism contest

262 entries received in 15 categories for reporting, visuals and web content

June 9 — Results are in for the best in college journalism as the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators announced its 2021 contest winners.

The contest continued its format to an all-digital entry platform, garnering 262 entries. While entries this year came from Oregon, Washington and Idaho schools, Alaska and Montana schools are also eligible to enter. Four-year universities were added to its own division of individual categories also.

"In this incredibly challenging academic year, student journalists continued to do excellent work that informed and entertained their communities," said Beth Slovic, journalism professor at Clark College and president of PNAJE. "On behalf of our members at community colleges and universities, I'm honored to highlight their journalistic achievements."

The student staff of The Broadside at Central Oregon Community College took top honors for general excellence in website for a 2-year school. Shoreline Community College’s The Ebbtide in Washington received second, with Everett (Washington) Community College’s The Clipper placing third.

The University of Portland’s The Beacon staff received top honors for general excellence in website for a 4-year school. Oregon State’s The Daily Barometer received second, with Linfield (McMinnville, Oregon) College’s The Linfield Review placing third.

Other college news staffs that competed are from Clark, Seattle Central and Bellevue colleges in Washington; Clackamas and Mount Hood community colleges in Oregon; North Idaho College; Whitworth University, Western Washington University and Pacific Lutheran University in Washington; and Willamette University in Oregon.

Entries consisted of work that students completed from summer 2020 to spring 2021. The 18 judges included communications professionals from throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Results are available at sites.google.com/view/pnajecontest