Congratulations to the 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards Winners
Membership meeting to include FOIA panel
The annual membership meeting of the Society of Professional Journalists – Arkansas Pro Chapter will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, June 18 via Zoom webinar. The event will include a panel discussion about Freedom of Information news from the most recent legislative session. The panel will be moderated by board member Rob Moritz and feature Wesley Brown of the Daily Record and Aaron Sadler of the Arkansas Press Association. After the panel, the chapter will hold elections for the 2021-2022 board of directors. When the webinar is finished, the winners of the Diamond Awards will be announced on the Arkansas SPJ Facebook page and website. A recording of the webinar will also be released on Facebook. For more information, contact chapter president Sarah DeClerk at spjsarahdeclerk@arkansasspj
When: Jun 18, 2021 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Arkansas SPJ Annual Membership Meeting
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87965319771
Call for Candidates
The Arkansas SPJ will vote on its 2021 Board of Directors at the Annual Membership Meeting at 6 p.m. Friday, June 18. The board currently has one open position. Email a bio and headshot spjsarahdeclerk@gmail.com for more information. View the candidates below.
ATTENTION! DATE CHANGE: JUNE 18, 2021
2021 Diamond Journalism Awards Ceremony
Winners of the 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards will be announced in an online ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. June 18. Watch this space and social media for more details as the day gets closer.
Sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, the Diamond Journalism Awards is a regional competition that recognizes outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering states.
Winners in more than 75 categories as well as the Diamond Journalist of the Year, the Outstanding New Journalist, and the Robert S. McCord FOI Award will be announced at the upcoming a virtual awards ceremony. Winners of the Public Service Award, Journalist of the Year, Outstanding New Journalist, and the Robert S. McCord FOI Award receive an acrylic diamond-shaped paperweight.
This year’s contest honors work published or broadcast in 2020, drew a record 393 entries and was judged by members of the Cincinnati Pro Chapter of SPJ.
Here are the finalists listed by the publication or other outlet where their entries appeared:
ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, Ark.
Johnny Carrol Sain, Hannah Butler, Kenzie Sain
Arkansas Catholic, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Stephen Simpson, Williams Sanders, Jeannie Roberts, Joseph Flaherty, Thomas Metthe, Stephen Swofford, Staton Breidenthal, Yutao Chen, Maggie McNeary, Carrie Hill, Justin Cunningham, Stan Denman, Brian Smith, Joe Luciano, Tony Holt, Ginny Monk, Kat Stromquist, Bill Bowden, Terry Austin, David Barham, Walter Hussman, Philip Martin, Morgan Acuff, Sarah DeClerk, Dwain Hebda, Democrat-Gazette staff
ADG River Valley and Ozark Edition, Little Rock
Tammy Keith
Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
Tyler Hale, Mark Carter, Evin Demirel, Rebecca Robertson
Arkansas Nonprofit News Network, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
The Associated Press, Little Rock
Andrew DeMillo
AY Magazine, Little Rock
Dustin Jayroe, Rebecca Robertson, Jamison Mosley, Lora Puls, Heather Baker, Ebony Blevins, Jamison Mosley, Ian Lyle, Dwain Hebda
The Batesville Guard, Arkansas
Bruce Guthrie
Baxter Regional Pulse, Arkansas
Sarah Knight
Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City
Mollie Bryant, Nathan Poppe, Miguel Rios, George Lang, Nazarene Harris, Jacquelyn Walsh, Sydni Nasada, Ryan Magnani, Joshua Boydston, Jayna Hadwiger, Ben Felder, Kassie McClung, Nate Ward, Katrina Ward
The Daily Citizen, Searcy, AR
Greg Geary
The Daily Record, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
Do South Magazine
Dwain Hebda
FOX16 News, Little Rock
Kevin Kelly
Houston Business Journal, Texas
Jeff Jeffrey, Chris Mathews, Margaret Barrientos, Sara Samora, Laura Gillespie, Shafaq Patel, Giselle Greenwood
Jackson Free Press, Mississippi
Nick Judin, Kayode Crown, Donna Ladd
KATC-TV, Lafayette, La.
Andrew Clay, Staff
KOLR-TV, Springfield, Mo.
Brian Calfano, Lissa Hamblen
KPEJ-TV, Midland-Odessa, Texas
Monica Quintero
KUAR-FM
Anna Stitt, Daniel Breen, Sarah Kellogg, Alexandria Brown
KWTX-TV, Waco
Rosemond Crown, Gordon Collier, Clint Webb, Megan Vanselow, Drake Lawson, Bill Gowdy
KXAN-TV, Austin, Texas
Alex Caprariello
Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville, Ark.
Rick Kron
Louisiana College, Pineville
Elizabeth Christian
Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Ashton Pittman, William Pittman, Christian Middleton, Donna Ladd, Aliyah Veal, Mauricio J. Quijano
Politico, Arlington, Va.
Bret Schulte
Richmond News, Missouri
Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia
Riverfront Times, St. Louis
Danny Wicentowski
Texas Observer, Austin
Amal Ahmed, Chris O’Connell, Savannah Maher
The Trucker, Little Rock
Wendy Miller, Linda Garner-Bunch, Lyndon Finney, Sam Pierce, The Trucker Editorial Staff
WVLT-TV, Knoxville
Ashley Bohle, Brittany Tarwater, Keith Smith, WVLT Staff
STUDENT MEDIA
Louisiana State University (Reveille, LSU Tiger TV, LSU Manship News Service, KLSU-FM) Baton Rouge
Katherine Manuel, Anna Jones, Bailey Williams, Alyssa Berry, Matthew Clark, Sydney McGovern, Karli Carpenter, Kendall Duncan, Ally Kadlubar, Caleb Greene, Bailey Chauvin, Reed Darcey, Jared Brodtmann, Luke Chevalier, Marie Plunkett, Evan Leonhard, Cecile Girard, Sofia McKentry
Louisiana College, Wildcats Media, Pineville
Alena Noakes, Joel Thompson, Aaron Quartemont
Arkansas State University, Delta Digital News Service, Jonesboro
Christine Miyawa, Tristan Bennett, Krishnan Collins, Chase Gage
University of Central Arkansas, The Echo, Conway
Ronak Patel, Lauren McLemore, Morgan Jenkins, Delaney Van Wilpe, Elvira Toddy, Megan Holder
Finalists named in 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists takes pride in announcing the finalists for the 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition that recognizes outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering states.
Winners in more than 75 categories as well as the Diamond Journalist of the Year, the Outstanding New Journalist , and the Robert McCord FOI Award will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on June 30. More details coming soon.
This year’s contest honors work published or broadcast in 2020, drew a record 393 entries and was judged by members of the Cincinnati Pro Chapter of SPJ.
Here are the finalists listed by the publication or other outlet in which their entries appeared:
ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, Ark.
Johnny Carrol Sain, Hannah Butler, Kenzie Sain
Arkansas Catholic
Dwain Hebda
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Stephen Simpson, Williams Sanders, Jeannie Roberts, Joseph Flaherty, Thomas Metthe, Stephen Swofford, Staton Breidenthal, Yutao Chen, Maggie McNeary, Carrie Hill, Justin Cunningham, Stan Denman, Brian Smith, Joe Luciano, Tony Holt, Ginny Monk, Kat Stromquist, Bill Bowden, Terry Austin, David Barham, Walter Hussman, Philip Martin, Morgan Acuff, Sarah DeClerk, Dwain Hebda, Democrat-Gazette staff
ADG River Valley and Ozark Edition, Little Rock
Tammy Keith
Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
Tyler Hale, Mark Carter, Evin Demirel, Rebecca Robertson
Arkansas Nonprofit News Network, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
The Associated Press, Little Rock
Andrew DeMillo
AY Magazine, Little Rock
Dustin Jayroe, Rebecca Robertson, Jamison Mosley, Lora Puls, Heather Baker, Ebony Blevins, Jamison Mosley, Ian Lyle, Dwain Hebda
The Batesville Guard, Arkansas
Bruce Guthrie
Baxter Regional Pulse, Arkansas
Sarah Knight
Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City
Mollie Bryant, Nathan Poppe, Miguel Rios, George Lang, Nazarene Harris, Jacquelyn Walsh, Sydni Nasada, Ryan Magnani, Joshua Boydston, Jayna Hadwiger, Ben Felder, Kassie McClung, Nate Ward, Katrina Ward
The Daily Citizen, Searcy, AR
Greg Geary
The Daily Record, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
Do South Magazine
Dwain Hebda
FOX16 News, Little Rock
Kevin Kelly
Houston Business Journal, Texas
Jeff Jeffrey, Chris Mathews, Margaret Barrientos, Sara Samora, Laura Gillespie, Shafaq Patel, Giselle Greenwood
Jackson Free Press, Mississippi
Nick Judin, Kayode Crown, Donna Ladd
KATC-TV, Lafayette, La.
Andrew Clay, Staff
KOLR-TV, Springfield, Mo.
Brian Calfano, Lissa Hamblen
KPEJ-TV, Midland-Odessa, Texas
Monica Quintero
KUAR-FM
Anna Stitt, Daniel Breen, Sarah Kellogg, Alexandria Brown
KWTX-TV, Waco
Rosemond Crown, Gordon Collier, Clint Webb, Megan Vanselow, Drake Lawson, Bill Gowdy
KXAN-TV, Austin, Texas
Alex Caprariello
Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville, Ark.
Rick Kron
Louisiana College, Pineville
Elizabeth Christian
Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Ashton Pittman, William Pittman, Christian Middleton, Donn Ladd, Aliyah Veal, Mauricio J. Quijano
Politico, Arlington, Va.
Bret Schulte
Richmond News, Missouri
Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia
Riverfront Times, St. Louis
Danny Wicentowski
Texas Observer, Austin
Amal Ahmed, Chris O’Connell, Savannah Maher
The Trucker, Little Rock
Wendy Miller, Linda Garner-Bunch, Lyndon Finney, Sam Pierce, The Trucker Editorial Staff
WVLT-TV, Knoxville
Ashley Bohle, Brittany Tarwater, Keith Smith, WVLT Staff
STUDENT MEDIA
Louisiana State University (Reveille, LSU Tiger TV, LSU Manship News Service, KLSU-FM) Baton Rouge
Katherine Manuel, Anna Jones, Bailey Williams, Alyssa Berry, Matthew Clark, Sydney McGovern, Karli Carpenter, Kendall Duncan, Ally Kadlubar, Caleb Greene, Bailey Chauvin, Reed Darcey, Jared Brodtmann, Luke Chevalier, Marie Plunkett, Evan Leonhard, Cecile Girard, Sofia McKentry
Louisiana College, Wildcats Media, Pineville
Alena Noakes, Joel Thompson, Aaron Quartemont
Arkansas State University, Delta Digital News Service, Jonesboro
Christine Miyawa, Tristan Bennett, Krishnan Collins, Chase Gage
University of Central Arkansas, The Echo, Conway
Ronak Patel, Lauren McLemore, Morgan Jenkins, Delaney Van Wilpe, Elvira Toddy, Megan Holder
The State of Minority-Led Media
Join the Arkansas SPJ at 10 a.m. Friday, April 30 for a Zoom webinar about minority-led media in Arkansas. Panelists will include Michel Leidermann, director and editor of El Latino; Wes Brown, who is publisher of the Daily Record and recently launched BlackConsumerNews.com; and Janis Kearney, who served briefly as managing editor for civil rights legend Daisy L. Bates’ historic Arkansas State Press Newspaper. The panel will be moderated by Sarah DeClerk, president of the Arkansas SPJ. For more information, contact DeClerk at 501-259-1379 or spjsarahdeclerk@gmail.com.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87053315487?pwd=eFc2c2ZsdEl0dGRUSVJaNThjdnkzQT09
Passcode: ArkPro
Arkansas SPJ Launches Ethics to Ethics Card Game
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists recently released “Ethics to Ethics” a card game based on the SPJ Code of Ethics that was inspired by games such as Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity. Sarah DeClerk, chapter president, said she hopes the game will provide aspiring and established journalists with a fun, educational activity to enjoy while social distancing.
“I think it’s good to interact with journalism ethics in a playful way,” DeClerk said. “I hope that the game will provide moments of joy that could also spark conversations about real-world ethical situations.”
The Ethics to Ethics instructions and deck can be downloaded below. For more information, contact DeClerk at spjsarahdeclerk@gmail.com.
Just the Facts: Fact-Checking Panel
7 p.m. CT Tuesday, Dec. 1
Learn about those who have provided fact-checking of presidential debates and other
news events during the Just the Facts webinar, hosted by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of
the Society of Professional Journalists. The panel will provide information about the ins
and outs of fact-checking, as well as its importance to audiences.
Speaker: Debra Utacia Krol of the Arizona Republic
Debra Utacia Krol, an Indigenous affairs reporter at the Arizona Republic, was part
of a team of experts that fact-checked a Trump-Biden presidential debate on behalf
of USA TODAY. She is an award-winning journalist who specializes in Indigenous,
environmental and science topics.
Other speakers to be announced.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83533003181?pwd=L3hXaG5tNGkwS2g4LzdnU0xaR2drUT09
Password: ArkPro
SPJ awards two fall scholarships
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is awarding $500 scholarships this fall to two students at universities in the state to help offset the financial stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The scholarships are in addition to two $1,000 scholarships the chapter traditionally awards each spring.
“Our chapter decided to provide the scholarships using some of the funds we typically allot for in-person programming,” said Sarah DeClerk, chapter president. “We are committed to assisting up-and-coming communications professionals, and providing these emergency scholarships is a great opportunity to do so.”
The students are Gabriel Grant Huff of West Memphis, a sophomore multimedia journalism major at Harding University in Searcy, and Mary Katherine Shapiro of McKinney, Texas, a senior English and journalism major at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
“College students are definitely feeling the financial effects of the pandemic,” said Sonny Rhodes, chair of the chapter’s scholarship committee. “We had the most scholarship applications we have had in a long time – possibly ever – in my 20-odd years of working with the scholarship committee.”
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is an organization that promotes journalism and advocates for journalists throughout the state. For more information, visit arkansasspj.org.
Arkansas SPJ to award fall scholarships
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE, APPLY FAST!
Attention students and media advisers.
We know the pandemic has brought on extra stress and financial burdens for students everywhere.
That’s why the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is offering two $500 scholarships for the fall semester.
Students must act fast, though. The application deadline is Oct. 31. The two scholarships will be awarded in time for Thanksgiving! Checks will be made payable to the student.
Advisers, please help us identifying deserving students who are majoring or minoring in journalism, public relations, or a related communications emphasis.
Each of the scholarships will go to a student enrolled during the Fall 2020 semester. It will go to a student who is academically qualified, who demonstrates financial need, and who shows promise.
Each applicant may fill out an online application and submit a 500-word essay, reference letters and work samples at tinyurl.com/spjscholarship.
For additional information, please email cmrhodes@ualr.edu.
Society of Professional Journalists | Arkansas Pro Chapter 