Maryland Newsline, the online news magazine published by the Merrill College, has been named the best in the country by the Society of Professional Journalists, the organization announced.
The Web site, along with six other entries from Maryland, was cited for national honors in the organization’s Mark of Excellence Awards, honoring the best in collegiate journalism. This is the second time the Web site has been honored with SPJ’s top award since 2001, and it was a national finalist last year.
Newsline is the online product of the college’s Capital News Service. It blends reports from the Washington and Annapolis bureaus with original reporting and multimedia features. The site is directed by Merrill faculty lecturer Chris Harvey, who founded it in 2000.
With seven awards this season, Merrill comes in just behind Arizona State University which won 10 awards, and ahead of the University of North Carolina and Minnesota State University with six awards each.
SPJ received more than 3,600 entries in 39 categories. Winners for the national award were selected from the first place finishes in each category from SPJ’s 12 regions. Earlier this year, Merrill College students won 37 awards, including a remarkable 16 first-place finishes, in Region 2.
“These Mark of Excellence Awards winners are some of the best journalists coming out of colleges today,” said Neil Ralston, SPJ’s vice president for campus chapter affairs. “I believe they represent a lot of hope for the future of journalism in America, and SPJ is honored to recognize them for their excellent work.”
Winners from the Merrill College are:
Best-Affiliated Web Site:
• National Winner: Staff, Maryland Newsline & Capital News Service, University of Maryland, College Park, “Maryland Newsline”
General News Reporting:
• National Finalist: Ashley Lewis, University of Maryland, College Park, “State Police Spying”
Best all-around Daily Newspaper (published at least 4 times a week):
• National Finalist: Staff, The Diamondback, University of Maryland, College Park
Sports Photography:
• National Finalist: Adam Fried, University of Maryland, College Park, “Waking up”
Radio In-Depth Reporting:
• National Finalist: Staff, Terp Weekly Edition, Spring 2008, University of Maryland, College Park, “Terp Weekly Edition Special Report: Out of the shadows”
Television Breaking News Reporting:
• National Finalist: John Wist, University of Maryland, College Park, “Bank robbery”
Television News Photography:
• National Finalist: Cassandra Wilson, University of Maryland, College Park, “MD voters work VA”
