Youngstown State University student media organizations dominated the 2024 Society for Collegiate Journalists National Contest, earning a remarkable 25 awards including eight first-place honors across multiple categories.

“I’m blown away by what our student journalists continue to accomplish. It really shows how talented they are and how seriously they take their work,” said Adam Earnheardt, The Jambar advisor. “Whether they’re covering sports or digging into investigative stories, these students aren’t just checking boxes — they’re practicing real journalism that matters to our campus and the entire Valley.”

The Jambar newspaper, JambarTV and Rookery Radio collectively secured eight first-place awards, six second-place awards, three third-place awards and eight honorable mentions.

“National awards like these showcase the remarkable talent of our student journalists and their ability to implement classroom and studio knowledge in practical media contexts,” said Paul Ditchey, electronic media advisor.

A complete list of first-place winners is below:

• Online Radio Website Overall Excellence: Rookery Radio
• Online TV Broadcast Website Overall Excellence: JambarTV
• Sports Photography: Dylan Lux, The Jambar – “Preston Zandier celebrates after a play”
• Multimedia Sports Story: Dylan Lux & Madison Fessler, for JambarTV’s “From Mahoning Valley to Gridiron”
• Television Live Event Broadcast: John Ostapowicz & Dylan Lux, for JambarTV’s “Live from the Jambar Stage at the annual Federal Frenzy event”
• Writing: Enterprise Series: Molly Burke & Christopher Gillette, for The Jambar’s Protest beat reporting
• Beat Reporting: Christopher Gillette & Elizabeth Coss, for The Jambar’s YSU history beat
• Sports Column Reporting: Madison Fessler, for The Jambar’s “Checking in for the season”

YSU student media also received six second-place awards, including Television News Show Overall Excellence for The Jambar in 10 and multiple feature and sports reporting accolades. Third-place recognition came in Breaking News coverage, Television News Package, and Television Sports Package categories.

Eight additional entries received honorable mentions, spanning columns, beat reporting, social media presence and photography.

This impressive showing builds on YSU’s tradition of excellence in student journalism and highlights the real-world experience students gain through these programs.

According to the Society for Collegiate Journalists website, the organization “is the nation’s oldest honor society for student media leaders. Founded to promote journalism as a foundation of democracy, SCJ focuses on professional development at the collegiate level. It advances ethical, accurate and innovative collegiate journalism nationally while creating a strong network of advocates for First Amendment education.”