Journalism Wins Big at Three Competitions

January 21, 2022 - 11:12 AM

The pandemic played to the advantage of Mt. SAC’s Journalism program, which picked up dozens of honors at the California College Media Association (CCMA) Awards, the Associated Collegiate Press Awards, and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges Awards.

Journalism Professor Toni Albertson said more awards were won this year than the program has ever won previously in a year. Albertson indicated a reason for the exceptionally strong showing is that the college’s program went digital years ago; therefore, they naturally fit into a host of new categories created for digital journalism.

“Digital has changed everything,” said Albertson. “We were the first community college to go full-digital (and stop print media).”

Albertson said the students faced numerous obstacles with the ongoing pandemic. “We had moved over to 100% online instruction in 2020. I think it was the hardest semester we have ever had. Trying to contact people who aren’t on campus to create stories is a challenge.” 

“Add to that, this is the smallest staff we have ever had,” indicated Albertson. “You may think digital is easier, but it is a lot harder because they (students) are having to produce content 24/7.”  

“It’s great to be recognized nationally for doing work that I love,” said Aaron Story, who won second place in the new category General Innovation for the campus podcast The Pulse, which “tells stories of my community.”

“For the first time, we partnered with the college’s Radio Program to do the podcast,” said Albertson, demonstrating the need for journalists to embrace technological change in communications.

Mt. SAC offers an Associate in Arts for Transfer degree in Journalism. The Journalism program runs SAC.MEDIA and the online magazine Substance.

A list of first and second place awards won at the CCMA Awards 2021

 

Best COVID Coverage

1^st place – Vanessa Feliciano “Pregnancy in Time of COVID-19”

1^st place – Abraham Navarro “COVID and Its Somber Scenes”

1^st place – Jaylen Minnich-Hall “Mental Health Withers With Us While COVID Carries On”

1^st place – Monica Inouye “Survivor Remembers Pearl Harbor”

 

Best Social Justice Reporting

1^st place – Pablo Unzueta & Bridgette Lugo “Deaths of Black Citizens Ignite Protests in Los Angeles”

1^st place – Abraham Navarro & Riley Martinez “Demonstrators Protest on West Covina Highway Overpass”

 

Best Election Coverage

1^st place – Monica Inouye, Abraham Navarro, Vanessa Feliciano, Jaylen Minnich-Hall, Riley Martinez

 

Magazine Photo Series

2^nd place – Abraham Navarro

 

Best Photo Illustration

2^nd place - Abraham Navarro

 

Best Arts & Entertainment Story

2^nd place – Shannon Carter “Headspace Thinks Inside the Box”

 

Best Editorial Cartoon

1^st place – Christy Lin

 

Best Magazine Photo

1^st place - Abraham Navarro

 

Best Headline Portfolio

1^st place - Abraham Navarro

 

Best News Photograph

1^st place- Pablo Unzueta

 

Best Feature Photo

1^st place - Abraham Navarro

 

Best Photo Series

1^st place - Pablo Unzueta

 

Best Feature Story

1^st place – Natalie Lu & Eric Tadeo

 

General Innovation

2^nd place – Andre Tinoco & Abraham Navarro “SACAttack”

2^nd place – Keith Fort & Aaron Story “The Pulse”

2^nd place – Delilah Perez & Amber Ortiz “Mountie.Media”

 

 

A list of first and second place awards at the Journalism Association of Community College 2020-2021 Awards

 

Editorial Cartoon

1^st place – Christy Lin

 

Best Feature Profile Story

1^st place – Natalie Lu & Eric Tadeo “A Laugh to Fit the Bill”

 

Best Enterprise News Story Meritorious Award COVID Coverage

1^st place – Brigette Lugo, Abraham Navarro, Jesse Espitia, & Natalie Lu “Close the Campus”

 

Sports Feature Photo

2^nd place – Abraham Navarro

 

General Excellence

SAC.MEDIA

 

On the Spot Competition: Editorial Cartoon

1^st place – Christy Lin