Thursday, Mar 31, 2022
'The Rider News' recognized by New Jersey Press Foundation and Society of Professional Journalists
by Katie Nicholas
The Rider News, the University’s student newspaper, won two awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards and six awards in the New Jersey Press Foundation’s (NJPF) NJ College Newspaper Contest.
"This set of state and regional awards really speaks to the multimedia excellence of The Rider News and how its students are deeply and meaningfully engaged in the University community. They gain real-world experience that is grounded across a variety of Rider's majors and classes — not just journalism but also sports media, graphic design, photography and broadcast television,” says the adviser to The Rider News.
Senior journalism major Dylan Manfre received two Mark of Excellence awards for Region One from SPJ. He won in the categories of sports writing and feature writing.
Several student writers and editors also received recognition from NJPF.
Tiffany Hartman ’22, who graduated in the fall and was the videographer of The Rider News, took first place for the online video category.
Features and entertainment editors Tristan Leach, a sophomore journalism major, and Amethyst Martinez, a sophomore journalism major, along with design manager Adrienne Unfreed, a sophomore graphic design major, received first place for layout and design from NJPF.
Manfre was awarded second place for sports writing.
Sarah Siock, a senior journalism major and the paper's executive editor, received her second consecutive award from NJPF, winning second place for news writing.
Kaitlyn D’Alessio, a junior marketing major, took third place from NJPF for photography. This is her first award received at the paper.
In addition to the individual student honorees, the paper as a whole was recognized for third place for general excellence.
“I’m so proud of the work The Rider News published this past year. All of the editors and writers put so much time and effort into the paper each week. The awards are a reflection of our hard work and we won due to a team effort,” says Siock. "I am so grateful to have worked with such a talented staff.”
Manfre will move on to the national level and compete against winners from the other 11 SPJ regions. SPJ’s Region 1 comprises Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In the past decade alone, The Rider News has earned more than 70 awards for its work, with multiple wins in the NJPF’s general excellence category. The Rider News is a weekly, student-run publication. The student staff members are responsible for all aspects of the paper's creation and online and social media presence.
“The awards are a valuable recognition of Rider's strong academic programs, and demonstrate that our students are building valuable portfolios that help them land competitive internships and post-graduation jobs," says the Rider News advisor.