Friday, Apr 16, 2021
'The Rider News' recognized by New Jersey Press Foundation and Society of Professional Journalists
by Rachel Stengel '14, '20
The University's student newspaper, The Rider News, earned 13 awards for the 2020-21 academic year.
The paper won eight awards in the New Jersey Press Foundation’s (NJPF) NJ College Newspaper Contest and five awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards.
“The awards are a reflection of the work that our entire staff put in week after week, even in the face of extraordinary difficulties posed by the pandemic,” says Stephen Neukam, executive editor for The Rider News. “I could not be more pleased with the team, and I am so proud to have worked with such an amazing group of my peers for the last four years.”
From the NJPF, the paper took home first place for its overall website in addition to wins for news, sports, editorial, and investigative writing, and video and web projects. Individual staff members earned five writing awards. Senior journalism major Tatyanna Carman earned second place in news writing. Senior journalism and political science double major Neukam placed second in enterprise/investigative reporting. Neukam and senior journalism major Qur'an Hansford placed second in editorial writing. In sports writing, sophomore sports media major Shaun Chornobroff and junior journalism major Dylan Manfre earned second place, while Chornobroff earned third.
In addition to writing awards, junior film and television major Tiffany Hartman earned first place in the online video category. Hartman, junior journalism major Sarah Siock and junior elementary education major Christian McCarville placed third in the web project category.
"Operating in a socially-distanced newsroom, in a newsgathering year like no other, I am incredibly proud of the excellent journalism produced by the entire staff of The Rider News,” says associate professor and adviser for the newspaper. “They have demonstrated grit, resilience and above all a profound commitment to keeping our community informed."
In the SPJ awards, Neukam won for in-depth reporting and was a finalist in the breaking news reporting category. Chornobroff and Manfre won for sports writing, with Chornobroff also recognized as a finalist in the same category. Hansford, Neukam and Jason Mount ‘20 were finalists in the editorial writing category. Winners 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 nearly 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.