WOUB Professional Staff and Students win All-Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards from The Press Club of Cleveland

The Scripps College of Communication is celebrating two WOUB professional staff members and five students who are taking home hardware this spring after winning All-Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards from The Press Club of Cleveland.

WOUB Report for America Corps Member Theo Peck-Suzuki won four awards in the Audio storytelling category.

• Audio - Environment: Money from the Inflation Reduction Act aims to bolster forest farming in southeast Ohio
• Audio - Neighborhood/Community News: A senior citizen prom at Fort Frye High School gives generations the chance to connect
• Audio - Neighborhood/Community News: The best high school League of Legends team in Ohio lives in Morgan County
• Audio - News Feature: A town in southeast Ohio comes around to the idea of sheltering those experiencing homelessness

Peck-Suzuki was hired to work in the WOUB newsroom in June of 2022, as the station’s first Report for America corps member. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. The national service program works to reverse the collapse of local journalism by paying up to half of the journalists’ salaries, while providing ongoing training and mentorship by leading journalists, peer networking opportunities, and memberships to select professional organizations. Peck-Suzuki’s three years of service with WOUB comes to an end in a few weeks.

“With Theo leaving us at the end of May, I can’t think of a better way to cap off this time with us than for him to gain recognition from his peers in the journalism community for the great work he does,” said WOUB News Editor-in-Chief Atish Baidya.

WOUB Arts and Culture Reporter Emily Votaw was also honored in the Writing – Arts and Entertainment category for her story Christopher Fiorello is walking 3,800 miles to get 'Closer to Home'.

In the College Student Media categories, five WOUB students were honored:

Alison Patton, Senior, Journalism News and Information Major
College Student Media – Video Feature: Local bike club struggles with volunteer shortage
College Student Media – Audio Feature: Meals on Wheels

Donovan Varney, Junior, Journalism News and Information Major
College Student Media – Video General News: Intoxicating Hemp Regulations

Betty Kankam-Boadu, Graduate Student, College of Arts and Sciences, International Studies
College Student Media – Audio Feature: Bus brings arts and crafts to local kids

Haley Swaino ’24, Journalism News and Information Major
College Student Media – Video General News: Ohio Tick Population
College Student Media – Video General News: West Union Street Construction Confusion
College Student Media – Video Feature and Audio Feature: Ohio Youth Fire & EMS Training Academy

Maddie Keifer, Senior, Journalism News and Information Major
College Student Media – Video Sports: Eastern Honor Walk

“I couldn’t be more proud,” said Baidya. “The strong showing we had in this year’s awards showcases the quality of the work done at WOUB by staff and students to keep our community well-informed.”

The All-Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards contest is an annual event that recognizes outstanding journalism work in Ohio. It encompasses a wide range of media, including print, radio, television, online, and photography. The contest is judged by out-of-state journalists and has various categories, including Best of Ohio, to acknowledge the best in each category across the state. The awards ceremony will be held in Cleveland on Friday, June 6.