Achievements

Griffin Mancuso, Brad Butterfield, Dezmond Remington

Journalism & Mass Communication

The Lumberjack nabbed three national awards from the Associated Collegiate Press in November. LJ fall editor-in-chief Griffin Mancuso placed second in the nationwide best illustration category. Investigative reporter Brad Butterfield earned an honorable mention as one of the nation's Reporters of the Year. Spring 2024 co-editor Dezmond Remington won a national honorable mention for his column writing.

ACP Individual Awards honor the nation’s best collegiate journalism. There are 53 contests in eight divisions representing the best of the best from Ivy League schools to scrappy state polytechnics in Northern California.

Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein, Gregg J. Gold, Kelli Grace Belt

Journalism & Mass Communication

How can educators help mitigate the decline in journalism studies to support a healthy democracy? Professors Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein and Gregg J. Gold, along with student researcher Kelli Grace Belt, recently published a paper answering this pressing question. Media skepticism may play a role in discouraging CSU students from studying journalism. For journalism majors, their focus on social justice is a key motivating factor. Using these findings, CSU journalism departments can create programs that draw more students to the major. Look for the paper in the newest edition of Journalism and Mass Communication Educator.

Ollie Hancock

Journalism & Mass Communication

Journalism student Ollie Hancock reported on and published two stories with NYT on the recent earthquakes. Following the jolt, they went to Fortuna, Ferndale, and Rio Dell to speak with those impacted. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/20/us/california-earthquake.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/01/us/california-earthquake.html

Deidre Pike

Journalism & Mass Communication

Deidre Pike, associate professor in journalism, received the California Press Association's 2022 Educator of the Year award. The award was announced at the California College Media Association award banquet in association with the Associated Collegiate Press convention March 6.

Vicky Sama, Chair; Erin Chessin, HSU Journalism class of 2019

Journalism & Mass Communication

Erin Chessin (Journ. ‘19) is published in the New York Times. Her first-ever article in a national publication, “A Successful Lifeline for Natomas Students is Feeling the Strain,” is about the toll the Covid-19 pandemic and virtual learning has taken on students in the Natomas Unified School District near Sacramento. Read the story at https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/us/natomas-school-district-mental-health.html?searchResultPosition=6

Journalism Students

Journalism & Mass Communication

HSU student media recipients of 2021 California College Media Association Awards
(HSU publications are awarded in categories with four-year colleges or universities with enrollments under 15,000 students.)

*El Leñador*

Best COVID-19 Coverage (First place): Nancy Garcia, Lupita Rivera, Karina Ramos Villalobos, Alexandra Gonzalez

Best Website (First place): Silvia Alfonso, Nancy Garcia, Sergio Berrueta, Karina Ramos Villalobos

Editorial (Second place) Brenda Sanchez, “Body Positivity”

Overall Newspaper Design (Second place): Jasmine Martinez, Sergio Berrueta, Cara Peters and Vanessa Flores

Special Issue (Second place): COVID-19 Mail Out Edition led by Carlos Holguin, Silvia Alfonso, Nancy Garcia, Sam Ramirez, Diego Linares and Jasmine Martinez

Photo Illustration (Third place): Raven Marshall, “Breaking Barriers: Native Women Faculty”

Multimedia Package (Third place): “Soy Artista Series: B1G $UAV, Social Justice Rapper,” by
Diana Renoj and Silvia Alfonso

Non-news Video (Third place): Diana Renoj, “Soy Artista Series: HSU Folklorico Club”

*The Lumberjack*

Best Headline Portfolio (First place): Collin Slavey, “Sweet Songs, Fancy Feathers, Birds Bang”

Best Feature Story (First place): James Wilde, “Memes, Genocide and Teaching in a Pandemic”

Best News Video (First place): “SJSU Football Team Comes to HSU”

Best Newspaper Inside Page/Spread Design (First place): Jen Kelly

Social Media Reporting (Second place): Thomas Lal, “SFSU Spartans Football team arrives to practice at HSU”

Best Illustration (Third place): Sam Papavasiliou and Jen Kelly, “Pandemic Planning for Spring Break”

*Osprey*

Best Magazine Story (Second place): Emily McCollum, “The End of the Dam Age”

Best Magazine Photo Series (Second place): Julie Navarro, “Black Lives Matter: The Digital Mobilization of Citizen Journalists”

Best Magazine Cover Design (Third place): Julie Navarro and Emily McCollum

Freddy Brewster

Journalism & Mass Communication

Journalism Major Freddy Brewster has been named the recipient of the James Madison Freedom of Information Award by the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California chapter. Brewster earned the prestigious honor for a series of stories he wrote for the Lost Coast Outpost. SPJ bestows the award to journalists for “significant contributions to advancing freedom of information and/or expression.”
Brewster joins a list of HSU winners of the award: Professor Marcy Burstiner in 2018, and journalism alumni Thadeus Greenson in 2017 and Matt Drange in 2015 and 2016. Ferndale Enterprise Editor Caroline Titus also took the award in 2016.

Marcy Burstiner

Journalism & Mass Communication

This fall, HSU journalism students will be able to take an in-depth reporting class from someone who wrote the book on investigative reporting – Professor Marcy Burstiner.

Burstiner’s second edition of “Investigative Reporting: From Premise to Publication” was published by Routledge in July. For this updated version of a text first published in 2009, Burstiner includes tips from not only veteran investigative reporters but also college students who had carried out successful investigations for their campus news organizations. The new edition includes extensive discussion of data reporting and analysis for investigative stories. It also directs readers to free, collaborative tools for collecting, organizing and analyzing information, and it guides readers through the process of public records requests, as well.
"So many guides to investigative reporting are geared to experienced journalists and scare away students," Burstiner said. "I felt it important to show students that they can do investigations themselves right out of beginning reporting, by introducing them to their own peers who have done just that."

This semester, Burstiner is teaching an investigative reporting course, during which students will look at housing issues for renters in Humboldt County.

“The need to train journalists to do accurate in-depth reporting on complex topics is fast becoming one of the most important tasks of our era," said JMC chair Deidre Pike. "We're fortunate to have a national leader like Marcy teaching this class."

HSU journalism alumnus Matt Drange, a reporter at The Information, calls the book “illuminating” and “accessible.”

“This book provides the building blocks for students to conduct and publish their own investigative reporting with or without the support of a traditional classroom environment,” Drange wrote. “The bullet-proof methodology and straightforward approach Burstiner outlines provide guidance for first-year reporters and veteran journalists alike.”

Humboldt County residents may best know Burstiner from her long-running Media Maven column in the North Coast Journal.

Before coming to HSU, Burstiner worked as a reporter and editor for a series of publications including the San Francisco Business Times, thestreet.com and The Deal financial magazine and website.

Here’s a link to the book’s page on Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Investigative-Reporting-From-Premise-to-Publication-2nd-Edition/Burstiner/p/book/9781138572164

Marcy Burstiner

Journalism & Mass Communication

The Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will award Professor Marcy Burstiner a James Madison Freedom of Information Award March 27 in San Francisco for significant contributions to advancing freedom of information or expression. Burstiner will receive the Beverly Kees Educator Award for guiding students to harness the power of the California Public Records Act.

Kirby Moss

Journalism & Mass Communication

Journalism & Mass Communication Professor Kirby Moss recently was awarded a $4,000 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities award. He will use the funding to launch a new research project exploring cross cultural conversations.

In his research, Moss combines his expertise in anthropology with his experience in journalism. He’s the author of “The Color of Class: Poor Whites and the Paradox of Privilege,” which explores the incongruities of social class in a Midwest city.