Students and Staff Honored for Journalistic Excellence

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Society of Professional Journalists recognizes Easton Courier and WSHU news coverage

Sacred Heart University’s array of journalistic talent was recognized when the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists released the list of winners in its recent Excellence in Journalism Contest. Numerous awards went to SHU students and staff for their news reporting in 2022 for two University-sponsored media outlets.

The Easton Courier, an online news site published through a partnership between the town of Easton and SHU, received 27 awards  for outstanding writing and photojournalism, and the University’s onsite NPR station, WSHU Public Radio, serving Fairfield and New Haven counties and southeastern Connecticut, earned broadcast awards.

SHU’s School of Communication, Media & the Arts (SCMA) resurrected the Easton Courier in early 2020, about 18 months after its former publisher closed the 38-year-old newspaper because of financial issues. Residents of Easton, a small town near the University’s campus, lamented the loss of their hometown news, including Jim Castonguay, associate dean of SHU’s College of Arts & Sciences and professor of communications studies. Under his guidance, and with permission from the former owners to adopt the paper’s original name, Easton had its Courier back as a free, online platform, filling the town’s news void with reporting and editing by journalism students, faculty and community contributors.

“Our students are outstanding journalists, and to have so many of them recognized by a panel of professional judges is truly a testament to their talent and dedication,” said Castonguay.

A group endeavor

Five undergraduates and two graduate students, along with several SCMA faculty members, earned awards for their work in the Easton Courier. The undergraduate students wrote articles for the online news site as part of a class with Ann Marie Somma, an adjunct professor of communication studies. Rick Falco, coordinator of multimedia journalism in the
masters in journalism and media production program, oversaw all media production and photography for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Molly Bruton ’25, who won a second-place award for her diversity coverage, said she owes a great deal to her time at SHU. “Winning this award has enabled me to recognize how amazing the University’s journalism program truly is, and how lucky I am to be surrounded with such great mentors. My goal is to change lives through journalism, and winning this award was the first step. I am forever grateful and will continue to be a voice for the SHU campus,” she said.

Robert Finizio ’23, a recent graduate whose sports article earned him a third-place award, is grateful for the opportunity to be published. “Being able to work for the Courier allowed me to step out of my comfort zone as a journalist, especially when I got to write a piece on [Joel Barlow High School] star pitcher Matt Scott. I am honored to receive recognition for doing what I love—storytelling,” he said.

Sophie Camizzi ’22, MA ’23, who won several photojournalism awards, said she appreciates having the opportunity to capture meaningful images and share them. “I always aim to treat every story with honesty, respect and empathy in mind. I think when you prioritize things like that, the act of journalism in itself becomes the real prize,” she said.

Winning submissions

All of the WSHU wins were in the broadcast category:

Rima Dael, general manager at WSHU, was thrilled that the broadcast team members won awards. “We are so honored to be recognized for our reporters’ hard work, dedication and journalistic integrity,” she said.

All Easton Courier wins were in the hyperlocal category. News awards went to:

Photo awards went to:

This fall, SHU plans to integrate additional faculty and students into the community journalism project by publishing more student work from its multimedia, documentary and broadcast journalism courses.

Photo caption: Molly Bruton ’25, second-place award winner for her diversity coverage, is pictured in the SCMA news class in September 2022.