The James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership was the presenting partner for this year’s Atlanta Press Club Awards of Excellence.
The awards ceremony, which attracted an audience of more than 200 media professionals, was held April 12 at the Commerce Club in downtown Atlanta.
The Cox Institute serves as an industry outreach and student experiential learning arm of the journalism department at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Herndon said the Cox Institute’s involvement in the awards program grew from the notion that the great work recognized by the awards will inspire Grady students.
“It is important to recognize the great work of journalists working in our region,” Herndon said. “We want our students to see these awards to understand what’s possible across many varied forms of storytelling.”
The Awards of Excellence were judged independently this year by members of the National Press Club, the Alaska Press Club and International Reporters and Editors. The Cox Institute’s second News Innovation Award, which was judged by the Google News Lab was also presented at this year’s awards. The Cox Institute is an affiliate of the Google News Lab University Network.
The winner of this year’s News Innovation Award was WXIA’s Atticus team, which included Jeremy Campbell, Erin Gutierrez, Matt Livingston, Lauren Rudeseal and Blis Savidge. Their work included several investigative series on issues such as child sex trafficking, “Selling Girls,” drug addiction in Atlanta’s suburbs, “The Triangle” and others.
For a complete list of winners from this years’ awards competition, please visit the Atlanta Press Club’s website here.
