From left to right: WFIU/WTIU News team members Bente Bouthier, Clayton Baumgarth, Devan Ridgway, and Ethan Sandweiss.
WFIU, WTIU, and Indiana Public Broadcasting News (IPB News) earned 27 awards at the Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Best in Indiana Journalism Contest on May 2. The awards recognize the most outstanding work of the year in Indiana in print, broadcast, and online journalism.
The WFIU-WTIU News team won 23 awards, including five first-place awards for television coverage of children’s issues, television environmental reporting, radio election and campaign coverage, radio sports reporting, and best radio documentary/special for Archiving Airwaves: The Miley Collection. The team also earned nine second-place awards and nine third-place awards.
WTIU received one first-place award for its television series Journey Indiana. The program was honored with best features news videography for a story on Alexander Landerman, a modern-day Renaissance artisan whose talents span traditional print press, letterpress, and painting.
IPB News received one first-place award for radio continuing coverage, one second-place award for television election and campaign coverage, and one third-place award for television environmental reporting. IPB News is a collaboration of the state’s nine public media newsrooms and a shared statewide team, which includes journalists from the WFIU/WTIU newsroom.
The Indiana SPJ Chapter also awarded WFIU/WTIU News’s student reporter Isabella Vesperini a $1,000 Scott Uecker College Scholarship for the 2025-26 school year. Vesperini is majoring in journalism at the Indiana University Media School.
In addition to the SPJ awards, WTIU recently received 11 Central Great Lakes Emmy nominations. WTIU’s documentary Hoosier Spirits: Distilling in Indiana earned one nomination. Journey Indiana and another WTIU documentary, Major Taylor: Champion of the Race, received five nominations each. The winners will be announced on Saturday, June 21, during the 56th annual Central Great Lakes Emmy Awards gala in Indianapolis.
A complete list of SPJ awards and Emmy nominations is available below:
Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Best in Indiana Journalism Contest
BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
2nd Place
WFIU/WTIU News Staff
BUSINESS OR CONSUMER AFFAIRS REPORTING (OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET – TELEVISION)
3rd Place
As lodging fills up for the eclipse, tourists book some less-conventional options
Ethan Sandweiss and Devan Ridgway, WFIU/WTIU News
CONTINUING COVERAGE (OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET – TELEVISION)
2nd Place
Indiana’s Hoosiers celebrate a historic season
WTIU News
3rd Place
Anti-war protests break out on college campuses, including Indiana University
WTIU News
COVERAGE OF CHILDREN’S ISSUES (TELEVISION)
1st Place
“Better than we could have asked”: Couple shares baby box adoption story
Bente Bouthier, WFIU/WTIU News
COVERAGE OF GOVERNMENT OR POLITICS (OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET – TELEVISION)
2nd Place
At a ‘crossroads’: How the 2024 Election could impact Indiana’s public colleges
Aubrey Wright, WFIU/WTIU News
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REPORTING (OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET – TELEVISION)
2nd Place
A renaissance’: College students in prison qualify for Pell Grants, programs work toward approval
Aubrey Wright and Devan Ridgway, WFIU/WTIU News
3rd Place
Body cam, radio comms show police targeted student protest leaders
Ethan Sandweiss and WTIU News, WFIU/WTIU News
EDUCATION COVERAGE (OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET – TELEVISION)
3rd Place
School admin left to make sense of ‘Eyes on Education’ portal after its launch
Bente Bouthier, WFIU/WTIU News
ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN COVERAGE (ALL INDIANA TELEVISION STATIONS)
2nd Place
Indiana candidates for governor offer sharply different visions for future of state
Brandon Smith and Alan Mbathi, Indiana Public Broadcasting News
3rd Place
In Indiana’s reddest districts, rural Dems still put up a fight
Ethan Sandweiss, WFIU/WTIU News
ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING (OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET – TELEVISION)
1st Place
As solar developments continue, land leasers stand to lose the most
Clayton Baumgarth and Devan Ridgway, WFIU/WTIU News
2nd Place
House bill could weaken remaining protections for Indiana wetlands
Ethan Sandweiss and WTIU News, WFIU/WTIU News
3rd Place
Indiana aims to make the outdoors more accessible for people with disabilities
Rebecca Thiele and Alan Mbathi, Indiana Public Broadcasting News
FEATURES NEWS VIDEOGRAPHY (ALL INDIANA TELEVISION STATIONS)
1st Place
Journey Indiana – “Pressing Matters”
Saddam Abbas Al-Zubaidi, WTIU
SPORTS REPORTING (OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET – TELEVISION)
3rd Place
‘Coach Cig’ merchandise celebrates head coach turning IU football around
Elyse Perry and Devan Ridgway, WFIU/WTIU News
RADIO BEST NEWSCAST
2nd Place
Sara Wittmeyer, WFIU/WTIU News
RADIO BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE
3rd Place
Live coverage: Anti-War protests on IU’s Bloomington campus
WFIU/WTIU News
RADIO CONTINUING COVERAGE
1st Place
Policymakers call for FSSA to pause proposed Medicaid cuts after budget shortfall
Families ‘welcome and beg’ for discussion with governor on attendant care issue
Family caregivers: FSSA has thrown another ‘11th hour curveball’ in Medicaid program transition
Medicaid officials outline forecasting changes, update lawmakers on waitlist progress
FSSA says it may not have Medicaid waiver slots for everyone on waitlists, shares more on dashboard
Abigail Ruhman, Indiana Public Broadcasting News
2nd Place
Anti-war protests break out on college campuses, including Indiana University
WFIU News
RADIO DOCUMENTARY OR SPECIAL
1st Place
Archiving the Airwaves: The Miley Collection
Sara Wittmeyer and George Hale, WFIU/WTIU News
RADIO ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN
1st Place
In Indiana’s reddest districts, rural Dems still put up a fight
Ethan Sandweiss, WFIU/WTIU News
2nd Place
Why rural voters continue to bet on Donald Trump
Clayton Baumgarth, WFIU/WTIU News
RADIO IN-DEPTH REPORTING
3rd Place
Indiana University abruptly canceled a Palestinian artist’s exhibit. It’s now sold out
Aubrey Wright, WFIU/WTIU News
RADIO PUBLIC AFFAIRS
2nd Place
Noon Edition: The solar eclipse is almost here
Bob Zaltsberg and WFIU News, WFIU/WTIU News
RADIO SPORTS REPORTING
1st Place
Hoosier football fan facing battle of his own on game day
Joe Hren, WFIU/WTIU News
3rd Place
‘More than just biking’: Women’s Little 500 could see new record, brings riders together
Aubrey Wright, WFIU/WTIU News
Central Great Lakes Emmy Nominations
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
Journey Indiana – A Chromatic Collaboration
John Timm, Producer
Journey Indiana – “Pressing Matters”
Saddam Abbas Al-Zubaidi, Producer
DIRECTOR – POST PRODUCED
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race
Todd Gould, Writer
DOCUMENTARY – TOPICAL
Hoosier Spirits: Distilling in Indiana
Tyler Lake, Producer
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race
Kevin Evans, Engineer
EDITOR – LONG FORM CONTENT
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race
Jason Pear, Editor
MUSICAL COMPOSITION/ARRANGEMENT
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race
Tyron Cooper, Composer
SOLO STORYTELLER – CONTENT
Journey Indiana – “Pressing Matters”
Saddam Abbas Al-Zubaidi, Videographer
Journey Indiana – A Chromatic Collaboration
John Timm, Videographer
SPORTS STORY – SHORT FORM / LONG FORM
Journey Indiana – How Mary Theisen-Lappen Became America's Strongest Woman
Nick Deel, Producer
John Timm, Editor
WRITER – SHORT FORM/LONG FORM
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race
Todd Gould, Writer