The Reynolds School of Journalism is proud to announce that five of its students have earned awards in the 2022-2023 Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Often referred to as the “Pulitzer” of collegiate journalism, students Joffea Burgos, Kayla Crowley, Tara Fejfar, Nick Stewart, and Jaedyn Young placed among the top submissions in the Multimedia and Audio categories.
Tara Fejfar
Tara Fejfar’s motion graphics work ranked in the top 20 submissions in the Multimedia II category for Innovative Storytelling and Audience Engagement.
Work from winners in this category demonstrated original and innovative ways to tell stories, specifically through the use of emerging media such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and 360 video, as well as use of graphics, data visualization, animation, video, photos and social media.
“My work was about nightmares, which I always found interesting. It was fun making the animation and I learned a lot,” said Fejfar. “I'm glad that others also found my work to be interesting.”
Nick Stewart
Freshman Nick Stewart submitted three stories to the Hearst Awards, and placed 16th in the Audio category. His work included a story about mental health issues among high school students, the impact of inflation on local food banks, and a story about a group of local railroad workers who were protesting railroad policies.
Before starting at the Reynolds School, Stewart took part in the KUNR Youth Media program, a special partnership with the Washoe County School District and Report for America to train the next generation of journalists and to elevate the voices of teenagers in our region. Stewart is now a reporter for KUNR through an internship partnership which is made possible by the generous support of its community donors.
Joffea Burgos
Earning 13th place in the Hearst Multimedia I category, Burgos’s work explored the phenomenon of facial flush after consuming alcohol, often experienced by populations of Asian descent.
Burgos explains, “I am extremely thankful and honored to have even been nominated and considered for this award. A huge thank you to Professor Nico Colombant for having faith in my piece to submit it, and to Professor Kari Barber and Professor Kathleen Masterson for their guidance and help when creating this piece.”
Jaedyn Young
Jaedyn Young, a past arts & entertainment editor at the Nevada Sagebrush staffer and reporter for the Reynolds Media Lab, submitted an audio story which placed tenth in the Hearst Audio category. Young submitted audio stories in which she interviewed students on campus about greek life and the midterm elections, both of which were assignments for her Journalism 307 Multimedia Reporting class instructed by Reynolds School Senior Lecturer of Digital Media and Cross-Cultural Reporting, Nico Colombant.
“I’ve heard about the Hearst Awards since my freshman year at the university and now to be recognized as part of this group of award winners — especially in the top ten! — is so wonderful and I sincerely cannot find the words for it.” Young said. “When I received the call from Professor Colombant that I had won the award for tenth place in audio, I immediately was jumping for joy! The work made me feel my hard work was paying off and I will always continue to feel motivated to jump out there, try new things and keep seeking the truth as a journalist.”
Kayla Crowley
Reynolds School student Kayla Crowley placed 18th in the Hearst Multimedia II Category.
