Student Journalists Capture Top SPJ Awards

Two journalism majors with Cincinnati roots and writing in their futures were named two of the state's four best student journalists at the annual Ohio Society of Professional Journalists awards ceremony.

Junior Arielle Goldberg and senior Rasputin Todd received plaques marking the awards in late October. They're both happy, they agree, to have chosen UC for their college careers.

"The journalism program has grown tremendously. Most of the professors I've had have professional journalism experience, and know what they need to teach us to survive in the 'real world,'" said Anderson Township native Goldberg, who hopes to go into some kind of editing position post-graduation – ideally, magazine editing.

"The internship opportunities have become much more varied as well, and can be tailored to the student's individual job ambitions. Since an entry-level job in editing is rare, though, I'd also love to do feature writing or photojournalism."

Todd, too, feels prepared for a career in editing.

"My internship at The News Record taught me more than I could ever imagine," he said. "Working at The News Record really close to deadline is one of the most exciting moments in my journalism career."

A Roger Bacon High School graduate, Todd said "it just seemed natural to walk up Clifton hill to UC when it came time to go to college. I actually started out in mechanical engineering but found my home in journalism …I want to work at any publication where I can be a part of a team."

The two are great examples of how hardworking, talented young journalists find ways to make their mark on our community, said Elissa Sonnenberg, assistant professor and assistant director of the journalism program. Both students also received scholarship awards from the Cincinnati SPJ chapter this fall.

"We're so proud of our students and the hard work they do every quarter. To have Arielle and Rasputin recognized for their excellence by journalists throughout the state is a real honor and a real boost for our program," she said.

"They are well on their way to successful careers doing the work they love. What could be cooler than that?"