SPJ Honors Deadline Reports by Germany Kent

HALF MOON BAY, CA - Germany Kent has won a prestigious Sigma Delta Chi national journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for her coverage of the deadly mass shooting last fall at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks.

Kent, a former northern California resident who works as a freelance journalist in Los Angeles, won for Deadline Reporting Independent. The win marks the first time an African-American woman has been awarded in this category for Online Reporting.

Kent's winning entry, "Tragedy in Thousand Oaks" represents the scope and scale of the trauma associated with the aftermath of the tragedy when a former Marine opened fire in the crowded bar, killing twelve people, including numerous college students and a Ventura County Sheriff's Sergeant. The award-winning work that was filmed, edited, produced and published by Kent includes on-scene reporting with exclusive interviews; accuracy in reporting; and detailed coverage with special news footage.

The multimedia journalist who is also a content creator and radio/TV/film producer was recognized in our nation's capital at the annual SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Awards banquet held at the National Press Club. The banquet, which was hosted by NBC News White House Correspondent Hallie Jackson, was attended by some of the most elite news organizations from around the country.

Other honorees this year include The Associated Press, Mercury News/East Bay Times, California Energy Markets, The Wall Street Journal, PRI's The World, Univision News, NBC Nightly News, PBS NewsHour, Chronicle of Higher Education, CBS News, Fortune, The Washington Post, Nieman Reports, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and Reuters.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards recognize resourceful and complete coverage of a major breaking news event, emphasizing both deadline reporting and continuing coverage as the story develops over succeeding days. The awards are open to any US news or international news outlet. The society says prominent veteran journalists served as judges and selected 77 honorees from nearly 1,200 submissions.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards date back to 1932, when the Society first honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the organization awarded the first Distinguished Service Awards. These awards later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards. The awards recognize the best in professional journalism in categories covering print, radio, television, newsletters, art/graphics, online and research.