The Daily Gamecock staff took home 25 South Carolina Press Association (SCPA) Collegiate awards including the Collegiate Journalist of the Year award going to editor-in-chief Tori Richman.
Across South Carolina, SCPA awards publications at the high school, collegiate and professional levels each year.
Tori Richman, editor-in-chief and fourth-year visual communications student, was the Collegiate Journalist of the Year for schools with a student population larger than 5,000. Richman is the first photojournalist to have won Journalist of the Year. She also received second place in sports photography and second place for her photo story with third-year media arts student Zachary McKinley on Saturday.
Erin Slowey, a second-year business economics and finance student, received the most individual awards with her page one design, infographic, designed with third-year visual communications student Taylor Sharkey and specialty page design, designed with fourth-year visual communications student Jayson Jeffers.
In addition to the individual awards, the staff received first place for Student Government beat coverage in 2018. This covered the second half of former Student Body President Ross Lordo’s term, former Student Body President Taylor Wright’s election and the first half of his term.
The staff’s editorial board received first place in a tie with Clemson University for The Daily Gamecock’s column leading up to the Carolina-Clemson football game. Clemson’s student newspaper, The Tiger, wrote a reply to the column online. Together, the columns took first place in the editorial writing category.
The full staff was commended for its use of social media and the website, both of which received first place awards.
See the full list of awards below:
First Place awards:
General Excellence: Staff; Website: Staff; Use of Social Media: Staff; News Story: Larissa Johnson; (Tie) Editorial Writing: Staff; Student Government Beat Coverage: Staff; Special Section or Edition: Staff; Page One Design: Erin Slowey; Specialty Page Design: Erin Slowey and Jayson Jeffers; Photograph: Zachary McKinley; Sports Photograph: Sara Yang; Infographic: Taylor Sharkey and Erin Slowey; Advertisement: Calista Berner.
Second Place awards:
Arts and Entertainment Story: Mattie Hibbs; Specialty Page Design: Taylor Sharkey; Sports Photograph: Tori Richman; Photo Story: Zachary McKinley and Tori Richman; Infographic: Ellie Larson; Cartoon or Illustration: Maggie Neal; Advertisement: Meagen Sigmon.
Third Place awards:
Column Writing: Iggy Shuler; Photograph: Shreyas Saboo; Infographic: Lauren Gibeaut