WAER work by both staff and students won awards from the Syracuse Press Club Saturday night.
Highlighting the evening were awards given in professional categories to pieces by two students who worked at WAER. Jordan Leonard won Best Sports Story for his Playing for Something Bigger. Charles Sirey was honored in the Best News Feature category for his story How museums can misrepresent people and cultures. Sirey's story was also part of the Newhouse School's Infodemic project on misinformation.
Leonard and Sirey were both students at the Newhouse School of Public Communications and worked with WAER on content that aired in 2023.
WAER News Producer Scott Willis won for Best Spot News story for Police have leads in drive-by shooting of 11-year-old honor student. Additionally, in the Spot News category, WAER Professional in Residence Natasha Senjanovic took second place for Syracuse Diocese to give sex abuse survivors $100 million.
The Syracuse Press Club awards took place Saturday night honoring the best work of radio, television, print and online writing, photojournalism and other categories. At a time when journalism and the professionals who work in the field are under fire, club officials say the awards ceremony highlights the valuable work done to help the community.
