Awards

The South Florida Media Network has won many national and regional prizes including the prestigious Hearst Award for breaking news and the EPPY, given by Editor and Publisher magazine, for best community/niche website.

2021-2022 Academic Year

Florida Society of Newspaper Editors Contest

Helen Acevedo, Alejandra Garcia El Coro and Zitlali Solache Breaking news - 1st place Relatives of Surfside victims anxiously await news of loved ones at reunification center, Biden offers solace to families of Surfside victims, A vigil is held for Surfside victims as rescue and investigation continue

Valentina Palm Investigative reporting - 1st place Miami Beach’s Dirty Little Secret.

Shantel Sanchez Sports reporting - 1st place Freedom Park: What do neighbors think?

Adriana Rizik Audio - 1st place The world is fighting an invisible war through the Internet: Interview with Khrystyna M.

Lidia Delgado for first place in Commentary - 1st place Is FIU’s P3 App Effective?

Aaliyah Pasols Feature writing - 3rd place Roller skating during the pandemic.

Luciana Naretti Multimedia reporting - 2nd place Does the incoming flood of college students affect COVID-19 cases on campus?

Zitlali Solache and Julio Mendez Video storytelling - 2nd place A son grieves the loss of his elderly parents in the Surfside collapse.

2020-21 Academic Year

Hearst Award

Investigative Reporting – 3rd place ($1500 scholarship) Valentina Palm "Miami Beach's Dirty Little Secret: The Park View Island Canal"

Green Eyeshade Award

Best News Reporter 1st Place: Bianca Marcof 2nd Place: Alejandra Marquez Janze 3rd Place: Valeria Venturini Best Sports Writer – Third Place Gabriel Urrutia Best Photographer – First Place Yasser Marte

Sunshine State Awards 

Mejor trabajo estudiantil (todo tipo de medios) 

Eppy Award (Editor & Publisher)

Best College Produced Community or Niche Website – Winner South Florida Media Network Staff Best Video on a College Website – Finalist Haley Richards, Paul Martinez and Brianny Viso “Mother and Son Offer Autism Training to First Responders”

2019-20 Academic Year

Hearst Award

Breaking News – Finalist Kaylee Padron “Trouble at Miami New Times as staff writers leave, culture editor is laid off and salaries cut”

Mark of Excellence (SPJ National)

Online/digital feature videography – Region 3 winner; National runner-up Jay Valle, Monica Lebro and Andrea Igliozzi “South Florida Access Goes from Hollywood Hard Rock to the Lighthouse of Broward” 

Campus Coronavirus Coverage (SPJ National)

Best Coverage – Winner South Florida Media Network Staff “Pandemic Profiles”  Best Design – Winner Imogen Francis “Florida COVID Stats”

Sunshine State Awards

Best Website – First Place South Florida News Service staff Best Coverage of LGBT Issues – Third Place Mariandrea Vergel Prieto “Struggles of transgender women transcend borders”  Mejor Trabajo Estudiantil (todo tipo de medios) 1st Place:  Laura Isabel Perez “Jóvenes boricuas buscan en Miami el hogar que el huracán María les quitó” 2nd Place:  Juan David Endara “Ante la adversidad, la resiliencia: Historias de vidas colombianas que superan la adversidad” 3rd Place:  Grethel Delgado “Coconut Grove Playhouse: 13 años de silencio”

Florida Society of News Editors

Multimedia – Second Place Yasser Marte, Kai’Chien Chisholm “Stephen Ross, Tank for Tua, and the current state of the Miami Dolphins” Photography – First Place Yasser Marte Video Storytelling – Second Place Brandon Bravo, Jay Valle, Monica Lebro, Andrea Igliozzi “South Florida Access Goes from Hollywood Hard Rock to the Lighthouse of Broward”

2018-19 Academic Year

Florida Society of News Editors

Breaking News Reporting – First Place Gabriel Poblete, Maria Gil, Jesse Scheckner “FIU bridge near MMC campus collapses, killing and injuring several, just five days after being built” Enterprise Writing – Second Place Adrian Nones-Newman “Millennials buying guns in wake of school shootings” Photography – Second Place Sebastian Ballestas “Miami Broward Carnival”

Green Eyeshade Award

Best Student Photographer – Third Place Sebastian Ballestas

Sunshine State Awards

Best Website – Second Place South Florida News Service staff Best News Story – First Place Jesse Scheckner, Maria Gil & Gabriel Poblete “FIU bridge near MMC campus collapses, killing and injuring several, just five days after being built” Best Disaster Reporting – Second Place Jesse Scheckner, Maria Gil & Gabriel Poblete FIU bridge collapse coverage