Several OutSFL writers won awards Aug. 17 during the annual Sunshine State Awards ceremony – this year taking place in Hollywood.
The annual contest honors the best journalism in Florida from the prior year. Publisher of OutSFL Jason Parsley was named as a finalist in the General Commentary & Criticism category.
Mary Rasura, editor of OutFAU, won several awards in the college division, including the award for General News Story.
“This entry is a strong example of enterprise reporting on a topic near and dear to any college student who uses a car on campus -- parking fines,” the judges wrote. “While the number for the writer's campus initially sounds high, the report is balanced out with examples of revenue from parking tickets at other colleges, along with comments providing vivid explanations of why parking regulation is necessary.”
Rasura was also named as a finalist for College Journalist of the Year and Sports Story, for her work at the University Press — a student newspaper at Florida Atlantic University.
Carter Mudgett, who has written one story for OutSFL, was named College Journalist of the Year for his work at the University of North Florida.
“Doing this work is more than awards. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the recognition, but these stories are special regardless of who tells them, not because I told them,” Mudgett said. “There’s a particular joy in being able to help elevate even just one person’s story to a broader audience, and give voice to something that maybe has been ignored, purposely or not.”
He also won the award for Coverage of LGBTQ Issues for his story River City Lifts The Rainbow Flag Amid Florida’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislative Crackdown.
“This story has a relevant angle on the impact to the community served by the news source,” the judges wrote. “The visual elements enhance the text of the story.”
The annual awards contest is presented by the Florida Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
“Congrats to all of the winners and finalists,” said Parsley. “Mary continues her winning streak, while Carter recently graduated and just started his professional journalism career. We’re excited to see where he goes.”
