NAHJ celebrates 2024 chapter awards

WASHINGTON, DC, August 7, 2024 – Inside the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, annual chapter awards are among the most coveted. This year, NAHJ Mizzou won Student Chapter of the Year, NAHJ New England won the Midsize Professional Award of Excellence, and NAHJ Los Angeles took home the Pro Chapter Cup.

The awards were bestowed last month at NAHJ 40th Anniversary Conference and Expo in Hollywood, CA. At the time, we only published news of the more public-facing awards such as the ? Awards for journalism excellence and the new Hall of Fame inductees. We’re remedying that as share our full conference recap.

Chapter awards honor exceptional dedication, leadership, and contributions to the field of journalism by NAHJ chapters across the country.

Student Chapter of the Year: University of Missouri (NAHJ Mizzou)

The NAHJ Student Chapter at the University of Missouri was recognized as the 2024 Student Chapter of the Year for its outstanding commitment to fostering the growth of aspiring journalists. In just three years, NAHJ Mizzou has transformed from a small round-table of interested students into a journalistic force, creating De Veras, a Spanish news gathering site aimed at local Hispanic communities. NAHJ Mizzou also joined with other identity-based journalism organizations to take a stand when the University of Missouri suspended DEI scholarships, which had enabled many NAHJ Mizzou members to attend the school.?

Midsize Professional Award of Excellence: NAHJ New England Chapter

In the past year, the NAHJ New England Chapter raised close to $10,000. They sent six emerging scholars to the 2023 Miami conference, all expenses paid, to help them jump-start their careers, and they have teamed up with the Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, and National AJA, NABJ and NLGJA – The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists – to hold a career summit. With other initiatives such as launching the first-ever New England Journalism Prize, it’s no surprise that their membership has grown 23% since 2023 and has more than doubled since 2021.

Pro Chapter Cup Award: NAHJ Los Angeles Chapter

The NAHJ Los Angeles Chapter has been awarded the 2024 Chapter of the Year for its exceptional contributions to the field of journalism and its unwavering support of Hispanic journalists. NAHJ LA has met every criteria for chapter excellence, raising money for scholarships and adding 27 new members. This chapter has played a vital role in advocating for diversity in media, providing professional development opportunities, and fostering a strong sense of community among its members. Beyond that, they have repeatedly taken a stand on press freedom and laid the groundwork for NAHJ’s 40th Anniversary Celebration during the annual conference. As a result, NAHJ LA will own the “Pro Chapter Cup” for a year.

NAHJ is proud to honor the achievements of our members and the work that is being done to advance our mission of #MoreLatinosInNews. We look forwarding to continuing to celebrate these accomplishments during next year’s #NAHJ2025 conference, which is tentatively set for July 8-12, 2025, at the Hilton Chicago.