The Reporter Selected Top Two-Year Student Newspaper By The FCSPA

For the 11th straight year, The Reporter has been selected as the top two-year student newspaper in the state by the Florida College System Publications Association.

The results were announced at the organization’s conference and awards banquet on April 1 in Tampa.

In addition to winning the general excellence award, the paper placed in 14 of 19 categories in the newspaper division and won 10 first-place awards. Entries for the competition were based on work produced during the 2020-21 school year. 

The paper’s individual first-place awards were for: In-Depth Reporting, News Story, Sports Writing, Humor Column, Feature Photo, Editorial Cartoon, Illustration, General Column, Website and Headlines. 

“It’s an honor to receive these awards,” said Adriana Dos Santos, who served as the paper’s editor-in-chief when the submissions were made and is now a student at the University of Florida. “We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without the help of our staff.” 

One of those staff members is illustrator Camila Ramirez, a sophomore at the Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, who won an inner circle award for placing in the top three in three different categories. She won first-place in the editorial cartoon and illustration categories and second place for comic strip.

The Reporter, which printed its first issue ever on October 4, 2010, covers all eight Miami Dade College campuses. It prints on a monthly schedule, has a circulation of 10,250 per print cycle and is augmented by a bi-weekly newsletter, a website and its social media accounts.  

It has won 163 awards from the FCSPA in the past 11 years including 98 first-place honors. 

“There’s a lot of work, sweat and tears that goes on behind every story,” said Ammy Sanchez, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief. “Seeing our efforts recognized is amazing.”

Two MDC magazines placed in the top three in Division A. Café Cultura, the literary arts magazine at Hialeah Campus, finished in second place. They won three individual first-place honors including for editing, two-page spread, artwork individual and poetry.

Urbana, the literary arts magazine at the Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, placed third. They won first-place honors in artworks magazine and contents page categories. 

Miambiance, the literary arts magazine at Kendall Campus, placed third in Division B. They won first-place in the two-page spread and photo individual categories.    

For a full listing of the winners, click on this link.