Germany Kent Wins National Award of Excellence for Journalism

1. Germany Kent Wins National Award of Excellence for Journalism American journalist Germany Kent has made history becoming the first African- American woman to win the Sigma Delta Chi Award “for excellence in professional journalism” from the Society of Professional Journalists for Independent Online Deadline Reporting. Kent was one of 77 journalists chosen this year for the prestigious award. The multimedia producer was honored at the annual SPJ banquet, at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The banquet, hosted by NBC News chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson, brought together an elite group of media professionals from across the country. The Society says U.S. outlets and international news organizations submitted more than 1,300 stories for consideration this year. The highly competitive award is widely considered to be one of the most coveted awards given to journalists. In the wake of the tragic mass murder that occurred at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks last November, Kent spotlights violence, crime, and trauma. The award-winning work features exclusive interviews and exclusive footage with survivors, law enforcement, palpable concern for the victims, and detailed on the scene reporting. The body of work was filmed, edited, produced and published by Kent. The Los Angeles Times walked away with top honors in Online Deadline Reporting, the same category as Kent. The Times won as the affiliated network for their report "Gunfire and Flames in California," which also featured coverage from the Thousand Oaks mass shooting. Compilations about the Borderline mass shooting were among the top stories of 2018, recognized by SPJ this year. Other honorees this year for the national awardinclude Newsy, The New York Times, NPR, PRI's The World, PBS NewsHour, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Chronicle of Higher Education, Nieman Reports, Univision News, Fortune, The Associated Press, and Reuters. No stranger to the national spotlight, Kent has received numerous national and international awards for her work, and philanthropy.

2. Kent began her work in journalism in high school as the editor of her high school newspaper and as a morning announcer. It was through these experiences that Kent decided that she wanted to become a journalist. She has found much success in the industry.Over the years, Kent has worked in production, new media, in Hollywood as a red carpet correspondent and in various newsrooms. Additionally, Kent is an award-winning national bestselling author. She is also an industry-recognized writer and has achieved acclaim for her written workas a syndicated print journalist. For More Information Visit at https://www.spj.org/sdxa18.asp