Hussman wins 8th straight collegiate journalism national championship
For the 15th time since 2002, the top prize in the Hearst Journalism Awards, the “Pulitzers of college journalism,” went to Carolina’s media and journalism school.
The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media has won the 2026 national championship in collegiate journalism.
The Hearst Journalism Awards Program, often referred to as the “Pulitzers of college journalism,” announced Hussman as the overall intercollegiate champion — the school’s eighth consecutive, 11th in 12 years and 15th since 2002.
“An eighth consecutive national championship is an extraordinary reflection of the ambition, creativity and persistence our students bring to their work throughout the year,” said Dean Raul Reis. “This achievement belongs to every student who competed across disciplines, and to the faculty and staff whose mentorship, teaching and behind-the-scenes support make that work possible. We are also deeply grateful to the Hearst Foundation for its longstanding commitment to collegiate journalism and to the industry professionals who serve as judges, lending their time, expertise and high standards to the Hearst Awards. These competitions challenge our students to do their very best and help set the bar of excellence for the next generation of journalists.”
Hearst conducts yearlong competitions in various disciplines for journalism undergraduates. Points earned by students in monthly competitions determine the intercollegiate rankings in each category.
UNC Hussman placed second in the multimedia category; second in writing; third in audio, television and podcast; and ninth place in photojournalism.
Four UNC Hussman students are among the 29 finalists nationally who will travel to San Francisco for competitions in June to determine individual national honors.
Championship qualifiers
- Amelie Fawson ’27 – multimedia
- Nithya Indlamuri ’27 – multimedia
- Aayas Joshi ’26 – multimedia
- Maddie Policastro ’26 – audio
The school’s overall national championship was fueled by strong performances from Hussman students over the course of the academic year in four monthly writing competitions, two in photojournalism, two in audio, two in television broadcast news and four in multimedia.
Read more about the monthly winners and the national championship.
