Detroit Chapter Website: www.spdjetroit.

org
Phone: 313-288-9546 Email: spjdetroit@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPJ Detroit Names Finalists for Journalist

of the Year Honors

DETROIT The Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists today announced
finalists for its Journalist of the Year honors to be awarded at the groups annual banquet Wednesday,
April 19, at the San Marino Club on Big Beaver Road in Troy.

The Journalist of the Year finalists are Stephen Carmody, Michigan Radio, and Karen
Bouffard/Joel Kurth, The Detroit News. Young Journalist of the Year finalists are Katrease Stafford,
Detroit Free Press and Kate Wells, Michigan Radio.

Our annual Excellence in Journalism banquet is a celebration of the greatest work produced last
year by Detroit area journalists and news organizations, said Michael Wayland, chapter president and a
reporter for Automotive News. This years finalists for Journalist of the Year and Young Journalist of the
Year are among the best the region has to offer.

All finalists were selected by a jury of veteran journalists and educators from several news media
outlets outside of Metro Detroit.

Longtime journalists Carmen Harlan and Jack Lessenberry also will be honored at the annual
banquet with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Lessenberry is area head of the journalism faculty at Wayne State University, serves as Michigan
Radios senior political analyst, does on-air interviews, daily commentary on three NPR affiliates, and
hosts the weekly television show Deadline Now on Ohios WGTE-TV.

Harlan, a native Detroiter, got her start in local radio before becoming one of the most
recognizable faces in Detroit as a reporter and anchor for WDIV-TV. She started her career with the
television station as a general assignment reporter in 1978. She later was promoted to news anchor
alongside Mort Crim before beginning a 20-year co-anchor partnership with Devin Scillian.
 SPJ Detroit also will present hundreds of Excellence in Journalism awards at the banquet for the
best work of metro area journalists during 2016.

Prices for advance purchases of tickets for the dinner are $60 (non-SPJ members) and $50 (SPJ
members), through Friday, April 14. Student prices, in advance, are $35 and $20 for SPJ members. At
the door, ALL tickets are $70. The event raises funds for SPJ Detroits scholarship fund.

Newly signed members of SPJ and the Detroit chapter will get the discounted rate.

Additional details and tickets for the banquet are available at www.spjdetroit.org.
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Contacts:

Marcia Hart, 313-288-9546 or spjdetroit@gmail.com

Michael Wayland, 313-418-0887 or mwayland17@gmail.com