Poritzky ’25 wins regional broadcast award, heads to nationals

Elijah Poritzky ’25 is accustomed to wins on the tennis court as a member of the Furman University men’s tennis team. So, when he won a regional “mark of excellence” award from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for his story, “Sustainability Race,” he was stunned.

Elijah Poritzky ’25.

“I’m super excited to get an award like this, one that’s not athletics related. It really means so much to know that my work is being seen by a lot of other schools and people,” Poritzky said.

Prompted by The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, Poritzky, a communication studies major who’s minoring in visual strategy and film studies, produced the video in a broadcast communication class led by Mary Sturgill, media specialist and instructor. The video first aired on Furman’s “Knightly News” in April 2023.

In “Sustainability Race,” the winning entry for the science/environment/climate reporting category, Poritzky crafted a timed test of four modes of transportation from Furman’s North Village apartments to Joseph Vaughn Plaza and the James B. Duke Library to determine the most efficient and sustainable method: traveling on foot, or by car, trolley or bike. The video also features a primer on carbon emissions by Furman’s Brannon Andersen, the Rose J. Forgione Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences.

Sturgill said Poritzky’s ability to produce content in an accessible way was likely a factor in the win. “To make difficult information easy to digest is an art and a skill, and Elijah does it well in this piece,” she said.

Poritzky credits Sturgill for helping him build the skills, he said, adding that the sustainability theme pushed him out of his comfort zone. “I like to make stuff related to sports, documentaries on people, but I think I did a decent job, and I was really happy with the results,” he said.

According to Sturgill, he’ll compete at the national level with other first-place winners from 12 SPJ regions. Results are expected this summer.

Two others from Furman were finalists in the region: Kelsi Mauzy ’27 for her narrative podcast “From Athlete to Ironman” and Lindsay Capps ’25 for “How Women Protect Themselves” and other campus stories in the campus reporting category.

Poritzky is building on Furman success. In 2022, Marissa Schabes ’24 and Jada Walker ’24 won regional SPJ awards. Schabes won for her podcast “The Extras” and advanced to finalist at nationals. Walker was awarded for her story, “Mold in North Village.” The same year, Abigail Newcomb ’24 was a finalist in the regional competition for her story, “Sydney Beraho.”

“This recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists is important because it’s judged by industry leaders,” Sturgill said. “So, to win or be a finalist in our region is a tremendous accomplishment.”

Mac McArthur, chair and professor of communication studies, said, “Elijah brings his personality and focus to the craft of multimedia storytelling, and he represents the well-rounded expertise that Furman’s liberal arts curriculum builds through a major in communication studies. Elijah excels in the classroom, behind the camera, on the court and in his community.”