The SPJ Georgia Student Affairs Committee has awarded five journalism students across the state with the Student Book Award.

The Student Book Award, launched earlier this year, seeks to supply Georgia journalism students with a bestselling book written by national investigative journalists. The award was established in order to provide resources and inspiration to aspiring journalists entering a turbulent field. 

The 2020 winners:

Kelly Mayes, University of Georgia

Christopher Bryant, Georgia State University

Zion Martin, Agnes Scott College

Jordan Bogle, Oglethorpe University

Scott Guthrie, University of Georgia

“Faced with today’s difficulties, it seems prudent to turn to the wisdom of the past to see how other journalists confronted obstacles and exposed injustice throughout the world. The books available through this award, touch on many of the issues I’m interested in fighting such as sexism in ‘She Said,'” said Kelly Mayes (pictured). “Seeking truth and reporting it gives journalists the role of watch-dogs and helps sustain democracy and justice in the world.”

The Student Affairs Committee selected five titles that display incredible acts of journalism and ethical challenges that journalists face in pursuit of the truth. Each student received one of the following:

The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina
Trailblazer by Dorothy Butler Gilliam
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
Charged by Emily Bazelon
She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey