KGOU recognized for outstanding work with Oklahoma SPJ awards

By Dick Pryor

Published September 23, 2025 at 4:18 PM CDT

KGOU and StateImpact Oklahoma first place winners of 2025 Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists awards. Logan Layden, Hannah France, Jillian Taylor, Rachel Hopkin, Deborah Shaar, Jim Johnson (l-r). Not pictured: Beth Wallis

This is the Manager’s Minute.

Results have been released in the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists annual awards, and we are pleased to announce that KGOU and StateImpact Oklahoma did very well. With 18 total awards and 8 for first place.

KGOU received ten awards, including five for first place: Outstanding Producer – Jim Johnson; Outstanding Feature – Rachel Hopkin; Outstanding Newscast – Deborah Shaar; Outstanding Interview – Logan Layden; and Outstanding Reporter – Hannah France.

StateImpact’s Jillian Taylor took four awards, including two firsts for Outstanding News Story and Outstanding Online Report. And Beth Wallis earned four awards, including first for Outstanding Audio Production.

Every radio award in the SPJ competition went to one of Oklahoma’s public radio stations.

With the Manager’s Minute, I’m Dick Pryor.