Caplin News has won many national and regional prizes including the prestigious Hearst Award for breaking news and the EPPY, given by Editor and Publisher magazine, for best community/niche website.
2023
Hearst Journalism Awards
Steban Rondon
Personality/Profile Competition – 4th Place
A Colombian cocaine mule escapes from jail and cartel killing
Corina Vera
Multimedia Digital News/Enterprise Competition – 7th Place
Anorexia: Through the eyes of…
Florida Society of News Editors
Taylor Gutierrez
Audio story – 1st Place
The Secret Life of Scientists
Johny Agudelo and Kamille Bascus
Multimedia story – 1st Place
Decades after Miami riots, many still die at the hands of police
Adelia Hernandez
Multimedia story – 2nd Place:
A Homestead migrant worker’s journey
Ivan Espinoza and Tynisa Senior
Investigative reporting – 2nd Place
Guilty until proven innocent: The wrongful conviction of Thomas Raynard James, parts 1 and 2
2022
Florida Society of Newspaper Editors Contest
Helen Acevedo, Alejandra Garcia El Coro and Zitlali Solache
Breaking news – 1st place
Relatives of Surfside victims anxiously await news of loved ones at reunification center, Biden offers solace to families of Surfside victims, A vigil is held for Surfside victims as rescue and investigation continue
Valentina Palm
Investigative reporting – 1st place
Miami Beach’s Dirty Little Secret.
Shantel Sanchez
Sports reporting – 1st place
Freedom Park: What do neighbors think?
Adriana Rizik
Audio – 1st place
The world is fighting an invisible war through the Internet: Interview with Khrystyna M.
Lidia Delgado for first place in
Commentary – 1st place
Is FIU’s P3 App Effective?
Luciana Naretti
Multimedia reporting – 2nd place
Does the incoming flood of college students affect COVID-19 cases on campus?
Zitlali Solache and Julio Mendez
Video storytelling – 2nd place
A son grieves the loss of his elderly parents in the Surfside collapse.
Juan Alvarado
Sports (Spanish language) – 3rd place
El Matadero: El Drama de las eliminatorias sudamericanas
Aaliyah Pasols
Feature writing – 3rd place
Roller skating during the pandemic.
The Green Eyeshade Awards
Valentina Palm
Best News Reporter in the South – 1st Place
Miami Beach’s Dirty Little Secret
Liam Rooney
Best Sports Writer in the South – 3rd Place
Collected work
Sunshine State Awards
Valentina Palm
Best student work in Spanish – 1st Place
El Secreto sucio de Miami Beach
Valentina Palm
Best News Story – 3rd Place
Miami Beach’s Dirty Little Secret
Gabriella Genao
Best Profile – 1st Place
El Caballero de Santiago
Aaliyah Pasols
Best Light Feature – 1st Place
She made Miami chongas famous. Now she’s the voice of Selena in the new Netflix series
Ursula Muñoz Schaefer, Dabney Richards & Vanessa Sanchez
Best Coverage of LGBT Issues – 1st Place
Transgender murders plague Puerto Rico (includes video story)
Elizabeth Garcia & Helen Acevedo
Best COVID-19 Coverage – 2nd Place
South Florida immigrants struggle to access COVID-19 vaccine
2021
Hearst Award
Valentina Palm
Investigative Reporting – 3rd place ($1500 scholarship)
“Miami Beach’s Dirty Little Secret: The Park View Island Canal“
Green Eyeshade Award
Best News Reporter
Bianca Marcof – 1st Place
Alejandra Marquez Janze – 2nd Place
Valeria Venturini – 3rd Place
Gabriel Urrutia
Best Sports Writer – 3rd Place
Yasser Marte
Best Photographer – 1st Place
Sunshine State Awards
Mejor trabajo estudiantil (todo tipo de medios)
“Arrendadores de botes aprovechan el Covid-19 y logran evadir las regulaciones”
Second place: Fabian Osorio & Alejandro Trujillo
Yasser Marte
“Photos of Miami protest are engrossing and frightening”
Best Sports Story
Gabriel Urrutia
“South Florida produces more top football talent than anywhere else”
Best Video – Third Place
Edmarys Menendez, Betsabe Romero & Jesus Dobbins
“Artists Layon, Rebuil, Wilber Mateu and Leah Dibut create new music despite the pandemic”
Best Multimedia Feature – First Place
Alejandra Marquez Janse & Kaylee Padron
Best Coverage of LGBT Issues – Third Place
Best Coverage of Race & Underrepresented Communities
– Second place
Maria Lago, Helen Acevedo, Jordon Coll, & Yasser Marte
Eppy Award (Editor & Publisher)
Best College Produced Community or Niche Website – Winner
Caplin News Staff
Best Video on a College Website – Finalist
Haley Richards, Paul Martinez and Brianny Viso
“Mother and Son Offer Autism Training to First Responders”
2020 Academic Year
Hearst Award
Breaking News – Finalist
Kaylee Padron
“Trouble at Miami New Times as staff writers leave, culture editor is laid off and salaries cut”
Mark of Excellence (SPJ National)
Caplin News Staff
Best independent online student publication – region 3 finalist
Valeria Venturini
Non-fiction magazine article – region 3 winner
Hundreds of Venezuelans stranded in the United States
Campus Coronavirus Coverage (SPJ National)
Best Coverage – Winner
Caplin News Staff
“Pandemic Profiles”
Best Design – Winner
Imogen Francis
“Florida COVID Stats”
Sunshine State Awards
Best Website – First Place
South Florida News Service staff
Best Coverage of LGBT Issues – Third Place
Mariandrea Vergel Prieto
“Struggles of transgender women transcend borders
Mejor Trabajo Estudiantil (todo tipo de medios)
1st Place: Laura Isabel Perez
“Jóvenes boricuas buscan en Miami el hogar que el huracán María les quitó”
2nd Place: Juan David Endara
“Ante la adversidad, la resiliencia: Historias de vidas colombianas que superan la adversidad”
3rd Place: Grethel Delgado
“Coconut Grove Playhouse: 13 años de silencio”
Florida Society of News Editors
Multimedia – Second Place
Yasser Marte, Kai’Chien Chisholm
“Stephen Ross, Tank for Tua, and the current state of the Miami Dolphins”
Photography – First Place
Yasser Marte
2019
Florida Society of News Editors
Gabriel Poblete, Maria Gil, Jesse Scheckner
Breaking news reporting – 1st place
FIU bridge near MMC campus collapses, killing and injuring several, just five days after being built
Adrian Nones-Newman
Enterprise Writing – 2nd Place
Millennials buying guns in wake of school shootings
Sebastian Ballestas
Photography – 2nd Place
Miami Broward Carnival
Green Eyeshade Award
Sebastian Ballestas
Best student photographer – 3rd Place
Sunshine State Awards
South Florida News Service staff
Best Website – 2nd Place
Jesse Scheckner, Maria Gil & Gabriel Poblete
Best News Story – 1st Place
FIU bridge near MMC campus collapses, killing and injuring several, just five days after being built
Jesse Scheckner, Maria Gil & Gabriel Poblete
Best Disaster Reporting – 2nd Place
FIU bridge collapse coverage
Mark of Excellence Awards
Kai’Chien Chisholm
Podcast – region 3 finalist
Stephen Ross, Tank for Tua, and the current state of the Miami Dolphins
Jay Valle, Monica Lebro and Andrea Igliozzi
Video Storytelling – 2nd Place
South Florida Access Goes from Hollywood Hard Rock to the Lighthouse of Broward
Kai’Chien Chisholm
Region 3 finalist
Sports column writing
2018
Jesse Scheckner
Hearst Award – 1st place
“FIU bridge near MMC campus collapses, killing and injuring several, just five days after being built”