Roxy Ekberg, a third-year SJMC student and the executive editor of The Daily Iowan, was recently awarded the Mauck Stouffer Young Iowa Journalist Award from the Iowa Newspaper Association. 

Upon receiving this award and being recognized for her exceptional work, Ekberg was shocked. She said her boss Jason Brummond, publisher of the Daily Iowan, kept her accomplishment a secret to surprise her at the ceremony.

“I appreciate them not telling me, because it definitely made the moment so special,” Ekberg said. 

To qualify for this award, the nominee has to be under the age of 30, work for an Iowa newspaper, submit examples of their best work, and provide a short explanation about themselves. Ekberg, who writes approximately 100 articles for the DI every semester, said it was difficult to determine which few pieces were the strongest. 

“It was kind of hard for me to shuffle through and pick my favorites,” she said. “I landed on a bunch of work that I had done mainly my sophomore year.” 

Each of the five articles Ekberg submitted explored a different topic, including refugee resettlement and immigration in Iowa, the national economy, and abortion bans. She also submitted a feature about a man’s resilience in the face of a life-altering accident and a reflection of the Republican National Convention. 

In line with her future career aspirations to become a political reporter, Ekberg’s primary focus in journalism is reporting on national issues. 

“I would love to cover national politics,” she said. “That’s something I have a passion for: Localizing national issues as much as possible.” 

Along with striving to show the effect national politics have locally, Ekberg also prioritizes putting a face to her stories; that is, to show how individual people are affected by policies passed at the federal level. 

“One thing I prioritize in my writing—and I think this is shown in those examples—is putting a face to every story, finding out who is impacted by these policies, telling their stories, and humanizing politics as much as possible,” she said. 

To grow into and become recognized as a successful young journalist, Ekberg said one must put care, time and effort into every article they construct. In her case, the pieces she writes each contain a piece of her identity. 

“Journalism is something that is kind of embedded in my personality, I feel like,” she said. “I’ve always been curious. I’ve always been a little nerdy. I’ve always liked talking to people, and I’ve always asked too many questions. So, I think all of that kind of culminated and led me to being recognized.” 

Along with her own efforts, Ekberg acknowledged a handful of mentors who have provided her with strong guidance, including SJMC professor Ty Rushing. She also acknowledged SJMC alum Marissa Payne—who also received a Mauck Stouffer Award—as an influential figure. 

“Having people to look up to really helped me to kind of shape my vision of what type of journalist I want to become,” she said. 

Along with being guided by strong mentors, Ekberg said both her experience in SJMC and her work with the DI have helped her to grow into the young journalist she is today. 

“Having the practical experience of the DI combined with the classroom conversations that we’re having in SJMC, I think those two pair perfectly and allow me to explore all of the versions of journalism instead of just one,” she said. 

Finally, after expressing her gratitude for this recognition, Ekberg recited a piece of advice she was told by a former colleague; that of which she thinks will be helpful to younger SJMC students. 

“He told me, ‘There’s no story in the newsroom.Get out of your chair. Get off your phone. Get out of the newsroom. Go find somebody to talk to. Go find a story. Embed yourself in the community that you’re trying to report on.”