The stories from this panel! Between Mesfin Fekadu (our new SFJ president btw), Jonathan Landrum Jr., and Malcolm Venable — we were all one degree away from nearly every celebrity you can think of. They shared how they build trust with PR teams & how they ask the tough questions. #sfj2025

All the planning and emails and calls are now officially a conference!! And it’s amazing! #sfj2025

It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to gather as features journalists and talk about reporting and writing with empathy and care 💗 Thank you for hosting, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at ASU! #SFJ2025 #phoenix

Come to hear from Pulitzer Prize winners Eli Saslow, Lane DeGregory & Mark Warren. Stay for the food & drinks. And suffer me waxing poetic about the power of sports journalism. 💪😜🏈

It's official! We have a conference program! Look at this rockstar lineup of speakers — from SFJ award to Pulitzer Prize winners. You will learn, make friends, and be fed. Join us at @arizonastateuni.bsky.social in November! #journalismsky www.featuresjournalism.org/blog/2025/9/...

We always try to plan SFJ conferences in vibrant cities so you can make it a mini-vacation or pitch a travel story. This November, Hyatt Place is offering to extend our hotel discount! See this from member and former SFJ president Ann Maloney for ideas: www.featuresjournalism.org/blog/2025/8/...

Being a journalist and stepping into personal narrative can feel a bit weird. Writing in first-person feels awkward and a bit ego-centric. But it's a wonderful way to tell a story! Personal narratives allow readers to connect with the writer. See this webinar replay for tips on how to do it well.

ICYMI: If you want to learn how to skillfully weave in-depth reporting with personal narrative, please watch the replay of our July 15 webinar with @mallarytenore.bsky.social! She has tips and more. Read the story to get link to video: www.featuresjournalism.org/blog/2025/7/... #journalism

Big news! The SFJ conference is back, for the first time since the pandemic! Early bird registration is just $175, and we are thrilled to host it at @arizonastateuni.bsky.social's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication! DETAILS: www.featuresjournalism.org/blog/2025/7/...

Boosting as a reminder!

🗓️ SAVE THE DATE! Our next free #webinar is July 15 with @mallarytenore.bsky.social, assistant professor at University of Texas at Austin and longtime journalist. Come learn about blending personal narrative and reporting for stories or books. #journalism www.featuresjournalism.org/blog/2025/6/...

If you want to read the best best best feature writing, read up on all the SFJ Award winners and check out their stories. I have 30 pages of printouts I'm going through right now to find things I want to read.

"if more people listened to this, they’d understand our current world much better" thank you to @wearesfj.bsky.social for naming The Harvard Plan #1 narrative podcast

Y’all I won a thing. @wearesfj.bsky.social is the organization that gave me my first national award in 2000. Their support means everything.

ACK!!!!! chicago.suntimes.com/music/2024/1...

Pretty tickled about this one.

Blast from my past, or: echoes down the well of time. 👹

If I’m going to come in second, at least it’s to my hometown paper! 🤠

Here's the story: Up all night: What to do in St. Louis in the wee small hours of the morning www.stltoday.com/life-enterta...

Here's the award-winning story: A huge hit song traces back 20 years to St. Louis. But rapper J-Kwon never left the scene. www.stltoday.com/life-enterta...

And Sultan's award-winner: A St. Louis troop’s breakup with Girl Scouts leads to national launch of Salam Scouts www.stltoday.com/life-enterta...

On the podium with Sally Jenkins & Steve Politi!? Thank you to the Society for Features Journalism for this tremendous honor & to @azcentral.com for the resources to produce some of the best sports journalism in America! 🧐🏆🎉 @sallyjenx.bsky.social @stevepoliti.bsky.social @wearesfj.bsky.social

So honored to be sharing this award with my colleagues Ken and Ira, whose journalism is exactly what we need more of today.

Ayyy the old man still got it 🏆

I’m honorable!

It's an honor to be among such talented company and supported by such a great newsroom.

A couple of other numbers to consider: One month of the Chron is priced at $19.96. WaPo is $17. The Food Section costs $9, and I’ll make it five bucks if you subscribe today. thefoodsection.memberful.com/checkout?cou...

Honored that our podcast #BadWatchdog, hosted by @marenmachles.bsky.social, took 3rd place in the Society for Features Journalism Awards! The can't-miss second season is a deep dive into DHS, reporting that couldn’t be more relevant. All episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts:

We are honored to share this honorable mention with ‬ @kffhealthnews.org and World Channel!

I am thrilled, honored and humbled to be listed alongside some of the best storytellers in the country. Thank you @wearesfj.bsky.social!

Thank you! So honored to have this work recognized. It was a joy to work with Laura, and an honor to tell Sandra's story.

I'm delighted The Harvard Plan won first prize for narrative podcast from the @wearesfj.bsky.social. The Harvard Plan was reported and hosted by @ilyamarritz.bsky.social and was a perfect partnership between @bostonglobe.com and @onthemedia.bsky.social.

What a honor, thank you @wearesfj.bsky.social!

Not to be ~earnest~ but I left a very prestigious job (at a place that does great work!) because I wanted to write these kinds of stories — to slip into new worlds, to add the shards of a disaster into meaning, to create opportunities for empathy Awards are not everything but this means a lot

BREAKING: NPR and three Colorado public radio stations are suing the Trump administration over the president's executive order seeking to ban the use of federal money for NPR and PBS.

Well, that’s a wrap on our 2025 SFJ Excellence-in-Features Awards! Thank you to all the incredible journo storytellers who entered, and to our dedicated judges. You inspire us. ✨ To all a fine byline, and to all a good write — until next year! ✍️

COMBINED DIVISIONS: SOCIAL MEDIA PORTFOLIO 🥇 1st Place: @thebaltimorebanner.com - Instagram 🥈 2nd Place: @nj.com - Instagram & TikTok 🥉 3rd Place: @chicago.suntimes.com - Youtube Channel, X, & Instagram

COMBINED DIVISIONS: NARRATIVE VIDEO A short (≤5 min) lifestyle or culture video using narrative tools. 🥇 1st Place: Lauren Raposa & Nyah Marshall, @nj.com 🥈 2nd Place: Vickie Connor, @oregonian.com

COMBINED DIVISIONS: PODCAST – NARRATIVE 🎙️🎧 🥇 1st Place: "The Harvard Plan," Staff, @bostonglobe.com 🥈 2nd Place: "America's Toxic Tap Water Problem," @silviafosterfrau.bsky.social, ‬Emma Talkoff, & Monica Campbell, @washingtonpost.com

SPECIAL PRODUCT – DIGITAL OR PRINT, DIV 3 Best non-regular feature; one-time or special edition. 🥇 1st Place: "Feedme Magazine," Staff, @newsday.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: "Best of the Best," Staff, @bostonglobe.com

UTILITY FEATURE PORTFOLIO, DIV 3 Three stories that break down everyday life with clarity & consumer focus. 🥇 1st Place: Andrea Sachs and @nataliecompton.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: Caroline Kee, @todayshow.com 🥉 3rd Place: @richardsima.bsky.social 🏅 Honorable Mention: Tiffany Acosta, @azcentral.com

ARTS & CULTURE CRITICISM PORTFOLIO, DIV 3 A trio of A&E stories by the same writer — no editorials. 🥇 1st Place: @chrisrichards.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: @philipkennicott.bsky.social 🥉 3rd Place: Gemma Wilson, @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social 🏅 Honorable Mention: Sebastian Smee, @washingtonpost.com

GENERAL COMMENTARY PORTFOLIO, DIV 3 Three columns or essays by the same writer on any human interest or specialty topic. 🥇 1st Place: @yabraham.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: @laurayuen.bsky.social 🥉 3rd Place: @jaymichaelson.bsky.social 🏅 Honorable Mention: @gustavoarellano.bsky.social

FOOD WRITING PORTFOLIO, DIV 3 Three stories, columns or reviews by the same writer on any food topic. 🥇 1st Place: @elenakadvany.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: Emily Heil, @washingtonpost.com 🥉 3rd Place: @hannaraskin.bsky.social 🏅 Honorable Mention: MacKenzie Chung Fegan, @sfchronicle.com

FEATURE BEAT WRITING PORTFOLIO, DIV 3 Three stories by the same writer on one feature topic, such as A&E, fashion, food, health, religion, technology or travel. 🥇 1st Place: @nataliecompton.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: Geoff Edgers, @washingtonpost.com

FEATURE WRITING PORTFOLIO, DIV 3 Three stories by the same writer from any combination of feature beats 🥇 1st Place: @brendankiley.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: Helena Andrews-Dyer, @washingtonpost.com 🥉 3rd Place: @wordsbykristin.bsky.social 🏅 Honorable Mention: @globepatty.bsky.social

FEATURES SERIES OR PROJECT, DIV 3 Feature treatment of any lifestyle, A&E or news topic that has multiple parts. 🥇 1st Place: @realbrambo.bsky.social and @peggylowe.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: Staff, @bloombergbusiness.bsky.social

SPORTS FEATURE, DIV 3 Feature treatment of any sports topic. 🥇 1st Place: @sallyjenx.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: Jason Wolf, The Arizona Republic 🥉 3rd Place: @stevepoliti.bsky.social 🏅 Honorable Mention: @dgambacorta.bsky.social

INCLUSION & REPRESENTATION IN FEATURES, DIV 3 Storytelling that centers historically under-covered communities. 🥇 1st Place: @ellyfishman.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: Staff, @kffhealthnews.org

FIRST-PERSON NARRATIVE ESSAY, DIV 3 An essay or first-person story that demonstrates a sense of proportion and perspective. 🥇 1st Place: Lynzy Billing, @newlinesmag.bsky.social 🥈 2nd Place: michaelbrodeur.bsky.social