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The Society of Professional Journalists announced its national finalists for the 2009 Mark of Excellence awards competition. Among the winners are two entries from students at the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University.

One of the entries won in the category of online in-depth reporting for its project ‘Cleaning Coal.’

The other entry won in the category of television in-dept reporting for its project ‘The Night Shift.’

This year alone, Knight Center students have won 11 regional and national journalism awards.

The Knight Center was founded in 1999 with a grant from the Knight Foundation. The center is the nation’s leading center for educating students and professional journalists to report and write about environmental issues.

”’ –Marly Falcon, Knight Foundation contributing blogger