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The Society of Professional Journalists – Detroit Chapter Announces
2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees
This year’s recipients along with more than 250 Excellence in Journalism contest winners to be announced at the group’s annual awards ceremony and banquet on May 14
DETROIT (April 15, 2025) – The Society of Professional Journalists – Detroit Chapter (SPJ Detroit) announced the three recipients of its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Awards – all of whom will be honored May 14 at the organization’s Excellence in Journalism awards banquet.
Elias Gutiérrez is the founder, owner and publisher of Latino Press, Michigan’s largest and most recognized Hispanic media company for more than 30 years. A visionary entrepreneur, he identified the lack of Spanish-language media and took action to keep his community informed and connected. Through his leadership, Latino Press has significantly enhanced the visibility, presence and pride of Detroit’s Hispanic community. With deep-rooted connections to local businesses, organizations and readers, Gutiérrez has built a trusted media platform that serves as a vital voice for Latinos in Michigan. His dedication to journalism and community engagement has solidified Latino Press as a key resource for news, culture and advocacy, making a lasting impact on the region’s Hispanic population
Sam Logan, the late publisher of the Michigan Chronicle, was a pioneering force in Detroit journalism and a relentless advocate for African American voices in media across the country, as he also was the co-owner of Real Times Media, the parent company of the Chronicle, Michigan FrontPage and other newspapers around the nation. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Logan elevated the Chronicle into one of the most respected Black newspapers in the country. Known for his integrity, strategic leadership and deep ties to the community, Logan used journalism not just to inform, but to uplift and empower. Beyond the newsroom, Logan was a civic leader, mentor and fierce champion for diversity in journalism, helping to launch the career of many current and former Detroit journalists, who have gone on to local and national prominence.
Devin Scillian is a journalist and author. He is a beloved former WDIV-TV news anchor who created and hosted “Flashpoint,” a weekly community affairs program. Scillian left WDIV in December after nearly 30 years of anchoring Detroit’s top-rated newscast. He joined the station in 1995 as a reporter and moved into the anchor position in 1996. Scillian’s around-the-clock coverage of the 1995 bombing at the Murrah Federal Building helped Oklahoma City’s KFOR-TV win a Peabody Award. Scillian has also won the Edward R. Murrow Award, one of the highest honors in broadcast journalism, four times. Scillian is the author of 22 books and is also an accomplished musician and songwriter, who has twice won the prestigious Detroit Music Award for Best Country Performer.
These will not be the only honors handed out that evening. More than 250 first, second and third place award winners, along with honorable mention awards, will be presented. These awards recognize Michigan’s best journalists and their work during 2024, as selected by a panel of veteran journalists from media organizations outside of Michigan.
In addition, SPJ Detroit will name the Journalist and Young Journalist of the Year, as well the recipients of its 2025 Larry Laurain scholarships, which are given annually to college students with an expressed interest in journalism.
All this will take place at SPJ Detroit’s annual Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony and banquet, on Wednesday, May 14, at the San Marino Club, 1685 E. Big Beaver Road in Troy, Michigan.
Tickets can be purchased below, with proceeds going to benefit SPJ Detroit’s scholarship fund.
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