Wright State videographer Kris Sproles wins regional Emmy and Ohio journalism award

Kris Sproles is a video content producer in the Office of University Communications and Marketing at Wright State.

Kris Sproles, video content producer in Wright State University’s Office of University Communications and Marketing, was honored with two awards for his outstanding storytelling and visual journalism: a Regional Emmy and a state journalism award.

Sproles received the Emmy for Video Essayist from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The chapter includes members from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.

The video essayist award recognizes excellence by an individual videographer and editor who crafts compelling stories without a reporter, narrator or host.

Sproles was honored for stories he produced for the Wright State Newsroom, including:

• Wright State’s 2024 solar eclipse celebration
• A profile of education major and bowler Alex Drsek
• Archaeology students excavating the campus woods
• Launch of Rowdy Blond Ale, a Raider-branded beer
• A spotlight on Wright State’s new aviation program
• The 25th anniversary of ArtsGala

This is the second consecutive year Sproles received a Regional Emmy in this category.

He also received the award for Best Videographer in the Digital Media category in the 2025 Ohio’s Best Journalism Contest.

The award honors the best visual storyteller demonstrating excellence in online videography in spot news, general assignment or specialty reporting.

The judges praised Sproles’ solar eclipse, archaeology and the Raider beer stories as “excellent demonstrations of dynamic, engaging visual storytelling,” highlighting the stories’ well-timed blend of perspectives and variety of footage.

“These are good examples of self-contained visual stories that are just long enough to keep your interest without losing viewer attention,” the judges said.

The statewide journalism contest was sponsored by the Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and included entries from media outlets and universities across Ohio.

See more of Sproles’ award-winning work in the Wright State Newsroom and on Wright State’s YouTube channel.