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ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úMeadows student journalists took home a record 13 national media awards in two prestigious contests, a haul that included honors across reporting, editing, audio production, graphics, and design and layout categories.

Students won 11 national Pinnacle College Media awards for 2024 at the College Media Association’s recent conference in New Orleans. They also received four nominations and two awards from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) at its conference in Chicago. NABJ’s Salute to Excellence awards recognize the best student journalism covering the Black experience and addressing issues affecting the Black community.

Both contests are highly competitive, with entries from colleges and universities across the nation. This is the first time ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úhas entered either competition. To win so many awards at a national level in a single year is a testament to the hard work and talent of SMU’s student journalists and their advisors, said Melissa Chessher, SMU’s Belo Foundation Endowed Distinguished Chair in Journalism and chair of the Division of Journalism.

“It’s been my goal from day one as chair to expand the competitions in which we enter because I know our students are doing amazing things, and our dedicated, talented advisors work tirelessly to support them,” she said.

The College Media Association (CMA) is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to serving collegiate media advisers, and its Pinnacle Awards honor the best college media organizations and individual work. ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ústudents, competing in Division II, won an award in every category in which work was entered.  

SMU’s newspaper The Daily Campus took home five CMA Pinnacle awards. “I am so proud of The Daily Campus staff,” said Professor of Practice Jacqueline Fellows, the faculty advisor for the paper, who attended the CMA conference. “To have their work recognized nationally across so many categories shows the students’ dedication to excellence in every step of media production and journalism.”

ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úLook magazine and SMULook.com, part of the ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úLook Media portfolio of lifestyle journalism platforms, won six Pinnacle awards, including second place for best feature magazine.

“ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úLook Media incorporates myriad storytelling techniques from graphic design to multi-media reporting, and I am incredibly proud that our students were recognized nationally for their skill and hard work,” said Professor of Practice Jenny Davis, the faculty advisor for ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úLook magazine, which includes a website and social media presence.

Professor Davis conducted a workshop at the CMA conference called “Fashion Photoshoots 101: How to concept and produce original editorial fashion imagery." The workshop attracted nearly 50 students and faculty advisors from across the country interested in fashion content.

“The ability to produce original, creative fashion content is a sought-after job skill, but it's something that's actually difficult to do,” said Professor Davis. “Not every university has a journalism division like ours, which includes classes in every aspect of content creation.” 

Valerie Evans, a professor of practice in the Division of Journalism, founded SMU’s NABJ student chapter in 2024. Student journalists were nominated for four Salute to Excellence Awards, winning two in competitive undergraduate feature categories.

“It’s amazing that in our inaugural year as a NABJ student chapter we were recognized for these awards,” Evans said. “It speaks to the quality of journalism we do at ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úand the students’ commitment to excellence.”

Here is a list of the awards from both organizations. Congratulations to these outstanding ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ústudent journalists:

College Media Association Pinnacle Awards

1st place: Best Breaking News Story, , reporters: Ceara Johnson, Caleigh Daugherty

2nd place: Feature Magazine of the Year, , editor: Maddie Crisp

2nd place: Best Magazine Feature Page/Spread,  , Spring 2024, by Maddie Crisp, photography by Arden Eiland and page design by Juan Silva

2nd place: Best Infographic, , Spring 2024, by Cristiana Montalvan, illustration by Angelica Koutsoubis

2nd place: Best Podcast,producer and host, Katie Bergelin

3rd place: Best Investigative Story, , by Ellis Rold

3rd place: Best Multimedia Feature Story, , by Sydney Strollo

3rd place: Best Profile, , by Melanie Jackson

3rd place: Best Special Section Cover, , Spring 2024, by Elizabeth Guevara, Ellis Rold & ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úDaily Campus Staff

Honorable Mention: Best Magazine Sports Page/Spread,  by Bo Rubenstein, illustration by Angelica Koutsoubis

Honorable Mention: Best Magazine Entertainment Page/Spread,  by Kaitlyn Yaffe

National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Awards

ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»úDaily Campus, Newspaper – Undergraduate: Feature Reporting

Reporter Emma McRae; Advisor Jacqueline Fellows

Digital Media – Undergraduate: Online Feature Reporting

Reporter Jordyn Harrell; Advisor Melissa Chessher