Students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications earned multiple Awards of Excellence at the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts in Las Vegas Monday, April 20. Among those recognized were broadcast journalism majors Dakota Morris, Clarissa Meier and Tyler Perrone, who earned honors in the TV News and TV Sports competition categories.
Considered one of the most prestigious student media competitions, an Award of Excellence means the work ranked among the best in its category nationally. The work is judged by industry professionals rather than academic faculty, an important distinction that underscores the real-world caliber of the students’ reporting and storytelling.
“Recognition at this level reflects the strength of our students’ work and the rigor of our capstone program,” said senior broadcast journalism instructor Laura Smith. “These projects demonstrate not only technical skill, but also strong storytelling instincts and a commitment to meaningful, community-focused journalism.”
The award-winning projects were produced as part of the broadcast journalism capstone course Carolina News taught by faculty members Rick Peterson and Chris Halsne.
Student TV News Competition Award of Excellence Recipients
- Television Long Feature Reporting
“Rural Health Care Shortages” - Dakota Morris
- Television Short Feature Reporting
“Not Just a Bike Shop” - Clarissa Meier -
Student Sports Competition Award of Excellence Recipient
- Video Story/Feature (Short)
“Top Prospect Reflects on Nationwide Growth for High School Boys Volleyball” - Tyler Perrone -
Morris and Perrone developed their pieces as part of the program’s long-form storytelling course, while Meier’s project was completed as a day-turn assignment, highlighting the breadth of student capabilities, from in-depth reporting to rapid-turnaround production.