Meek School of Journalism and New Media students won 10 college journalism awards in the 2014 Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters contest. In addition, recent graduates took home top honors in several categories, and an Ole Miss alumnus was inducted into the Mississippi Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
NewsWatch 99 took home six awards, including first place in College TV Newscasts. This is the fourth year in a row NewsWatch has won the award and the second year in a row it has taken first and second place in the newscast category.
NewsWatch won first place for its newscast previewing the Ole Miss/Alabama game last fall.
“I felt like that was our best show of the year, and to be recognized as the best newscast in the state of Mississippi was awesome. It put a good cap on the rest of my year,” said Sudu Upadhyay, student manager for NewsWatch 99. “You have Ole Miss students that show that the work that you’re doing, it counts for something.”
Rebel Radio WUMS-FM 92.1 won three awards, including a first place win and scholarship for Ferderica Cobb.
“Casinos in Mississippi: Worth the Gamble?” won first place in the Student TV Documentary category. The documentary was produced in a course taught by professors Brad Schultz and Kathleen Wickham.
Margaret Ann Morgan and Gerard Manogin, both 2013 journalism graduates, won three prestigious awards for professionals: Morgan for Best Public Affairs Reporting and Best TV Reporter in a small to medium market, and Manogin for Best TV Newscast in a large market. Morgan works at WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, and Manogin works at WJTV in Jackson.
Ole Miss marketing graduate Wilson Stribling was inducted into the Mississippi Broadcast Hall of Fame. Stribling has worked for WLBT Jackson for 17 years as a reporter, anchor, assistant news director and news director.
Ryan Moore, a 2009 Ole Miss journalism graduate, won first place for best TV news videographer.
“It was cool to see them winning,” Upadhyay said about the alumni wins. “It shows that if you work at NewsWatch you have a bright future ahead.”