MSU wins Best of Show — twice! — at National College Media Convention; Reflector named co––finalist for coveted award

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State University won two first-place “Best of Show” awards at the Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention held in New Orleans last month, continuing a string a dominance from MSU’s Department of Communication. 

Take 30, the Department of Communication student-produced newscast, won first place for Broadcast News Program and three Reflector staff members shared first place in the Design: Newspaper/Magazine category. 

In addition, the Reflector and Ole Miss’s Daily Mississippian were named co-finalists for an Innovation Pacemaker, college media’s most coveted award. The newspapers were recognized for a collaborative climate change-focused project originally envisioned by Ole Miss Professor Deb Wenger. Student leaders from the two universities—Sam Hughes and Joshua Britt at the Reflector, and Kharley Redmon at the Daily Mississippian—then worked together to plan and execute broad coverage on the topic. 

 “It’s cultural,” said Joshua Britt, editor-in-chief of the Reflector in 2023-2024. “There’s a high level of expectation when you join the Reflector, and people join the organization knowing that. It drives people to do their best.” 

MSU student media teams also placed in 10 additional categories at the conference. 

“This was amazing,” said Take 30 instructor Victoria Bailey, who attended the conference. “I could not sit down for most of the award ceremony because our students accepted so many honors. During the ceremony, I felt proud to play a minor role in our majorly talented students’ journeys to greatness.” 

MSU joined the Associated Collegiate Press earlier this year. As the nation’s largest student media organization, the Associate Collegiate Press fall conference is “the nation’s largest gathering of collegiate journalists, media students and their advisers.” 

MSU began competing in the “Best of Show” contest last year, and 2024 is the first year the Reflector has competed for a Pacemaker award. 

Other universities whose submissions went head-to-head with MSU include Auburn University, DePaul University, Santa Ana College, University of Texas at Arlington, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, Georgia Southern University, University of Chicago, and Western Kentucky University, among others. 

The full list of awards earned by MSU students at the Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention includes:

Innovation Pacemaker Finalist: The Reflector and the Daily Mississippian 

Best of Show: 

1st Place –– Broadcast News Program –– Take 30 Newscast 

1st Place –– DESIGN: Newspaper/Newsmagazine. Student recipients include Bryce Yzaguirre, an art/graphic design major from Northport, Ala.; Lucy Hallmark, a biochemistry/pre-medicine major from Summit, Miss.; Sam Hughes, a recent graduate in communication/print and digital media and foreign language/Spanish from Biloxi, Miss.

2nd Place –– BROADCAST: News Story. Student recipients include Aubrey Carter, a communication/broadcast and digital journalism major from Alabaster, Ala.

2nd Place –– PHOTOJOURNALISM: News/Feature Photo. Student recipients include Kate Myers, a communication/ broadcast and digital journalism major from Ruston, La.

3rd Place –– BROADCAST: News Story. Student recipients include Taylor Howard, a communication/ broadcast and digital journalism major from Tulsa, Okla.

3rd Place –– BROADCAST: Sports Story. Student recipients include Christopher Daughtry, a recent communication graduate from Cumming, Ga.

4th Place –– PHOTOJOURNALISM: Sports Photo. Student recipients include Ivy Rose Ball, a communication/print and digital journalism major from Muscle Shoals, Ala.

4th Place –– BROADCAST: News Story. Student recipients include Raylen Ladner, a communication/broadcast and digital journalism major from Diamondhead, Miss.

4th Place –– BROADCAST: Feature Story. Student recipients include Raylen Ladner, a communication/broadcast and digital journalism major from Diamondhead, Miss.

5th Place –– REPORTING: News Story. Student recipients include Lizzie Tomlin, a communication/print and digital journalism and political science major from Starkville, Miss.

5th Place –– BROADCAST: Feature Story. Student recipients include Raylen Ladner, a communication/broadcast and digital journalism major from Diamondhead, Miss.

6th Place –– DESIGN: Magazine. Student recipients include Jill Horner, an art/graphic design major form Madison, Miss; Elizabeth Hutson, a fashion design and merchandising/design and product development major from Brookhaven, Miss; Leah Wisener, an art/graphic design major from Rives, Tenn; Cate Simmons, an art/graphic design major from Meridian, Miss; Michelle Daschbach, an art/graphic design major from Jackson, Miss.

8th Place –– BROADCAST: News Story. Student recipients include Taylor Howard, a communication major from Tulsa, Okla.

 For more details about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Communication, visit www.cas.msstate.edu or www.comm.msstate.edu. 

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.