Student Media outlets garner national, state awards; newspaper is best in division again

Northwest Missouri State University Student Media captured dozens of awards this spring in multiple competitions, including The Northwest Missourian being named the best student newspaper in Missouri in its division for the second consecutive year.

Additionally, Missourian editor-in-Chief Rachel Adamson, a senior multimedia journalism major from Gladstone, Missouri, was also named the Missouri College Media Association’s Photojournalist of the Year, marking the seventh time in the past eight years a Missourian staff member garnered that honor.

Northwest Student Media participated this spring in the virtual National College Media Convention, the virtual Missouri Broadcast Educators Convention and the virtual Missouri College Media Convention, winning numerous staff and individual honors in each convention’s annual contests.

“I can’t brag enough about the hard work all of these student journalists do throughout the year, particularly during this pandemic year when it was more difficult than ever to get out and cover the campus and community,” said Steven Chappell, the director of student publications and an instructor of mass media at Northwest. “Across the board, our student media perform at the top of their divisions year in and year out, and it's a testament to the media program at Northwest and all of the staff and faculty as well.”

Among awards handed out by the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association, and the College Media Business and Advertising Managers, The Missourian and its student media advertising staff captured four honors:

• Second place, Best Weekly Newspaper
• Third place, Best Newspaper Ad
• Second place, Best Self-Promotion Ad
• First place, Best Sales Incentive Program

 

During the Missouri Broadcast Educators Awards, KNWT Channel 8 captured six statewide honors:

• Second place, Commercial, KNWT Fall Promo, Justin Wood and Craig Richard
• Third place, Commercial, KNWT Online Promo, Justin Wood
• First place, Documentary Film, “Amazing Things: Cedar Cove Big Cat Sanctuary,” KNWT, Ben Whitney
• Third place, Feature News Story, Channel 8 News: “Car Smash,” KNWT, Colby Holtman
• First place, Multicamera Live Event, Theatre Northwest: “Good Kids,” Mikey Williams, Sydney Garner
• Honorable mention, Special Programs and Podcasts, “Nerd Central: Pain and Gain,” Colby Nance

 

At the Missouri College Media Association Awards, both Tower yearbook, which released its 100th book this spring, and The Northwest Missourian, captured numerous honors. Tower was named best yearbook in the state, and The Missourian was named best college newspaper in Division II.

“Tower is incredibly thankful and lucky for the wealth of resources in the form of the mass media and communication department on the Northwest campus, our passionate staff and reciprocal alumni partnerships,” Tower Editor-in-Chief Nicole Reed, a senior childhood education major, from Kansas City, Missouri, said. “It is with these support systems, and a responsive campus and community, that Tower is able to take our yearbook to the next level.”

Tower’s yearbook received the following honors for its 2020 book:

• Honorable mention, Feature Photography, Emily Lloyd, “Red Guitar”
• Third place, Feature Photography, Nikki Wagner, “Strike a Pose”
• Third place, Sports Photography, Emily Lloyd, “Pick Me Up”
• Second place, Feature Writing, Molly Huibregtse, “One Jump Ahead"
• First Place, Feature Writing, Trent Spinner, “Fly High Jay Bird”
• Honorable Mention, Personality Sketch, Nicole Reed, “The Man with a Plan”
• Second Place, Personality Sketch, Kayla Holmes, “Counting on Swinkster”
• Third Place, Student Life Design, Keegan Holmes, “Tower King and Queen”
• Second Place, Student Life Design, Hailey Howard, “Let's Talk about Sex”
• Second Place, Sports Design, AJ Bradbury, “Legacy”
• Second Place, Portrait Design, Ben Moran, “Puppy Portraits”
• First Place, Overall Theme Development (Best Yearbook), Ben Moran, editor-in-chief, Tower yearbook

 

In addition to photojournalist of the year and best newspaper in state, the Adamson-led Missourian placed in numerous categories.

“These awards are a tribute to the hard work and dedication each staff member puts in every day,” Adamson said. “While we do good journalism as an act of public service, it is nice to then be awarded for some of it. It’s an honor to lead a team of such talented young journalists, and we’re humbled by the numerous awards.”

The Missourian received the following honors:

• Second place, Editorial Writing, The Editorial Board, “Mike Parson recklessly puts students, teachers at risk”
• First place, Editorial Writing, The Editorial Board, “Dear White People: We’ve read your letters”
• Second place, Feature Writing, Andrew Wegley, “Jess Piper Fights”
• First place, Feature Writing, Andrew Wegley, “Joel Osborn has been here before”
• First place, Sports Writing, Andrew Wegley, “Northwest men’s basketball grapples with cancellation, abrupt end to season”
• Honorable mention, In-Depth News Reporting, Andrew Wegley, “Northwest faces backlash for decision to admit student involved in ‘repugnant’ video”
• Third place, In-Depth News Reporting, Andrew Wegley, “Inside Northwest’s response to a budding mental health crisis on campus”
• Honorable mention, Investigative Reporting, Andrew Wegley and Kendrick Calfee, “Investigating the claims of Nodaway County Sheriff candidates”
• Second place, Column, Corbin Smith, “Being Black in Maryville means never feeling safe”
• First place, Column, Nathan English, “Where has your civility been the last 12 months?”
• First place, Sports Column, Jon Walker, “It’s exciting to have football back. Perhaps it isn’t for the best”
• Honorable mention, Feature Photography, Rachel Adamson, “Title IX Will Sabio”
• Third place, Sports Photography, Addalynn Bradbury, “Maryville football’s senior defensive back Matt Goodridge makes a tackle”
• First place, Political/Editorial Cartoon, Chris Young, “Water comic”
• Second place, Page One Design, Rachel Adamson, “A New Normal”
• First place, Editorial/OP-Ed Page Design, Emily Noyes, “This is Insane”
• First place, Sports Page Design, Emily Noyes, “Canceled”
• Honorable mention, Feature Page Design, Emily Noyes, “Un-bee-lievable”
• First place, Feature Page Design, Rachel Adamson, “What was the hardest part of the last six months?”
• Second place, Best Website, Missourian staff
• First place, Sweepstakes Winner, Division II, The Northwest Missourian
• Honorable mention, Advertising Design, Cora Stout, “Gear up and get ready”
• Honorable mention, Advertising Design, Cora Stout, “Planet Sub”
• Second place, Advertising Design, Cora Stout, “Happy holidays”
• Second place, Campus Advertising Engagement/Promotions, “Tower yearbook puppy portraits”