Student media outlets receive regional, national recognition for 2020-21 school year

National and regional competitions recognized Harding University’s student media outlets — HU16, The Bison newspaper and the Petit Jean yearbook — for their work this year.

HU16

HU16, the University’s student-run television station, won the grand prize in the public affairs and interview program and live production categories at the National Electronic Media Association’s National Undergraduate Student Electronic Media Competition for the production of “Harding University In Focus: A Virtual Reception” and “Harding University Live 2020 Homecoming Parade” respectively.

Noah Darnell, communication department instructor, served as one of the faculty advisers on Harding University In Focus, a virtual presidential reception held on Feb. 24, 2020. The event had more than 600 viewers from more than 30 states and seven countries.

With 15-plus students working behind the scenes on the production, Darnell said he never felt concerned about professionalism or quality of work, as many of the students did more than was expected of them.

“There were moments where that kind of amazement occasionally hit me because they had taken it on and run with it,” Darnell said. “The accolades are their reward because they really earned it in a lot of ways.”

Senior multimedia journalism major Morgan Gianferante, who served as a producer for In Focus, said the award for the production validates the work done by the production team and the capabilities of Harding’s student media sources.

“Now that we have received an award for it, it is just putting more credibility to that project,” Gianferrante said. “Harding can do things like this in the future, and students in the communications field can do things like this for Harding.”

In addition, the Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards recognized HU16 as finalists in Television In-Depth reporting for their election night coverage and in Best All-Around Television Newscast for the November 19, 2020, episode of Live at Five, the station’s weekday news production.

Student Publications: The Bison newspaper and Petit Jean yearbook

During the fall semester, The Bison newspaper ranked ninth place nationally in the Associated Collegiate Press Clips & Clicks competition, in which three students also won individual awards for their photojournalism or writing. At the 2021 Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show, the 2020 Petit Jean won third place in the yearbook category, and the 2020-21 Bison won fourth place in the newspaper category, along with several individual student awards.

At the Arkansas College Media Association, Student Publications received 34 awards and honorable mentions, including first place in both Newspaper of the Year and Yearbook of the Year. Student Publications staff received several other individual recognitions at the Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 Mark of Excellence and Southeast Journalism Conference Best of the South awards.

Madison Scott, editor-in-chief of The Bison, said these awards were even more meaningful because of the composition of this year’s staff.

“I am just proud of the staff as a whole because a lot of us came in, and it’s been our first years on staff,” Scott said. “Seeing the variety of awards we’ve been able to get from journalism to advertising to graphic design to writing, that's been really neat to see.”

April Fatula, Student Publications adviser, said these awards and recognitions show the talent and abilities of Harding’s student journalists.

“It is just really validating to see that we can not only compete with top notch journalism and communication programs across the country but win and really shine,” Fatula said. “We just have so many talented students who are committed to the work and the teamwork and are a great reflection of our department, the College of Arts and Humanities and the University as a whole.”

2020-21 Awards

HU16

NBS/AERho: The Electronic Media Association

• Winner (Student) Public Affairs/Interview Segment or Program — “Harding University In Focus: A Virtual Reception” | Producers Morgan Richardson and Abigail Rezentes, Director Bryce Richardson, Studio Manager Jordan Crisco, and the HU In Focus Production Team
• Winner (Professional) Live Production — “Harding University Live 2020 Homecoming Parade | Director/Producer Megan Lee, Technical Director Jordan Crisco, HU16 Parade Production Team

Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 Mark of Excellence Award

• Finalist: Television In-Depth Reporting — “HU16 Live Election Special” | Producer Abigail Rezentes, Director Jordan Crisco, and the HU16 Election Team
• Finalist: Best All-Around Television Newscast — “HU16 Live at Five for November 19th, 2020” | Producer Abigail Rezentes, Director Jordan Crisco, and the HU16 News Team

The Bison newspaper

Associated Collegiate Press )Fall)

• 9th place overall newspaper, The Bison newspaper | editor-in-chief Madison Scott
• 1st place Photojournalism: Feature Photo, “Bison Baja Team” | Namon Pope
• 2nd place Photojournalism: News Photo, “ADH COVID-19 Testing” | Audrey Jackson
• 5th place Photojournalism: News Photo, “Lighting Ceremony” | Namon Pope
• 4th place Writing: Editorial, “Updating our style guide” | Madison Scott

Associated Collegiate Press (Spring)

• 4th place overall newspaper, The Bison newspaper | editor-in-chief Madison Scott
• 5th place Advertising Design, “Creme and Sugar” | Audrey Jackson, Hadley McDaniel, Anna Westbrook
• 7th place Advertising Design, “Natural Food Store” | Namon Pope, Olivia Scott, Anna Westbrook
• 5th place Photojournalism, “ADH COVID-19 Drive-thru Testing” | Audrey Jackson
• 7th place Photojournalism, “Zelden Kool” | Audrey Jackson
• 8th place Photojournalism, “Backstage” | Audrey Jackson
• 9th place Photojournalism, “Lighting Ceremony” | Namon Pope
• 10th place Photojournalism, “Snowboarding at the Benson” | Audrey Jackson,

Society of Professional Journalists/Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards

• Finalist Feature Photography, “Bison Baja Team” | Namon Pope
• Winner COVID-19 Newspaper, Magazine and Online Coverage, “Dashboards hold schools accountable” | Daniela Cuellar and Abigael Langdon
• Finalist COVID-19 Newspaper, Magazine and Online Coverage, “Despite assurances, classrooms not cleaned daily” | Audrey Jackson
• Finalist COVID-19 Newspaper, Magazine and Online Coverage, “COVID on campus” | Abigael Langdon

Southeast Journalism Conference Best of the South Awards

• 2nd place Newswriter | Abigael Langdon
• 1st place Feature writer | Jada Robison
• 2nd place Opinion/editorial writer | Eric Johnson
• 2nd place Special event reporter | Madison Scott
• 4th place Press photographer | Audrey Jackson
• 2nd place advertising writer | Emma Aly
• 1st place public service journalism | Harding

Arkansas College Media Association

• 1st place overall newspaper, The Bison newspaper | editor-in-chief Madison Scott
• 1st place General Column, “Redefining peace” | Madison Scott
• 1st place News Photo, “ADH drive-thru testing” | Audrey Jackson
• 1st place Feature Photo, “Baja Team” | Namon Pope
• 1st place Art/Illustration, “Cozy Corners” | Isabelle Cutts
• 2nd place In-Depth News, “Despite assurances, classrooms not cleaned daily” | Audrey Jackson
• 2nd place Editorial Writing, “Updating our style guide” | Madison Scott
• 2nd place Election/Political, “Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg dies at age 87” | Everett Kirkman
• 2nd place Art/Illustration, “RBG”
• 2nd place Advertising, “OneLife,” | Emma Aly, Isabelle Cutts, Hadley McDaniel
• 3rd place General Column, “Cultivating commonplace” | Madison Scott
• 3rd place Advertising, “Creme and Sugar” | Anna Westbrook, Audrey Jackson, Hadley McDaniel
• Honorable Mention Newswriting, “Let's revisit: BSA, SA host panel discussion addressing past, present racism at Harding” | Madison Scott

Petit Jean yearbook

Associated Collegiate Press (Spring)

• 3rd place overall yearbook, The Petit Jean yearbook, “Echo” | editor-in-chief Emma Aly

Arkansas College Media Association

• 1st place Yearbook of the Year, The Petit Jean yearbook, “Echo” | editor-in-chief Emma Aly
• 1st Place Cover | Emma Aly
• 1st Place Introduction Theme Page/Opening, “Forward” | Emma Aly
• 1st place Divider, “Organizations” | Emma Aly and Noah McCool
• 1st place Academic Layout, “Communal Design” | Noah McCool
• 1st place Academics Writing, “Education Come to Play” | Caroline Lea
• 1st place Writing-Organization/Greek, “Rowdies Revival” | Caroline Lea
• 1st place Student Life Writing, “College Kids” | Emma Vaughn
• 1st place Student Life Photo | Sterling McMichael
• 2nd place Divider, “Athletics” | Emma Aly and Noah McCool
• 2nd place Closing, “Closing” | Caleb Manor and Emma Aly
• 2nd place Sports Writing, “Double Trouble” | Caroline Lea
• 2nd place Writing-Organization/Greek, “Justified” | Kylie Jones
• 2nd place Feature Photo | Jillian Jarvis
• 3rd place Sports Layout, “Double Trouble” | Noah McCool
• 3rd place Feature Photo | Stanley Morales
• Honorable Mention Feature Layout, “15 Seconds of Fame” | Noah McCool
• Honorable Mention Academic Layout, “Echo” | Noah McCool
• Honorable Mention Academics Writing, “Communal Design” | Caroline Lea
• Honorable Mention Student Life Writing, “Dress Code” | Everett Kirkman
• Honorable Mention Academics Photo | Jillian Jarvis