The Kent Stater and TV2 are up for several national awards from the College Media Assocation (CMA) for work produced during the 2016-17 academic year.
The Kent Stater, Kent State University’s independent student newspaper, is one of four finalists for CMA's Pinnacle Award for Four-Year Daily Newspaper of the Year. With this final four distinction, the Stater, joins the ranks of The Daily Northwestern of Northwestern University, The Daily Texan, of the University of Texas at Austin and The Daily Pennsylvanian of the University of Pennsylvania. Alumnus Jimmy Miller, ’17, served as editor for both semesters of the 2016-17 academic year for which The Kent Stater is being recognized.
"Walking into our first week of training, I knew we had a talented staff. I also knew we would spend countless hours together crafting meaningful journalism,” Miller said. “What I didn't know was how well our staff went on to work together. Our upperclassmen stayed receptive to change all year, and they relayed their knowledge to our skilled underclassmen. We wanted to build a foundation for future Stater staffs, and I think this shows we did just that."
Miller’s staff covered major stories including the 2016 presidential election and subsequent protests and reaction to issues, and the Kent State men’s basketball team’s trip to the NCAA March Madness tournament.
Kevin Dilley, director of student media, said the top-four recognition already feels like a win and applauded the students’ hard work.
“Seeing the Stater as a top-four newspaper in the country doesn’t surprise me at all,” Dilley said. “I regularly see the dedication, talent and hard work on display by our students in the student media newsroom, so I know this recognition is well deserved.”
TV2, Kent State's independent student-run television station that serves Portage County, is also up for several individual Pinnacle Awards: best television newscast, best television sportscast and best TV promo.
TV2 General Manager Anna Huntsman, '19, said she is proud of her staff.
"TV2 provides hands-on, award-winning experiences to students each year, and as the CMA recognition certainly shows, last year was no different," she said. "Whether it be through our sportscasts, newscasts or even promotional videos, we continued to strive for content that informs and reflects our campus and community as a whole. I am proud of my staff for working diligently to enhance our coverage and their eagerness to learn and grow as students."
Best Newscast Entry
The winners for all awards will be announced at the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP)/CMA Fall National Media Convention, Oct. 25-29, 2017, in Dallas.