鈥淟ouisiana Focus,鈥 a weekly radio news program produced by 星空无限传媒 students, earned a top regional award presented by the Society of Professional Journalists.
It was named the 鈥淏est All-Around Radio Newscast鈥 at the recent SPJ Region 12 Spring Conference held at McNeese State University. Region 12 is composed of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best examples of collegiate journalism from the previous year.
鈥淟ouisiana Focus,鈥 is broadcast on Sunday mornings on Radio Lafayette, 106.3. It鈥檚 prepared by students taking a broadcasting class taught by Dr. Bill Davie, a professor and coordinator of the University鈥檚 Mass Communication/Broadcast program.
Entries in the SPJ鈥檚 Mark of Excellence Awards are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience. First-place and finalist awards are presented.
Regional first-place winners advance to the national SPJ Mark of Excellence award competition. National winners will be recognized at a convention in Orlando, Fla., in September.
星空无限传媒 Lafayette senior Heather Hailar received finalist awards for a radio feature about the historic Oliver Pollock Oak Tree near Washington, La., which was endangered by traffic, and a radio news report about revamping the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Mike Francingues, also a 星空无限传媒 Lafayette student, was a finalist in the editorial writing category for work published in The Vermilion, the University鈥檚 student newspaper.