For the first time in the contest’s 15 years, BG Falcon Media took home the top award at the Ohio News Media Association’s News and Fellowship Day held April 4 in Columbus.
Some 15 colleges and universities submitted entries in two divisions. BGSU lands in Division A for schools with an undergraduate enrollment of 10,000 or more. In that division, BG Falcon Media earned the Frank E. Deaner for Excellence in Collegiate Journalism award, ahead of other participants that included Ohio State, Ohio University, Kent State, Miami University, Cincinnati, and Youngstown State.
With points awarded for individual awards, BG Falcon Media earned that top award thanks to these six categories –
- Newspaper Design: First place, staff; judge’s comment: Great use of color and white space. Headers agree and help with flow. Great design.
- In-Depth Reporting: First place, Emily Manuel; judge’s comment: Very thorough research and reporting. This article covers the human interest, statistical elements and political elements of this issue. Great work!
- Best Multimedia Package: First place, Emily Manuel & Blake Pierce; judge’s comment: A deep dive into a fatal accident that claimed the life of one of the university’s students and changed the lives of everyone involved. Masterful weaving of facts, figures, and procedures to give a complete look at the impact of this accident.
- Sports Coverage: Second place, Steve Iwanek & Lucas Kleimeyer; judge’s comment: I like the pull out information that is useful to sports fans looking for more information as well as details on upcoming events. Good overall coverage.
- Photojournalism: Second place, staff; judge’s comment (photos were from the women’s basketball WNIT run last spring): Photos show the joy of being an athlete and those big game moments. The crowd shot demonstrates how the crowd can play a big role in a game.
- Best Website: Third place, staff
“It’s incredible to watch the hard work everyone has put in over the past year and incredibly gratifying to see that others in the industry are noticing the hard work as well,” said Executive Content Director Brandon Loe. “I’m so proud of all of the contributions that have continued to push BG Falcon Media to a higher standard.”
This represents the second big awards day for BG Falcon Media, as we swept the Press Club of Toledo Touchstone Awards in October.