The Echo and News 6, СӰԺ’s student-run newspaper and television news station from the School of Communication, gained top honors —including best student newspaper, best website and a second-place showing in best television outlet — in a journalism competition run by Arkansas College Media Association (ACMA).
The independent student newspaper also took various individual awards for writing, photography, page layouts, cartoons and . Among the awards, senior Mia Waddell won reporter of the year, and junior Madison Ogle received photographer of the year.
News 6 gained individual awards for its production on stories related to campus life.
The ACMA awards include the following:
General Excellence
Newspaper of the Year
- First: The Echo, СӰԺ
Website of the Year
- First: The Echo, СӰԺ
Television Outlet of the Year
- Second: News 6, СӰԺ
Reporter of the Year
- First: Mia Waddell
Photographer of the Year
- First: Madison Ogle
Sports Photo
- Honorable Mention: Madison Ogle
Newswriting
- First: Emily Kennard — “Students arrested for trans rights protest at school board meeting”
- Second: Amber Austen — “СӰԺ first college in state to place Narcan kits across campus”
Editorial Page Layout
- First: Courtney Shepherd and Mia Waddell
Advertising
- First: Mia Waddell — sports feature ad
- Second: Mia Waddell — hiring ad
Front Page Layout
- First: Bennett Tinnermon — Homecoming front page
Spot News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — Firefighter kneeling
- Second: Madison Ogle — Conway shooting
Sports Column
- Third: Madison Ogle — “СӰԺ should buy into the home-field advantage”
Personality Profile
- Second: Courtney Shepherd — “People of СӰԺ: Chase Mauk”
- Third: Amber Austen — “Ukrainian Hendrix professor reflects on European conflict”
Election/Political
- Second: Delaney Van Wilpe — “Secretary of state candidates debate”
- Third: Edmund Burke — “Republicans win big across Arkansas on election night”
Editorial Cartoon
- First: Madison Ogle — “Ron DeSantis says ‘Don’t Say Gay’ ”
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Elon Musk terrorizes Twitter”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Sarah Huckabee Sanders takes office”
Cartoon Strip or Single Panel Entertainment Cartoon
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Rihanna performs at Super Bowl”
Meeting/Speech
- First: Mia Waddell — “Conway launches first public transportation system”
- Honorable Mention: Will McDonald — “SGA allocates $10k to buy carved wooden bear chair”
Sports Page Layout
- Second: Madison Ogle
Sports Feature
- First: Andraea Aguilera — “Brough keeps faith close in soccer”
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Freshman shatters СӰԺ record”
Editorial Writing
- Second: Courtney Shepherd — “A letter to Sarah Huckabee Sanders”
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Big companies don’t care about Black people”
- Honorable Mention: Delaney Van Wilpe — “AR red wave to threaten state’s reporters”
Sports Story
- Second: Madison Ogle — “СӰԺ masters the elements in slick homecoming victory”
- Third: Mia Waddell — “Women’s soccer has a howling good time despite tie”
- Honorable Mention: Kevin King — “Men’s soccer game commemorates life of player”
In-Depth News
- Second: Emilee Hagewood and Bennett Tinnermon — “СӰԺ professor offers bonus points for fake reviews”
- Third: Mia Waddell — “African/African American studies given two-year extension”
Art/Illustration
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Mass shooting victims”
Feature Photo
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Greek Step Show salute”
General Column
- First: Madison Ogle — “You don’t always have to know everything”
- Third: Andraea Aguilera — “Wedding culture is getting out of hand”
Feature Writing
- First: Gabe White — “Student bikes 800 laps around fountain for suicide awareness”
- Third: Bennett Tinnermon — “Archives upload a thousand retro photos to website”
ONLINE
Sports Writing
- Second: Sydney Ambrus — “Friends, family mourn loss of football player Garrett Thomas”
Online Advertising
- First: Mia Waddell — sports Echo ad
- Second: Mia Waddell — hiring ad
Feature Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Students laugh during СӰԺ’s Glow Rage party”
- Second: Madison Ogle — “A couple sit together on a ride at СӰԺ’s Fall Fest”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Crowning of Jada Simpson during Miss СӰԺ pageant”
Sports Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “A СӰԺ player goes for a basket during a Veterans Day match against Hendrix”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “A СӰԺ player jumps for a basket during a match against Lindenwood”
Breaking News (w/in 24 hours of event)
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Three dead, one injured in series of Conway shootings”
Newswriting
- First: Madison Ogle — “Burdick Hall will not resume its normal operations until late 2024”
- Second: Mia Waddell — “Conway nearing opening of emergency overnight shelter”
Editorials/Commentary/Blogs
- Third: Maci England — “Ariel’s ethnicity should not matter”
Topical Reporting/Blogs
- First: Emily Kennard — “Crowdfunded cafe supplies Conway with caffeine, cats”
Spot News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Protester chants with ‘Abortion is Healthcare’ sign at peaceful protest at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decision”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Officers walk with the body of a victim behind them following a shooting near СӰԺ”
Meeting/speech coverage
- First: Madison Ogle — “National First-Gen Day unites generations of students”
- Honorable Mention: Sydney Cyr — “Expert panelists answer student questions about science and religion”
Social Media-Breaking News
- First: Madison Ogle — Campus fire
- Second: Madison Ogle — Campus shooting
Articles-Arts & Entertainment
- First: Sydney Ambrus — “Black contemporary artist Cozetta Jones sells paintings online, in local galleries”
- Second: Delaney Van Wilpe — “501 Finds provides Conway with vintage clothing”
In-Depth Reporting
- First: Ashlyn Little — “Faulkner homeless population grows; Cold weather increases risk, demand”
- Second: Edmund Burke — “CDC recommends updated booster shot”
- Third: Ashlyn Little — “High fuel prices affect city’s first responders”
Niche/Specialty Site
- First: Emily Kennard and Delaney Van Wilpe — СӰԺnews.live
- Second: Addison Freeman and Olyvia Gonzalez — @ucaecho InstaGram
- Third: Mia Waddell — @theEchoСӰԺ TikTok
Election/Political
- First: Edmund Burke — “Biden unveils new student debt relief plan”
Feature Writing
- First: Courtney Shepherd — “Black professors not a monolith; diversity still important to campus”
- Honorable Mention: Madison Ogle — “9/11 Stair Climb keeps memory alive for post-2001 generation”
Reviews-Arts & Entertainment
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre sullies franchise”
News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Protesters gather at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decision”
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Owen Haynes, Annabelle Potter and Stephanie Giblin march back to Little Rock Capitol after peaceful protest for Roe vs. Wade decision”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Jay Miles leads chants at peaceful protest at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decision”
TELEVISION
Sports Feature
- Third: Ethan Davis — “Bill Fryar golf”
- Honorable Mention: Kira Jenkins — “Benefits of kickboxing”
Feature
- First: Autumn Martin — “Gibson’s Cate Café”
- Second: Kira Jenkins — “Dog mental health”
News Reporting
- Second: Sydney Ambrus — “Winter fashion show”
- Third: Aiden Barber — “Friends of the Library”
- Honorable Mention: Ethan Davis — “Chronic wasting disease”
