Southeastern Students Win Mark of Excellence Awards

Newswise — HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University students employed at the Southeastern Channel won six 2015 Mark of Excellence Awards at the annual Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 conference held in New Orleans recently. The Southeastern Channel students honored were named second-place finalists in five different television categories. The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism in a calendar year. SPJ’s Region 12 comprises all universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. Southeastern competed against all schools with 10,000 or greater enrollment. The second-place awards presented to students included “Best Overall Television Newscast” for the student newscast, “Northshore News.” It was the eighth time in the last nine years that “Northshore News” has been honored as one of the region’s top newscasts as either a first or second-place winner. “Northshore News” reporter Dominique Brogle of Destrehan won second place in “Television General News Reporting” for her story, “Port Marigny,” about the proposed new St. Tammany development. In March Brogle was named the state’s “2016 Student Broadcaster of the Year” by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters. Reporter Brittany Robinson of Slidell won second place in “Television Feature Reporting” for her story “I-10 Twin Spans Rebuilt,” a commemorative for the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, produced for the student news magazine show “Southeastern Times.” Robinson earlier also won a student Emmy award and SEJC “Best in the South” honors for the twin span story. Reporter/Videographer Sarah Barbier of Mandeville won second-place honors in “Television News and Feature Photography” for her videography for two different stories she produced for “Southeastern Times.” Barbier won for her “Pumpkin Spice Latte” and “Abita Mystery House” news feature packages. Reporter/Videographer Tyler Waggenspack of Baton Rouge won second-place in “Television Sports Photography” for his videography for the story, “Lions Cross Country,” produced for “The Big Game” student sportscast. Producer Drew Sagona of Pearl River earned second-place honors in “Television In-Depth Reporting” for his documentary “Drums Along the River: History of the Natchez Pow-Wow.” “We’re thrilled for our students who won these television awards against all of the largest universities in the region,” said Southeastern Channel General Manager Rick Settoon. “The Mark of Excellence Award is one of the most prestigious in student journalism, and we’re excited that our students continue to win top honors.” Settoon pointed out that Southeastern Channel students have now won top SPJ awards every year since 2007 when the channel started entering the competition. “This is well-deserved recognition for our students’ excellent work, and it reflects the outstanding training they receive from Southeastern Channel staff members and instructors in the Department of Languages and Communication.” The Southeastern Channel, broadcast on Charter 199 in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Livingston parishes and at www.southeastern.edu/tv, has won over 250 national, international and regional awards in only 13 years of existence. -