Western Illinois University NEWS3 Wins National Broadcasting Award for COVID-19 Coverage
Western Illinois University’s student-run, broadcast news station, NEWS3, won a broadcasting award at the annual National Undergraduate Student Electronic Media Competition, hosted by NBS March 28.
NEWS3 staffers Jenna Skarlupka, a senior broadcasting and journalism major, from Freeport, IL, and Cayson Frerichs, a senior broadcasting and journalism major, from Geneseo, IL, won a national award in the Web News Article category for “COVID-19 by the Numbers: WIU reports positive tests ‘administered by the University.'” Skarlupka and Frerichs were finalists in the category, along with Mississippi State University.
WIU has had a Quad-Cities presence since 1912, and before moving to River Drive in Moline, was at 60th Street off John Deere Road.
“I am so proud of Cayson and Jenna for their consistent and comprehensive coverage of COVID-19 on and off campus for the last six months,” said WIU Broadcasting Instructor/News Director Jessica M. Martin. “Jenna updated the NEWS3 COVID-19 graphic daily online to show the actual case numbers on campus and compare the results to the county and state numbers. They continue to work hard on this topic and I know they will both go far in their careers in the future.”
NEWS3 staffers and Broadcast Journalism’s sports broadcasters were finalists for a number of categories, including Web News Article, Audio Sports Segment, Video Sports Package, Live Sports Production, and Video Program Opener. The submissions were completed by WIU students Skarlupka; Frerichs; senior broadcasting and journalism major Will Beesing, of Byron, IL; senior broadcasting and journalism major RJ Larson, from Burlington, WI; and students in the classes BCJ 320 and BCJ 420, Sports Production I and II.
The judges for the NBS competition consisted of more than 60 current and past professionals in the field of broadcast, and submissions were nominated based on receiving a set point total by the judges. Category winners will receive a trophy, and other nominees will receive an Honorable Mention.
NEWS3 is the student-run television station and BCJ 320 and 420 are courses and both are located and held within the University’s Department of Broadcasting and Journalism.
The prestigious competition boasted nominations from the University of Florida, the University of Indianapolis, Mississippi State University, Marshall University, West Texas A&M University and several more.
For more information about WIU’s Department of Broadcasting and Journalism, visit wiu.edu/BCJ.
