Awards & Honors
MSU’s Take 30 News tops SEC for journalism awards
Mississippi State University’s Department of Communication student-produced newscast, Take 30 News, earned top honors this spring at the Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards, winning Best All-Around Television Newscast—one of the contest’s most prestigious categories.
MSU students also claimed Best Website for The Reflector and Best Personality Profile by a student journalist for The Reflector.
The Mark of Excellence Awards recognize the best collegiate journalists across various categories, including reporting, writing, photography, and digital media. Region 12 includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Universities participating this year include the University of Mississippi, University of Arkansas, Louisiana State University, Loyola University, University of Tennessee, among others. Take 30 News took first place over strong finalists from the University of Tennessee and the University of Arkansas.
“It’s incredible to watch our talented students pour their passion into Take 30 News and continue to grow as journalists each week,” said Marcus Hunter, an MSU associate professor of practice who leads the Take 30 class. “Their hard work and dedication shine through every show, and this award is a well-deserved recognition of their amazing progress and commitment.”
Best Website was awarded to MSU’s student newspaper, The Reflector. The website, www.reflector-online.com, showcases a mix of stories, photos, social media posts, podcasts and more, all created by The Reflector staff. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the site was managed by Jaren Cady, a senior majoring in computer science from Southaven.
“I just basically followed orders and made it look pretty simple, without cluttering up the website,” Cady said. “Good layout and good positioning on the homepage, simple formatting–– everything at your fingertips is nice to have.”
Lizzie Tomlin, a Fall 2024 graduate from Starkville, won Best Personality Profile for her article, “Smithville’s King of Cards.”
Tomlin profiled Nash Heady, a young Mississippian who built a lucrative sports memorabilia business in Smithville. Through vivid description and strong storytelling, she brought Heady’s story to life.
“Nash is almost always spotted in a ’90s style graphic tee showcasing athletes from his card collection, often paired with a vintage snapback cap,” said Tomlin, who will continue her education next semester in Arizona State University’s investigative journalism master’s program.
“He has rocked frosted tips multiple times in the past few years and has giant bull horns mounted on the front of his Toyota 4Runner.”
In total, MSU won seven Mark of Excellence Awards at the conference.
Winners include:
- Best All-Around Television Newscast: Take 30 News —Staff, Take 30 News
- Personality Profile (Large): Smithville’s king of cards deals fortune in sports memorabilia —Lizzie Tomlin, The Reflector
- Best Affiliated Web Site: Reflector-online.com —Staff, The Reflector
Finalists include:
- Sports Column Writing: The Reflector —Staff, The Reflector
- In-Depth Reporting (Large): DEI under attack at Mississippi State University—Ivy Rose Ball, The Reflector, a senior communication major from Muscle Shoals.
- Podcast (Narrative): Today with Taylor: Students create technology to help the ASL community—by Taylor Howard, WMSV News, a senior communication major from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Television General News Reporting: Solar facility arrives In Magnolia State—by Aubrey Carter, Take 30 News, a senior communication major from Alabaster, AL.
For more about the College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Communication, visit www.cas.msstate.edu or www.comm.msstate.edu.
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