Students recognized for their efforts in
audio production, advertising, journalism
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO — Students from Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation received several prestigious national and regional awards from professional media organizations during the 2019-2020 school year.
“With a production and administrative team led by students, we take special pride in our award-winning content and staff,” said Austin Harvill, the chair of the RMSMC Board of Directors. “We know our structure encourages students to strive to be their very best, to lead their peers, and that drive is apparent this year.”
Nationally, the Princeton Review named the Rocky Mountain Collegian as the sixth-best college newspaper in the nation following a national survey of 140,000 students from 385 colleges. The paper ranked ninth the previous year.
The RMSMC Marketing and Advertising Department was honored by the College Media Business and Advertising Managers and Associated Collegiate Press with first-place awards for Best Innovative Idea for the Ram Deals coupons app, Best Print Ad Campaign, and Best Audio or Underwriting Spot. The Broadcasters Education Association recognized KCSU with a second place award for Sound Engineering and Production and an award of excellence for PSA, Promo or Commercial.
Commercial Broadcasters, Inc. recognized Collegian Television (CTV) with three national awards for sports reporting, sportscast and social media and recognized KCSU for station promo. The Associated Collegiate Press recognized the Rocky Mountain Collegian’s editor-in-chief, Forrest Czarnecki, with an honorable mention for feature photos.
Regionally, the Society of Professional Journalists recognized the Collegian for top honors in editorial cartoons and breaking news photography. College Avenue magazine was awarded best non-fiction news story and CTV won first place for Online/Digital News Videography. Regional winners are automatically entered into SPJ’s national contest; awards will be announced over the summer.
The full list of winning entries include:
Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Business and Advertising Managers:
- Print Ad campaign, First Place, RMSMC Staff
- Best Innovative Idea, First Place, RMSMC Staff
- Audio ad or underwriting spot, First Place, KCSU Staff
- Guerrilla Marketing/Strategy/Program/Event, Third Place, RMSMC Staff
- Social Media Promotion, Third Place, RMSMC Staff
- Cross Platform Social Media Campaign, Honorable Mention, RMSMC Staff
- Sales Strategy for a Special Section, Honorable Mention, RMSMC Staff
Associated Collegiate Press:
- Feature Photo, Honorable Mention, Forrest Czarnecki.
Broadcasters Education Association:
- Sound Engineering and Production, Second Place, Mia Sawaya, KCSU
- Promo or Commercial, Award of Excellence, Julia Battagliese, KCSU
College Broadcasters, Inc.
- Best Station Promo (Audio), Third Place, Julia Battagliese and Ave Martin
- Best Sports Reporting (Video), Fourth Place, CTV
- Best Sportscast (Video), Fourth Place, CTV
- Best Social Media Presence, Fourth Place, CTV
Princeton Review:
- Best College Newspaper, Sixth Place, Rocky Mountain Collegian.
Society of Professional Journalism Mark of Excellence national awards
Editorial Cartooning, National Finalist, Ryan Greene, Rocky Mountain Collegian
Society of Professional Journalism Mark of Excellence regional awards:
- Non-Fiction Magazine Article, First Place, Leta McWilliams and Kenia Ortiz, College Avenue Magazine
- Editorial Cartooning, First Place, Ryan Greene, Rocky Mountain Collegian
- Online/Digital News Videography, First Place, Collegian Television Staff.
- Breaking News Photography, First Place, Matt Tackett, Rocky Mountain Collegian
- Breaking News Photography, Finalist, Forrest Czarnecki, Rocky Mountain Collegian
- General News Reporting, Finalists, Austin Fleskes and Ravyn Cullor, Rocky Mountain Collegian
- In-Depth Reporting, Finalist, Samantha Ye, Rocky Mountain Collegian
- Feature Writing, Finalist, by Austin Fleskes, Rocky Mountain Collegian
- Best Student Magazine, Finalist: College Avenue Magazine
- Feature Photography, Finalist, Colin Shepherd, Rocky Mountain Collegian
- General News Photography, Finalist, by Anna von Pechmann, Rocky Mountain Collegian
SPJ Ethical Practices in Journalism:
- Leta McWilliams and Kenia Ortiz, College Avenue Magazine
Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation is a not-for-profit company that employs students to produce media for the Colorado State University and Fort Collins communities. Located on the CSU campus, RMSMC employs nearly 300 students annually to produce independent student media each school year on a variety of platforms, including The Rocky Mountain Collegian and Collegian.com, KCSU-FM radio, Collegian Television (CTV) and CSU TV11, College Avenue Magazine, and Student Video Productions.
