MSPR wins 13 AP Awards
Staff and students at Morehead State Public Radio (MSPR), WMKY earned 13 Kentucky Associated Press (AP) Awards during a ceremony held April 13.
News Director Leeann Akers took home six professional awards, including three first-place awards. They were for best short light news story, best short public affairs story and best long newscast. Akers took home second place honors for best sports reporting, best sports feature and best use of sound, an award she shared with MSU Instructor of Journalism John Flavell. She also shared her long newscast award with Logan Pemberton, a senior convergent media major from Paintsville.
“It is always humbling to be recognized by other professional journalists at the Kentucky Associated Press Awards,” Akers said. “Because every day is starting over, sometimes we forget just how many stories we produce in the course of a year. I'm honored to receive six awards this year, but the news team is already thinking about what we need to do to make WMKY even more successful in the future.”
Students also took home awards from the AP, winning two first-place recognitions: Chas Jenkins, a junior convergent media major from Morehead, won first place for best feature; and Jacob Lindberg, a senior convergent media major from Morehead, won first place along with Pemberton and Peyton Stewart, a sophomore music industry major from Richmond, for best newscast. Pemberton also won second place in that category.
Other second place winners were Juliana Leach, a junior convergent media major from Flemingsburg, for best feature; Tildon Johnson, a 2018 graduate in convergent media form Morehead, for best sports coverage and Lindberg for best news story and best radio reporter.
“Morehead State University is the only college in the state that has student workers that graduate with hands-on experience in a professional environment. MSPR invites students to begin training as soon as they enroll at Morehead State University,” Akers said.
“We had six students take home awards this year, and they have all worked hard to learn broadcasting and journalism. I know that, when they graduate, they will go on to achieve great things.”
MSPR General Manager Paul Hitchcock said the success of students is at the core of the station’s mission.
“MSPR’s students learn valuable, transferable communication skills through hands-on training from broadcast professionals. WMKY was founded in 1965 as an educational outreach and MSPR continues today to be an outlet for student opportunities,” Hitchcock said. “This recognition is a testament to their hard work and dedication in providing quality news every day. I’m extremely proud of our staff and students.”
To learn more about Morehead State Public Radio WMKY, visit www.wmky.org, email General Manager Paul Hitchcock at p.hitchc@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2001.
For information on communication and media programs at MSU, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/cml, email cml@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2134.
Photo: from left, Nacogdoches Miller, Tildon Johson, Jacob Lindberg, Chas Jenkins, Leeann Akers, Bryan Courtney and Logan Pemberton. Photo credit: MSPR.
