The Echo and News 6, UCA’s student-run newspaper and television news station from the School of Communication, gained top honors —including best student newspaper, best website and a second-place showing in best television outlet — in a journalism competition run by Arkansas College Media Association (ACMA).
The independent student newspaper also took various individual awards for writing, photography, page layouts, cartoons and online coverage. Among the awards, senior Mia Waddell won reporter of the year, and junior Madison Ogle received photographer of the year.
News 6 gained individual awards for its production on stories related to campus life.
The ACMA awards include the following:
General Excellence
Newspaper of the Year
- First: The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Website of the Year
- First: The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Television Outlet of the Year
- Second: News 6, University of Central Arkansas
Reporter of the Year
- First: Mia Waddell
Photographer of the Year
- First: Madison Ogle
Sports Photo
- Honorable Mention: Madison Ogle
Newswriting
- First: Emily Kennard — “Students arrested for trans rights protest at school board meeting”
- Second: Amber Austen — “UCA first college in state to place Narcan kits across campus”
Editorial Page Layout
- First: Courtney Shepherd and Mia Waddell
Advertising
- First: Mia Waddell — sports feature ad
- Second: Mia Waddell — hiring ad
Front Page Layout
- First: Bennett Tinnermon — Homecoming front page
Spot News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — Firefighter kneeling
- Second: Madison Ogle — Conway shooting
Sports Column
- Third: Madison Ogle — “UCA should buy into the home-field advantage”
Personality Profile
- Second: Courtney Shepherd — “People of UCA: Chase Mauk”
- Third: Amber Austen — “Ukrainian Hendrix professor reflects on European conflict”
Election/Political
- Second: Delaney Van Wilpe — “Secretary of state candidates debate”
- Third: Edmund Burke — “Republicans win big across Arkansas on election night”
Editorial Cartoon
- First: Madison Ogle — “Ron DeSantis says ‘Don’t Say Gay’ ”
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Elon Musk terrorizes Twitter”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Sarah Huckabee Sanders takes office”
Cartoon Strip or Single Panel Entertainment Cartoon
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Rihanna performs at Super Bowl”
Meeting/Speech
- First: Mia Waddell — “Conway launches first public transportation system”
- Honorable Mention: Will McDonald — “SGA allocates $10k to buy carved wooden bear chair”
Sports Page Layout
- Second: Madison Ogle
Sports Feature
- First: Andraea Aguilera — “Brough keeps faith close in soccer”
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Freshman shatters UCA record”
Editorial Writing
- Second: Courtney Shepherd — “A letter to Sarah Huckabee Sanders”
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Big companies don’t care about Black people”
- Honorable Mention: Delaney Van Wilpe — “AR red wave to threaten state’s reporters”
Sports Story
- Second: Madison Ogle — “UCA masters the elements in slick homecoming victory”
- Third: Mia Waddell — “Women’s soccer has a howling good time despite tie”
- Honorable Mention: Kevin King — “Men’s soccer game commemorates life of player”
In-Depth News
- Second: Emilee Hagewood and Bennett Tinnermon — “UCA professor offers bonus points for fake reviews”
- Third: Mia Waddell — “African/African American studies given two-year extension”
Art/Illustration
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Mass shooting victims”
Feature Photo
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Greek Step Show salute”
General Column
- First: Madison Ogle — “You don’t always have to know everything”
- Third: Andraea Aguilera — “Wedding culture is getting out of hand”
Feature Writing
- First: Gabe White — “Student bikes 800 laps around fountain for suicide awareness”
- Third: Bennett Tinnermon — “Archives upload a thousand retro photos to website”
ONLINE
Sports Writing
- Second: Sydney Ambrus — “Friends, family mourn loss of football player Garrett Thomas”
Online Advertising
- First: Mia Waddell — sports Echo ad
- Second: Mia Waddell — hiring ad
Feature Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Students laugh during UCA’s Glow Rage party”
- Second: Madison Ogle — “A couple sit together on a ride at UCA’s Fall Fest”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Crowning of Jada Simpson during Miss UCA pageant”
Sports Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “A UCA player goes for a basket during a Veterans Day match against Hendrix”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “A UCA player jumps for a basket during a match against Lindenwood”
Breaking News (w/in 24 hours of event)
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Three dead, one injured in series of Conway shootings”
Newswriting
- First: Madison Ogle — “Burdick Hall will not resume its normal operations until late 2024”
- Second: Mia Waddell — “Conway nearing opening of emergency overnight shelter”
Editorials/Commentary/Blogs
- Third: Maci England — “Ariel’s ethnicity should not matter”
Topical Reporting/Blogs
- First: Emily Kennard — “Crowdfunded cafe supplies Conway with caffeine, cats”
Spot News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Protester chants with ‘Abortion is Healthcare’ sign at peaceful protest at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decision”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Officers walk with the body of a victim behind them following a shooting near UCA”
Meeting/speech coverage
- First: Madison Ogle — “National First-Gen Day unites generations of students”
- Honorable Mention: Sydney Cyr — “Expert panelists answer student questions about science and religion”
Social Media-Breaking News
- First: Madison Ogle — Campus fire
- Second: Madison Ogle — Campus shooting
Articles-Arts & Entertainment
- First: Sydney Ambrus — “Black contemporary artist Cozetta Jones sells paintings online, in local galleries”
- Second: Delaney Van Wilpe — “501 Finds provides Conway with vintage clothing”
In-Depth Reporting
- First: Ashlyn Little — “Faulkner homeless population grows; Cold weather increases risk, demand”
- Second: Edmund Burke — “CDC recommends updated booster shot”
- Third: Ashlyn Little — “High fuel prices affect city’s first responders”
Niche/Specialty Site
- First: Emily Kennard and Delaney Van Wilpe — UCAnews.live
- Second: Addison Freeman and Olyvia Gonzalez — @ucaecho InstaGram
- Third: Mia Waddell — @theEchoUCA TikTok
Election/Political
- First: Edmund Burke — “Biden unveils new student debt relief plan”
Feature Writing
- First: Courtney Shepherd — “Black professors not a monolith; diversity still important to campus”
- Honorable Mention: Madison Ogle — “9/11 Stair Climb keeps memory alive for post-2001 generation”
Reviews-Arts & Entertainment
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre sullies franchise”
News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Protesters gather at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decision”
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Owen Haynes, Annabelle Potter and Stephanie Giblin march back to Little Rock Capitol after peaceful protest for Roe vs. Wade decision”
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Jay Miles leads chants at peaceful protest at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decision”
TELEVISION
Sports Feature
- Third: Ethan Davis — “Bill Fryar golf”
- Honorable Mention: Kira Jenkins — “Benefits of kickboxing”
Feature
- First: Autumn Martin — “Gibson’s Cate Café”
- Second: Kira Jenkins — “Dog mental health”
News Reporting
- Second: Sydney Ambrus — “Winter fashion show”
- Third: Aiden Barber — “Friends of the Library”
- Honorable Mention: Ethan Davis — “Chronic wasting disease”
