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 . 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 meetingâ€
- Second: Amber Austen — “BTÌìÌÃfirst college in state to place Narcan kits across campusâ€
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 — “BTÌìÌÃshould buy into the home-field advantageâ€
Personality Profile
- Second: Courtney Shepherd — “People of UCA: Chase Maukâ€
- Third: Amber Austen — “Ukrainian Hendrix professor reflects on European conflictâ€
Election/Political
- Second: Delaney Van Wilpe — “Secretary of state candidates debateâ€
- Third: Edmund Burke — “Republicans win big across Arkansas on election nightâ€
Editorial Cartoon
- First: Madison Ogle — “Ron DeSantis says ‘Don’t Say Gay’ â€
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Elon Musk terrorizes Twitterâ€
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Sarah Huckabee Sanders takes officeâ€
Cartoon Strip or Single Panel Entertainment Cartoon
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Rihanna performs at Super Bowlâ€
Meeting/Speech
- First: Mia Waddell — “Conway launches first public transportation systemâ€
- Honorable Mention: Will McDonald — “SGA allocates $10k to buy carved wooden bear chairâ€
Sports Page Layout
- Second: Madison Ogle
Sports Feature
- First: Andraea Aguilera — “Brough keeps faith close in soccerâ€
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Freshman shatters BTÌìÌÃrecordâ€
Editorial Writing
- Second: Courtney Shepherd — “A letter to Sarah Huckabee Sandersâ€
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Big companies don’t care about Black peopleâ€
- Honorable Mention: Delaney Van Wilpe — “AR red wave to threaten state’s reportersâ€
Sports Story
- Second: Madison Ogle — “BTÌìÌÃmasters the elements in slick homecoming victoryâ€
- Third: Mia Waddell — “Women’s soccer has a howling good time despite tieâ€
- Honorable Mention: Kevin King — “Men’s soccer game commemorates life of playerâ€
In-Depth News
- Second: Emilee Hagewood and Bennett Tinnermon — “BTÌìÌÃprofessor offers bonus points for fake reviewsâ€
- Third: Mia Waddell — “African/African American studies given two-year extensionâ€
Art/Illustration
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Mass shooting victimsâ€
Feature Photo
- Third: Courtney Shepherd — “Greek Step Show saluteâ€
General Column
- First: Madison Ogle — “You don’t always have to know everythingâ€
- Third: Andraea Aguilera — “Wedding culture is getting out of handâ€
Feature Writing
- First: Gabe White — “Student bikes 800 laps around fountain for suicide awarenessâ€
- Third: Bennett Tinnermon — “Archives upload a thousand retro photos to websiteâ€
ONLINE
Sports Writing
- Second: Sydney Ambrus — “Friends, family mourn loss of football player Garrett Thomasâ€
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 partyâ€
- Second: Madison Ogle — “A couple sit together on a ride at UCA’s Fall Festâ€
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Crowning of Jada Simpson during Miss BTÌìÌÃpageantâ€
Sports Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “A BTÌìÌÃplayer goes for a basket during a Veterans Day match against Hendrixâ€
- Third: Madison Ogle — “A BTÌìÌÃplayer jumps for a basket during a match against Lindenwoodâ€
Breaking News (w/in 24 hours of event)
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Three dead, one injured in series of Conway shootingsâ€
Newswriting
- First: Madison Ogle — “Burdick Hall will not resume its normal operations until late 2024â€
- Second: Mia Waddell — “Conway nearing opening of emergency overnight shelterâ€
Editorials/Commentary/Blogs
- Third: Maci England — “Ariel’s ethnicity should not matterâ€
Topical Reporting/Blogs
- First: Emily Kennard — “Crowdfunded cafe supplies Conway with caffeine, catsâ€
Spot News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Protester chants with ‘Abortion is Healthcare’ sign at peaceful protest at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decisionâ€
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Officers walk with the body of a victim behind them following a shooting near UCAâ€
Meeting/speech coverage
- First: Madison Ogle — “National First-Gen Day unites generations of studentsâ€
- Honorable Mention: Sydney Cyr — “Expert panelists answer student questions about science and religionâ€
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 galleriesâ€
- Second: Delaney Van Wilpe — “501 Finds provides Conway with vintage clothingâ€
In-Depth Reporting
- First: Ashlyn Little — “Faulkner homeless population grows; Cold weather increases risk, demandâ€
- Second: Edmund Burke — “CDC recommends updated booster shotâ€
- Third: Ashlyn Little — “High fuel prices affect city’s first respondersâ€
Niche/Specialty Site
- First: Emily Kennard and Delaney Van Wilpe — UCAnews.live
- Second: Addison Freeman and Olyvia Gonzalez — @ucaecho InstaGram
- Third: Mia Waddell — @theEchoBTÌìÌÃTikTok
Election/Political
- First: Edmund Burke — “Biden unveils new student debt relief planâ€
Feature Writing
- First: Courtney Shepherd — “Black professors not a monolith; diversity still important to campusâ€
- Honorable Mention: Madison Ogle — “9/11 Stair Climb keeps memory alive for post-2001 generationâ€
Reviews-Arts & Entertainment
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre sullies franchiseâ€
News Photo
- First: Madison Ogle — “Protesters gather at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decisionâ€
- Second: Madison Ogle — “Owen Haynes, Annabelle Potter and Stephanie Giblin march back to Little Rock Capitol after peaceful protest for Roe vs. Wade decisionâ€
- Third: Madison Ogle — “Jay Miles leads chants at peaceful protest at Little Rock Capitol after Roe vs. Wade decisionâ€
TELEVISION
Sports Feature
- Third: Ethan Davis — “Bill Fryar golfâ€
- Honorable Mention: Kira Jenkins — “Benefits of kickboxingâ€
Feature
- First: Autumn Martin — “Gibson’s Cate Caféâ€
- Second: Kira Jenkins — “Dog mental healthâ€
News Reporting
- Second: Sydney Ambrus — “Winter fashion showâ€
- Third: Aiden Barber — “Friends of the Libraryâ€
- Honorable Mention: Ethan Davis — “Chronic wasting diseaseâ€
