MSU wins big at ‘Best of the South’ contest, passes baton for SEJC leadership

STARKVILLE, Miss.—After Mississippi State University’s two-year term leading the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC), it officially passed the torch of leadership to Georgia Highlands College on March 24. The college will host SEJC in 2026.

MSU Communication Instructor Josh Foreman served as SEJC president for 2024–2025 and organized this year’s conference held on the MSU campus. He also co-coordinated the annual “Best of the South” contest with Samford University’s Clay Carey. Georgia Highlands Instructor Katie Baxter will take over as SEJC president for 2025–2026.

“SEJC is one of the most fun conferences because it’s regional, and students are really invested,” said Foreman, who also serves as advisor to The Reflector. “We are all looking forward to visiting a new campus in 2026.”

The 2025 conference drew approximately 240 students and advisors from 27 universities across the South. MSU hosted top-tier journalists as panelists, including New York Times reporter Isabelle Taft, Yahoo Sports’s Ross Dellenger, The Hill’s Elizabeth Crisp, Minnesota Vikings editor Craig Peters, and WLBT-TV anchor C.J. LeMaster.

“We wanted our guests to learn from some top professionals, have fun competing in on-site competitions, eat some good Southern food and just have a good time in general,” Foreman said. “We succeeded.”

MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications Sid Salter moderated a panel on national newsroom culture, while communication Professor Philip Poe led a session on sports journalism amid industry change.

MSU helped recruit the University of Florida into SEJC in 2025, joining fellow SEC members Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and MSU.

In the 2025 Best of the South competition, MSU won 17 total awards, including two first-place honors and several top-three finishes in competitive reporting categories. MSU placed third in the overall Journalist of the Year category. The University of Kentucky led the conference with 18 total awards.

On-site competitions took place throughout MSU’s campus and Starkville. Students covered the MSU vs. Missouri men’s basketball game, filmed climbers at the Sanderson Center’s new bouldering wall, podcasted from the Meyer Student Media Center and interviewed artists at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern.

Melissa Hubley, aquatics and outdoor adventures coordinator at the Sanderson Center, helped plan several of the competitions.

“The Sanderson Center was happy to provide unique spaces in the bouldering wall and pool for the student journalists,” Hubley said. “The Outdoor Adventures staff was involved in the video competition and they had a lot of fun.”

MSU’s PRISM student agency won first place in the Best Advertising category for an ad campaign they created for the city of Eupora. 

“I am incredibly proud of the students who worked with the City of Eupora to create a campaign that fit their community,” said Kelli Anthony, PRISM director and communication instructor. “Their creativity showcased the best parts of life in Eupora.”

MSU’s 2025 SEJC “Best of the South” Awards:

1st Place

Best Advertising Staff Member: senior communication majors Anica Hankey, Rebekah Brown, Makenzie Stone, Presley White

Best Radio Station: Mississippi State University

2nd Place

Best News Writer: Lizzie Tomlin, a Fall 2024 MSU graduate

Best Feature Writer: Lizzie Tomlin

Best Radio News Reporter: Raylen Ladner, a Fall 2024 MSU graduate

Best TV Feature Reporter: Aubrey Carter, a senior communication major

Best Radio Feature: Taylor Howard, a senior communication major

Best Multimedia Journalist: Michael Cassidy, a Fall 2024 MSU graduate

Best TV Station: Mississippi State University

3rd Place

Best Arts and Entertainment Writer: Grace Sullivan, a senior communication major

Best Special Event Reporter: Ivy Rose Ball, a senior communication major

Journalist of the Year: Ivy Rose Ball

Magazine Designer: Jill Horner and Michelle Daschbach, both Fall 2024 MSU graduates

Public Service Journalism: “The Great Unknown Project”

Best Video Newscast: Mississippi State University

Best Research: senior communication majors Mary Balzi, Jamie Briggs, Madisyn Henry and Anna Welborn

5th Place

Best Graphic Artist/Data Journalist: Kate Myers, a junior communication major

For more information about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre, visit www.cas.msstate.edu or www.comm.msstate.edu. 

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