Mississippi State student journalists earn 28 awards at Southeast Journalism Conference

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University student journalists earned 28 awards at the 2026 Southeast Journalism Conference earlier this semester, securing high-ranking placements in more than two dozen categories and demonstrating excellence across student media platforms.

MSU students placed in 22 of the 29 Best of the South categories, earning honors in television, radio, newspaper, magazine and research competitions. In the overall competition, MSU placed second for Best TV Station and third for Best Audio Program, Best Newspaper and Best Radio Station.

Students also earned recognition in onsite competitions requiring participants to produce content under tight deadlines, with entries judged by media professionals. Freshman Carter Scaggs won first place in the “Design – Infographic” competition, while junior Kate Myers earned third place in the competitive “Journalist of the Year” category.

“The fact that MSU won 28 SEJC awards speaks volumes about our high-achieving students and their initiative, drive and determination to tell excellent stories across multiple media platforms,” said Terry Likes, head of MSU’s Department of Communication, Media and Theatre. “This marks nearly 500 student journalism and media awards across national, regional and state competitions in the last six-plus years. By any count, that is a monumental achievement.”

“I’m really proud to see us placing highly in so many categories, and I think it really shows how The Reflector and student media overall at MSU strive for excellence in reporting,” said Ivy Rose Ball, editor-in-chief of The Reflector.

Myers, who earned recognition in five categories, including third place in “Journalist of the Year,” credited her experience in student media for shaping her career path.

“My work at The Reflector gave me the direction and momentum I needed to become the journalist I am today,” Myers said. “The professors in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre have been vital in supporting my journey; they are among my biggest encouragers.”

Scaggs, a data science major who joined The Reflector as a reporter and data visualization specialist in Fall 2025, said his coursework helped him present complex information in accessible ways.

“Data visualizations are also great for short-term storytelling,” Scaggs said. “In my personal experience, whenever I read an article or a study paper I tend to skip straight to the graph to see the author’s backings for his or her claims.”

The conference, held Feb. 5-7 at Georgia Highlands College in Cartersville, Georgia, drew students from approximately 25 universities. Participants competed in onsite contests judged overnight by media professionals and attended sessions with industry leaders.

Founded in 1986, the Southeast Journalism Conference promotes excellence in journalism education across the region. Mississippi State hosted SEJC in 2025 and coordinated the Best of the South contest in 2024. Next year’s conference will be hosted by Samford University.

Awards earned by Mississippi State students include: 

Best of the South Competition
•    MSU: 2nd place, Best TV Station
•    MSU: 3rd place, Best Audio Program
•    MSU: 3rd place, Best Newspaper 
•    MSU: 3rd place, Best Radio Station 
•    MSU: 5th place, Best Website (reflector-online.com) 
•    Kate Myers and Ivy Rose Ball: 2nd place, Best Public Service Journalism
•    Eli Mabry, Brielle Dennis Grant and Sophie Hoard: 2nd place, Best Research Paper
•    Elena Harman: 2nd place, Best Opinion-Editorial Writer
•    Kate Myers: 2nd place, Special Events Reporter
•    Kate Myers: 2nd place, Best Newspaper Designer
•    Haylee Morman: 2nd place, Best Radio News Reporter
•    Kate Myers: 3rd place, Journalist of the Year
•    Haylee Morman: 3rd place, Best Radio Journalist
•    Leah Wisener: 3rd place, Best Magazine Designer
•    Kaitlyn Church: 3rd place, Best Magazine Writer
•    Natalie Staggers: 3rd place, Best Feature Writer
•    Noah McCord: 3rd place, Best Sports Writer
•    Rowan Feasel: 4th place, Best Arts and Entertainment Writer
•    Ivy Rose Ball: 4th place, Best Photographer
•    Haylee Morman: 4th place, Best Radio Feature Reporter
•    Tafada Wright: 4th place, Best TV Journalist
•    Grace Harvey: 5th place, Best TV Feature Reporter

Onsite Competition
•    Carter Scaggs: 1st place, Design Infographic
•    Erin Erter: 2nd place, Arts and Entertainment Multimedia
•    Kate Myers: 2nd place, News Writing/Data Journalism
•    Abby Miller: 3rd place, Sports Writing
•    Noah McCord: Honorable Mention, Current Events Quiz
•    Ra'Maya Brown: Honorable Mention, TV News Anchoring

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