Students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications earned national recognition at MediaFest25, the nation’s largest media convention for professionals and college students, held Oct. 15–18, in Washington, D.C.  The event is sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the College Media Association, which presents the Pinnacle Awards, and the  Associated Collegiate Press, which presents the Pacemaker Awards.

College Media Association Pinnacle Awards

The CMA had a total of 3,358 entries and 1,165 finalists across eight categories. Staff of the Carolina Reporter brought home two of this year's prestigious awards, showcasing the school’s commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation in multimedia storytelling. 

Visual communications major Julia Spies received second place in the Short Documentary category for The Talmadge Moore LeGrand Photojournalism Workshop, which showcased the annual hands-on photojournalism experience held each spring during the Carolina Cup steeplechase.

Six students in the workshop also earned third place in the Pinnacle's Featured Photo Package category. The photographers — Jack Bradshaw, Augusta Lewis, Darby Bianco, Katie Cannon, Madelyn Farley and Destini Simon — represent a cross-section of SJMC majors, including journalism, mass communications and visual communications.

Both Spies' short documentary and the group’s photo essay were featured together in the Carolina Reporter multimedia story, A glorious day for horses, hats and photojournalists at the Carolina Cup.

“Top national outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times anchor their work in strong written storytelling with images, videos, maps, infographics and more,"  says journalism sequence head Nina Brook. "Our school produces career-ready, ethical and strong journalistic storytellers.  Eileen Waddell and Renée Ittner-McManus are taking that to the next level in our Carolina Reporter newsroom. These awards are just the first of many we will see from the next generation of multimedia storytellers being educated at SJMC.”

SJMC students also won Pinnacle Awards for work produced in other USC student media, including: 

First Place Awards

• Lily Ferguson (visual communications)
  Rate Card/Media Kit, Garnet Media Group
• Kate Robins (journalism), Sydney Dunlap (journalism)
  Vertical Short Video, Students camp out before College Game Day, The Daily Gamecock
  

Second Place Awards

• Anna Machado (broadcast journalism)
  A&E Story (audio/video) - USC's Mock Trial team takes on ORCS, Student Gamecock Television
• Ridha Fatima, Evelyn Esquivel (visual communications)
  Coverage of Faith, The Muslim South: Bridging the Past and the Present, Garnet & Black
• Jenna Swenson (mass communications), Staff
  General Newsletter, The Daily Gamecock

Third Place Awards

• Chloe Ehlers, Tara O'Toole (mass communications), Jack Ballard
  Magazine Cover, Garnet & Black
• Ryan Stinson (sports media), Karenna Porter (broadcast journalism)
  Game Story (audio/video), Student Gamecock Television
• Vivek Crowe (broadcast journalism)
  Audio Advertisement, WUSC