Student media leaders and journalism faculty traveled to Washington, D.C., for MediaFest25, bringing home national awards and valuable connections with alumni working in the nation's capital.

Over three days, five student media leaders attended educational workshops and sessions led by media professionals from across the nation at the conference, which was co-sponsored by the Associated Collegiate Press, Society of Professional Journalists and College Media Association.

"Conferences like MediaFest are transformative because students see how their classroom and newsroom experience translates to real-world impact," said Tiffany King, director of student media. "Watching them learn from industry professionals and form connections with our alumni in D.C. was truly rewarding."

Four faculty members from the School of Journalism and Strategic Media served as panelists during the conference. Bret Schulte, the director of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, spoke on a panel about media literacy.

Gina Shelton, the director of the Center of Media Ethics and Literacy, joined Dave Bostwick, the associate director of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, and Susannah Swearingen, a journalism instructor, on a panel discussing media ethics.

U of A members of student media, above, visit the U.S. Capitol while in Washington, D.C., for MediaFest25. They also stopped by the offices of Politico, below. (Photos by Gina Shelton)

Outside of the conference, students met with U of A alumni who were student media leaders and are now working in D.C. media. Students toured Politico's newsroom and met with Isabel Dobrin (B.A. '17), the deputy legal editor, and Jordain Carney (B.A. '12), a congressional reporter. They connected with Homa Bash (B.A. '09), an anchor and reporter for FOX 5 DC, and spoke with Mark Sherman, the Supreme Court reporter for the Associated Press.

Dobrin was previously the editor-in-chief of The Arkansas Traveler, and Carney was an editor and columnist for the paper. Bash worked at UATV, the university's award-winning TV station, during her time at the university.

Cooper Gant, the president of the U of A's Society of Professional Journalists chapter and the editor-in-chief of The Arkansas Traveler, said the conference and alumni visits were inspiring experiences.

"Outside of the conference, really getting to network with other amazing Traveler, student media and U of A alumni, like Isabel Dobrin at Politico, was really inspiring," Gant said. "It really affirmed a lot of my dreams and goals to make it as a journalist and do impactful and thoughtful journalism."

Emma Rasmussen and Wisdom Harlan, the station manager and field producer for UATV, had the opportunity to tour Hearst in Washington, D.C. Rasmussen and Harlan worked together at 40/29 KHOG/KHBS, a Hearst affiliate, over the summer.

"I was thrilled that students were able to get this real, exciting taste of what it's like to be a reporter in Washington, D.C., right now and meet Razorbacks who could share their path, guidance and advice," Shelton said.

Along with life-changing experiences and new connections, Student Media representatives brought home national awards in the Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show competition.

Rasmussen said during the award sessions, she was able to learn more about what other schools are producing across the nation and celebrate accomplishments and honors across Student Media.

"One of the biggest lessons I learned is that we are capable of so much as a news program," Rasmussen said. 

Jax Crall won fourth place in Best of Show Broadcast–Sports Story category for his story "Nolan Richardson Receives the 2025 Arkansan of the Year Award."

Crall also took home sixth place in the Best of Show Broadcast–News Category for his story "A Shooting Hoax Causes Reassessment and Evaluation." Crall is the sports director for UATV.

Miceala Morano won fifth place in the Best of Show Reporting–News Story category for her story "First 911 call to UAPD made public reveals details about campus 'swatting' incident." Morano is a staff reporter for The Arkansas Traveler.

Main Hill Media won sixth place in the Best of Show Advertising Media Kit competition.

The Razorback yearbook won fourth place in the Best of Show Yearbook competition.