Student Media Leads, Innovates and Wins at ACP Spring Conference

Student Media leaders traveled to San Francisco, California for the Associated Collegiate Press Spring National College Media Conference, learning from industry professionals and bringing home awards across categories that recognized students' creativity and innovation. 

Conference sessions gave students the opportunity to learn more about reporting on key issues such as immigration, mental health and homelessness. Industry professionals provided essential insight on the post-graduate job search and how students can use social media and data visualization to improve their work. 

Parker Post and Macy Penick represented Main Hill Media at ACP, presenting on the role of artificial intelligence in advertising. 

Post, the agency's director, recognized her outlet for working as a team to find success. Main Hill Media brought home numerous awards across media and advertising, showcasing excellence among the nation's student-led media agencies. 

"Bringing home nine awards at the ACP Conference was beyond rewarding," Post said. "I know how amazing Main Hill's staff is, but seeing them recognized by other people on a national level only solidified their talent. Every person on staff, whether awarded or not, makes up the amazing team that Main Hill is. Leading them is such an honor!"

Main Hill Media

• Post and Penick went on to win eighth place in the Advertising Media Kit category. Penick is the agency's assistant director.
• Brooke McKay, the agency's creative director, brought home three awards. McKay won second place in the Digital Advertisement and Advertising Graphic Designer categories. She also won fourth place in Print Advertisement. 
• Avery Branscum won second place in Video Advertisement. Branscum is a videographer for Main Hill Media. 
• Anna Fielder won fourth place in the Best Advertising Representative category. Fielder is an account executive for Main Hill Media. 
• Skyla Drummond and Ally Levings won fifth place in the Audience Engagement Event category. Drummond and Levings are both events and growth coordinators for Main Hill Media. 
• Ellis Anne Card, Melissa Chible, Riley Craig, Afton Massey and Liana Mendoza won third place in the Social Media Campaign category. All five are social media directors, coordinators or graphic designers for Main Hill Media.

The Razorback Yearbook

• The Razorback yearbook staff won fourth place in the Best of Show category.
• Elizabeth Bunnell, Madalyn Menke and Grayce Vinicky also won fourth place in the Yearbook Design category. Bunnell is the yearbook's editor-in-chief. Menke is the design editor and Vinicky is a designer for the outlet.

Yearbook staff also brought home recognition from the Apple Awards, presented by the College Media Association.

• Bunnell won third place for Yearbook Cover Design.
• Bunnell, Menke and Vinicky also received an honorable mention in the Yearbook Design category.

Finally, two students brought home recognition in the news reporting and broadcast categories.

UATV News 

• Aidan Loney won sixth place in the Broadcast Sports Story division for "Women in Male Dominated Sports." Loney is a field producer for UATV. 

The Arkansas Traveler

• Miceala Morano won seventh place in the Reporting–News Story category for her story "School of Law students frustrated as U of A rescinds dean selection amid political pressure." Morano is a staff reporter for the Arkansas Traveler and the Director of Strategic Media and Collaboration across Student Media's six outlets. 

Tiffany King, director of student media, said the conference was a transformative experience for the students that attended. She also recognized her award-winning students. 

"Once again, Student Media has shown excellence across the board at ACP and the Apple Awards," King said. "I see the hard work and dedication these students put in every day in the newsroom, and I couldn't be prouder to see these organizations foster and recognize their talent and potential."