UM Journalism Students Sweep Public Relations Competition

UM public relations students who won awards in the Public Relations Association of Mississippi student competition include (standing, from left) Cody Fullinwider, Courtney Richards, Nancy Hogan, Alex Kohl, Bridge Leigh, Mara Joffe, Robin Street, UM lecturer in journalism, Lauren Raphael and Clancy Smith. Kneeling (from left) are Lindsay Langston, Lauren Walker, Sydney Hembree and MarKeicha Dickens.
Photo by Stan O’Dell

Public relations students in the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media won every award presented in the recent Public Relations Association of Mississippi student competition, including the prestigious Student Best in Show honor.

In addition, in the professional competition, faculty member Robin Street won the top award in her category, and Meek School graduates working in University Communications brought home four awards. All awards were presented during the PRAM state conference April 9-10 in Tupelo.

“We set two records in this competition,” said Street, a lecturer in journalism and public relations. “First, our students were the only university students in the state to be honored. Second, the sheer number of awards we won surpassed all previous years. That is a real tribute to the preparation they received from all the faculty members at the Meek School.”

Journalism student Clancy Smith of Saltillo won both Student Best in Show and the top award in her category, called a Prism.

Pictured at the PRAM Prism awards banquet are Oxford/Ole Miss chapter members, all UM employees (from left) Danny Blanton, Ryan Whittington, Will Hamilton, Erin Parsons Garret and Robin Street.

“Winning the Prism awards more than reassured me that my classes and projects have helped me develop the skills I will need for a career in public relations,” Smith said. “I am so grateful for the instruction I’ve received from all the Meek School faculty members.”

The students, all seniors except for two recent graduates, entered public relations campaigns they created as a final project in the advanced public relations class taught by Street. Each campaign required multimedia journalism skills including writing news articles, creating photos and video, and developing online and social media.

Five other students won Prisms in their categories: Nancy Hogan, a journalism major from Atlanta; MarKeicha Dickens, a journalism major from Olive Branch; Mara Joffe, a journalism graduate from Biloxi; Lauren Raphael, an integrated marketing communications major from Madison; and Lindsay Langston, a journalism major from Dallas.

A step below the Prism is the Excellence Award, followed by the Merit Award. The seven students winning Excellence Awards included Alex Kohl, an IMC major from Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Cody Fullinwider, an IMC major from Denver; and Melody Skipper, a marketing and corporate relations graduate living in San Diego.

Also winning Excellence were Sydney Hembree, a double major in journalism and marketing and corporate relations from Kennesaw, Georgia; Mary Frances Tanner, an English major with a journalism minor from Mobile, Alabama; Bridge Leigh, an IMC major from Hernando; and Lauren Walker, an IMC major from Madison. Journalism major Courtney Richards of Austin, Texas, won a Merit Award.

In the professional categories, University Communications staff members won five awards.

A Prism award went to Ryan Whittington, assistant director of public relations for social media strategy, and producer/director Win Graham. An Excellence Award went to PR assistant Will Hamilton and communications specialist Dennis Irwin. Merit awards went to communication specialists Michael Newsom and Edwin Smith. Whittington, Newsom and Smith are all Meek School graduates.

“Our staff is a talented and hard-working team that always strives for excellence,” said Danny Blanton, UM director of public relations. “I’m very proud of the work they do and how it helps the university achieve its mission goals. These awards say a lot about the quality of the materials this group produces.”