Students in Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Mass Media are garnering recognition for their bold storytelling and real-world media experience, earning top honors at the 2026 Missouri Broadcast Educators Association (MBEA) College Media Competition and 23 honors at the Missouri College Media Association (MCMA) conference.
Ella Tinsley, a senior mass communication: advertising major and Arrow audio editor, captured four MBEA awards for her audio journalism work, including two first-place honors, demonstrating the power of hands-on learning in action.
“It’s extremely validating to receive these awards,” said Tinsley. “I fell in love with the work in a way I didn’t know was possible and it led to friendships that will last a lifetime.”
Tinsley earned first place in the Audio News Story category for “Cut Ties Explores How International Student Challenges Are Reshaping SEMO’s Campus Community,” a collaborative project with Arrow staff members Lily Niebrugge, Abby Volz, Taylor Slavens and Mallory Hawkins. She also received first place in Audio Special Programs for “SEMO’s Wind Symphony Presents Carmina Burana—Molly Bauer Reflects on Music, Growth, and Ensembles.”
She additionally earned second place in the Audio News Show category for coverage of a missing persons case and third place for coverage of a campus holiday concert, underscoring her versatility across formats and topics.
“Everything I submitted was part of my regular work as the Arrow audio producer and KRCU Public Radio student employee,” said Tinsley. “John Moore and Dan Woods at KRCU helped me grow leaps and bounds from where I started in audio and newswriting. The faculty have been behind me through every step of the way. My professor and advisor Mike Simmons and my club faculty head Anthony Scherer deserve the highest of praise for all they have helped me through and for pushing me to do my best throughout some hard times.”
SEMO students continued to stand out across categories, with the Arrow earning MBEA first place for Best Website and student filmmaker Levi Donley receiving third place in Video Intermediate Film for “Monitor.”
“It takes a lot of work for our students to finish a short film,” said Fred Jones, mass media professor. “Between pre-production, production and post-production, most students will spend an entire semester completing a project that is ready for submission to competitions. Competitions and film festivals push filmmakers to be their best, and when they receive recognition, it encourages them to keep making films and sharing their voice with the world.”
The MCMA awards took place on April 11 in Springfield, Missouri, and the Arrow once again dominated the competition. Awards included:
First Place:
- NA of the Year Photojournalist of the Year: McKenzie Nelson
- Division 2 Newspaper Sports Writing: Andon Christian
- Division 2 Newspaper Investigative Reporting: Lily Niebrugge, Taylor Slavens
- Division 2 Newspaper Feature Photography: McKenzie Nelson, Bryson Edwards, Landon Brewer
- Division 2 Newspaper Page One Design: Jo Mitchell
- Division 2 Newspaper Multimedia Package: Lily Niebrugge
Second Place:
- Division 2 Newspaper Feature Writing: Abby Volz
- Division 2 Newspaper Sports Photography: Alex Hayden, Wyatt Sherwin
- Division 2 Newspaper Information Graphic: Xavier Marcano Martinez
- Division 2 Newspaper Multimedia Package: Sarah Lerch
- Division 2 Newspaper Special Section or Supplement: Lily Niebrugge, Taylor Slavens, Abby Volz
- NA Advertising Campus Engagement/Promotions: Lily Niebrugge
Third Place:
- Division 2 Newspaper News Writing: Abby Volz
- Division 2 Newspaper Feature Writing: Taylor Slavens
- Division 2 Newspaper Sports Writing: Andon Christian
- Division 2 Newspaper Column: Gabriella Marsh
- Division 2 Newspaper Best Overall Newspaper: Lily Niebrugge, Maddox Murphy
- Division 2 Newspaper Sweepstakes: Staff
Honorable Mention:
- Division 2 Newspaper In-Depth News Reporting: Lily Niebrugge, Mallory Hawkins, Abby Volz, Taylor Slavens
- Division 2 Newspaper News Photography: McKenzie Nelson, Justin Small
- Division 2 Newspaper Feature Photography: McKenzie Nelson
- Division 2 Newspaper Sports Photography: Blake Schowalter, McKenzie Nelson
- Division 2 Newspaper Website: Lily Niebrugge
Building on this momentum, the Arrow has also been named a finalist for the prestigious College Media Association Pinnacle Award in the Series/Division II category, placing SEMO alongside nationally recognized institutions. The Pinnacle Award honors the best in collegiate media nationwide, recognizing student journalists who are shaping the future of the industry.
“The goal of the mass media program for the Arrow has been to create an ecosystem for the mass media students to evolve with the fast-changing pace of the media landscape, and that means creating opportunities for hands-on creativity and building a variety of skills,” said Dr. Emmanuel Maduneme, mass media assistant professor and Arrow faculty advisor. “These recognitions show the students’ resilience to become the best in their area of interest and the department’s vision of creating the complete media professional.”
At SEMO, students don’t just study media—they create it. Through immersive, experience-driven opportunities, mass media students develop the skills, confidence and adaptability needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving field.
Are you ready to earn real-world media experience? Visit semo.edu/massmedia today.