A Southeastern Channel student newscast was named second best in the nation by College Broadcasters, Inc.
The channel was honored at CBI’s National Student Production Awards in Baltimore with second place in the nation for Best Video Newscast for its June 28, 2021, episode of the student newscast “Northshore News.” The channel won the award from over 1,100 entries submitted by the top broadcasting schools from throughout the nation.
The winning episode was produced by Lauren Hawkins of Ponchatoula and co-anchored by Hawkins and Trinity Brown of Baton Rouge. Also a reporter for the winning episode, Hawkins contributed the newscast’s top story about a doubled reward for the murderer in a double homicide case in Independence. In addition, Hawkins reported on the “Litter Gitter,” a unique invention of Tangipahoa Parish native Don Bates designed to keep the waterways of Tangipahoa Parish clean.
The winning episode also included a story by AnaClaire McKneely of Amite about Fentanyl variants, their widespread use and destructive impacts. McKneely also reported on the new K-12 curriculum at the Southeastern Laboratory School.
Kaylor Yates of Baton Rouge reported on the push for COVID vaccinations throughout the Livingston Parish school system, while Joliette Vincent of Luling covered Tangipahoa’s proposal for a new half-cent sales tax to provide raises for parish school teachers.
In addition, reporter Taylor Nettle of Lacombe covered the Hammond ground breaking for a new 600,000 square foot distribution center for the pharmaceutical supply giant, Medline, while Jordan Kliebert of Mandeville produced a story on the new improvements to guard rails on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.
It was the third time that Northshore News has been honored with second place in the nation by CBI. The previous year, the student newscast won first place in the nation, the 12th time a Southeastern Channel production has won first place.
