April 22, 2021
Collegian Media Group again sweeps top honors in state contest; students earn 53 individual awards
The Collegian newspaper, Royal Purple yearbook and Manhappenin' magazine, combined, won 53 individual awards at this year's Kansas Collegiate Media conference on Friday, April 9. The publications also swept the three All-Kansas categories for Best Newspaper, Best Yearbook and Best Magazine. It's the second consecutive year that Collegian Media Group, or CMG, took the top spot in every category.
Hundreds of students across the state competed in at least 30 categories, including Journalist of The Year in which The Collegian's editor-in-chief Bailey Britton, won second place. Manhappenin' magazine writer Anna Schmidt, won first place for Profile Writing. Kate Torline won five awards in multiple categories for her work with the magazine and the Royal Purple, including a first-place win for Portrait Photography.
"These well-deserved recognitions are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students who have worked tirelessly to tell the important stories of our campus community," said John Walter, Collegian Media Group assistant director. "Despite the challenges and obstacles of this past year, these students have worked hard to find creative solutions without ever missing a step and I couldn't be more proud of their efforts."
"The editorial accomplishments can't happen without financial resources," said Ira David Levy, Director of the Collegian Media Group. "We owe much of this success to the outstanding work of our advertising sales team."
Led by Daren Lee Lewis, director of advertising sales and marketing, the Collegian Media Group's advertising department won first place for Best Rate Card and three awards for Best Single Ad Design.
"More important than the awards," Levy said, "is what they do for our students. They reflect and serve as evidence of a strong work ethic, experience, and skills that future employers look for when choosing from among thousands of college graduates competing for their first jobs. The students who work at CMG are building their foundations and portfolios that they will bring into interviews. Many of our students are not journalism majors and I invite students across campus to join the team and aspire to achieve."