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Student broadcast, print media capture first-place recognition in 13 categories
SAN ANTONIO – Texas A&M University-San Antonio Jaguar Student Media has earned a total of 40 awards granted by the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA), the most recognized and competitive collegiate journalism association in Texas.
Student media organizations from institutions across Texas competed in three media outlet categories – Student Magazine, Online Student News, and Broadcast Outlet – along with Live contests at the annual competition in Fort Worth, March 24-26, 2022.
“Winning this and other awards says a lot about the caliber of our students and the diversity of skills taught by our faculty,” said El Espejo Faculty Advisor Donna Pazdera. “We are part of a small, yet growing program where students get so many opportunities to work for one of our three media outlets. As a faculty member and adviser, watching my students win awards is very rewarding.”
In just its fourth year, the student magazine, El Espejo Magazine, earned First Place for General Excellence in the State of Texas, finishing ahead of student magazines for Southern Methodist and Lamar universities (second and third respectively). The open division rankings include all submissions across the state, regardless of school enrollment or budget, and include evaluation of design, content, and editorial mission.
The magazine’s staff also received seven awards in the category of Previously Published (work submitted and published in the print publication during 2021). El Espejo’s student team and faculty adviser tackled issues of social justice and political awareness, using available funding resources, including external grants, to reach their audience.
“We produced it remotely and it had encapsulated a lot of experiences we as a staff were all going through. We wanted to be true to our title being named a ‘reflection’ of the student body we served and the city we live in,” said Solomon Wilson ‘21. “As co-editor in chief and design editor, I was super excited to curate this issue and bring in our readers to real perspectives of students and people that were all going through similar situations as us.”
The student news site, The Mesquite, garnered 23 awards, including nine first place awards. Launched in 2010, The Mesquite is one of the state’s first collegiate online-only news sites with student media teams reporting on campus and community issues.
In addition, members of the campus’ broadcast outlet, Enlace, competed in the on-site live contests, securing a First-Place award in Spanish Radio Announcing, and Second Place in Live Video News. For the broadcast outlet, students report and produce independently of any editorial guidance, selecting and reporting on topics that impact the Texas A&M-San Antonio student body and surrounding community. Enlace students also receive professional coaching and mentorship in news production from Univision-41, as part of an educational collaboration between KWEX and Texas A&M-San Antonio. Student media also earned seven additional awards in live contests.
“The awards are recognition that our students are receiving top-notch instruction, support, and mentorship from highly skilled clinical faculty,” said Jenny Moore, Clinical Professor of Communication and Director of Jaguar Student Media. “Our instructors are very talented at preparing students for competition, and later for jobs. The prestigious awards also signify that our students are ready to compete for jobs against any other recent graduate in the state of Texas. The awards are icing on the cake, but honestly, our students are most excited about the impact their reports have on the campus community.”
View the full TIPA award results for Texas A&M-San Antonio.
Texas Intercollegiate Press Association is the oldest state collegiate press association in the nation and has grown into one of the largest and most respected collegiate groups in the country. Contests have grown from three initial competitions to contests in general magazine, radio, television, online, two divisions of yearbook, literary magazine, and six divisions of newspaper, plus more than 25 on-site contests during the annual convention. TIPA also presents scholarships to students representing two-year and four-year institutions and annually recognizes a faculty Adviser of the Year.
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About Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Established as a stand-alone university in 2009, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in south San Antonio, the University offers 33 undergraduate degrees and 16 graduate degrees to nearly 7,000 students. A&M-San Antonio is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. The University holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation and is one of only 24 higher education institutions in the U.S. to have received the Seal of Excelencia certification from Excelencia in Education for its support of Latino student success. More than 75 percent of A&M-SA students identify as Hispanic, and 73 percent are the first in their family to attend college. A&M-San Antonio is a military-embracing institution; in 2020, Military Times ranked the University No. 35 in the nation for “Best for Vets: Colleges.” Visit tamusa.edu for more information. #onamission