Southeastern students win top SPJ awards
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
by: Tonya Lowentritt 
BEST NEWSCAST IN THE REGION - The Southeastern Channel recently won a first place Mark of Excellence Award for 鈥淏est Overall College Television Newscast鈥� given by the Society of Professional Journalists. The honor was given for an episode of the student newscast 鈥淣orthshore News,鈥� anchored by students Ross Chauvin of Houma, left, and Alexis Genovese of Husser.
HAMMOND 鈥� 性色视频 students at the Southeastern Channel
won four Mark of Excellence Awards, including two first-place honors, at the Society
of Professional Journalists鈥� annual Region 12 conference. The Mark of Excellence Awards
honor the best of collegiate journalism from a calendar year.
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Region 12 comprises all universities
in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Mark of Excellence Awards were judged by SPJ industry professionals who were
directed to choose entries they felt were the best in student journalism. If no entry
rose to the level of excellence, no award was given.
The Southeastern Channel鈥檚 first-place winners included Jermaine Kelly of Shreveport,
who won first place in 鈥淭elevision Sports Videography鈥� for the second year in a row
for his videography of the 2022 Riverbell Classic football game between Southeastern
and Nicholls State, and the staff of the student newscast, 鈥淣orthshore News,鈥� in the
鈥淏est All-Around College Television Newscast鈥� category, for its May 25, 2022 episode
of 鈥淣orthshore News.鈥�
Second-place winners, or finalists, were Kelly in the 鈥淭elevision Sports Reporting鈥�
category for his same Riverbell Classic football story and Tristyn Turner of Denham
Springs, for 鈥淭elevision Sports Videography鈥� for videography in his 2022 Southeastern
vs. Southern University soccer match story. The winning Southeastern Channel sports
stories both aired in the student sportscast, 鈥淭he Big Game.鈥�
It marks the seventh time in 15 years that 鈥淣orthshore News鈥� has won a first
place Mark of Excellence Award as the best student TV newscast in the region. 鈥淣orthshore
News鈥� won second place in the other eight years.
This year鈥檚 winning episode was co-anchored by Ross Chauvin of Houma and Alexis
Genovese of Husser.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to win first place from such a prestigious organization,鈥� Genovese
said. 鈥淭his episode is so special to me because I鈥檓 both anchoring and reporting in
it. I鈥檓 so grateful for this award and everyone who helped me along the way.鈥�
Genovese was also honored last year with a first place Mark of Excellence Award
for 鈥淏roadcast News Feature Videography鈥� in her 鈥淣orthshore News鈥� story on Southeastern鈥檚
vertebrate museum.
鈥淚鈥檓 truly grateful for the Southeastern Channel for teaching me everything I
know and allowing me to have real world experiences while still being in college,鈥�
Genovese said.
This year鈥檚 first place episode featured a story by Chauvin on a Ponchatoula
Strawberry Festival shooting, while reporter Carson Fryou of Ponchatoula filed a report
on how Southeastern students should prepare for an active shooter in light of recent
shootings on the Northshore.
Genovese reported on the Northshore鈥檚 blood supply crisis, while Turner produced
a story on new school lunch waivers for students in Tangipahoa Parish.
Tanner Fooshee of Jackson, La., reported on the renewal of the Tangipahoa Parish
fire protection tax. Kelly produced a package on changes to qualify for TOPS financial
aid, while Trinity Brown of Baton Rouge contributed a story about a special Mardi
Gras parade for dogs in Walker.
In its 21 years of existence, the Southeastern Channel has won over 500 national,
international and regional awards, including 24 awards from the Emmys and first place
in the nation 12 times from College Broadcasters, Inc.
The Southeastern Channel can be seen on Spectrum Cable 199 in Tangipahoa, Livingston,
St. Tammany and St. Helena parishes and on mounthermonTV.com for viewers in Washington
Parish. In addition, the live 24-7 broadcast can be seen on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon
Fire, and the channel鈥檚 website at thesoutheasternchannel.com, which also offers programs
via video on demand. The Southeastern Channel is available on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
and YouTube.
