NORMAN — More than a dozen student journalists from the Epic News Network, the statewide journalism program sponsored by Epic Charter Schools, captured awards at the Oklahoma Scholastic Media Association’s spring contest, officials with the association announced this week.
This is the first year that ENN and its staff have competed in the contest.
In addition to receiving a Highest Honors Award, that is, first place, for its website, ENN students also swept the video package and podcast categories. ENN reporters Daviyon Daniels and Rylie Eisenhauer also captured a first place awards. Daniels won for his print news story and a video package, while Eisenhauer earned a top award for her podcast.
The full ENN stuff placed second in the news story devision.
ENN co-director Phil Cross said the awards reflected the dedication and hard work of the outlet’s young staff. “These kids have really worked hard and it shows,” he said. “They have all sorts of talent and they are exceptional young journalists.”
Sponsored by the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Scholastic Media Association advocates for education, training and assistance to scholastic media advisers and jouranlism students across Oklahoma.
The scholastic media experience is a first step, the organization said, to a journalism career. OSM works to improve scholastic journalism by training high school media staffs and helping to improve the print, online and broadcast products they produce.
Each year the organization sponsors monthly and a year end contests to recognize the work done by high school journalists. Awards from this year’s event — originally set for April but cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic — were distributed virtually on Monday.
A full list of ENN’s awards includes:
- Honorable Mention, Timothy Blankenship – Feature Story
- Second Place, Makhi Callins – Feature Story
- Third Place, Adelind Hamintol – Online Multimedia Page Presentation
- Second Place, Megan Brown, – Online or Print Feature
- Honorable Mention, Aaron Davidson – Online or Print Feature
- Second Place, ENN Staff, Print or Online News Story
- Honorable Mention, Jason McDaniel, Online Photo Gallery
- First Place, Daviyon Daniels, Online News Story
- Honorable Mention, Rae Halgren, Online Critical Review
- Third Place, Mira Hume, Podcast
- Third Place, Aaron Davidson, Podcast
- Second Place, Rinn Kersh, Podcast
- First Place, Rylie Eisenhauer, Podcast
- Second Place, Grace Ann White, Online Video Package
- Third Place, Maycee Elrick, Online Video Package
- Honorable Mention, Daviyon Daniels, Online Video Package
- First Place, Daviyon Daniels, Online Video Package
