On Thursday, Mississippi State University student journalists and staff of The Reflector attended the Mississippi Press Association’s annual O.C. McDavid Journalism Summit.
The summit, named after the late journalist O.C. McDavid and funded by the O.C. McDavid Memorial Fund, took place at the Embassy Suites in Ridgeland. Seven colleges from across Mississippi participated in the competition. Guest speakers included freelance photographer Chris Todd, Mississippi Today cartoonist Marshall Ramsey and staff from the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center (RHCJC) at the University of South Mississippi.
MSU students took home 12 awards in different categories during the 2024 Better News/Media Contest at the summit, including an award for best general interest column. Rowan Feasel, a junior English major and the award recipient, said that she is incredibly grateful to have received the award.
“This is just kind of solidifying for me that I am writing things that people appreciate,” Feasel said. “That’s always nice.”
Feasel writes for the Reflector’s life and entertainment and opinion sections. She is known for writing about food, theatre and MSU culture. Prior to her start at the Reflector in February 2023, Feasel had no experience in journalism. She credits her success to the kindness and patience of her section editors throughout the years.
“I was a little nervous about [writing],” Feasel said. “Once I got the first couple articles under my belt, I felt much more confident about it.”
Speakers at the summit focused on preparing students for future careers in journalism. RHCJC director Nichole Cyprian said that one of the most essential things in modern journalism is amplifying voices that may not otherwise be heard.
“I pursued being a journalist because I wanted to hear voices like mine in the community,” Cyprian said. “I didn’t feel like my family, my friends, were represented, and I wanted to be the voice of change for communities for people like me.”
The speakers also shared advice for aspiring journalists, including ways to get involved with journalism in the age of artificial intelligence writing. Several of the speakers argued that the best way to make yourself known as a journalist is to be authentic.
Additionally, Samuel Hughes, reporter and producer for the RHCJC and Reflector alumnus, said that it is important to find opportunities around campus to be involved with during your first two years at school. Hughes graduated from MSU in May 2024 and began working at the RHCJC in January. Hughes served as news editor for the Reflector for the 2023-2024 year and has won several awards in journalism for his work at the Reflector, including the Adam C. Kazery Editor of the Year award.
“My advice would just be to take advantage of whatever opportunities are within your university to the extent that they are available,” Hughes said. “I would always look internally, and when you’re like a junior or a senior, that’s when I would look outward.”
Other notable MSU awardees at the competition included:
- Cadence Harvey: 1st place, Best Feature Story (Ebeheakey beckons wood identification tool advancements)
- Ivy Rose Ball: 1st place, Best Use of Social Media (DEI polling)
- John Baladi: 2nd place, Best General Interest Column (Starkville is deserving of Best Small Town in South title, Why graduates should stay in Starkville, Accepting others can help people accept themselves)
- Jaren Cady: 2nd place, Best Website
- The Reflector: 2nd place, Best Design
- Ivy Rose Ball: 2nd place, General News Photo (Noxubee Wildlife Refuge photo, Harman: Starkville activities for all ages)
- Ivy Rose Ball: 2nd place, Best Sports Photo (Mississippi State Soccer takes down No. 1 Arkansas)
- Ivy Rose Ball: 2nd place, Best Series or Investigative Package (DEI series)
- Kate Myers: 3rd place, Best Graphic (DEI series)
- Noah McCord: 3rd place, Best Sports News Story (Record-breaking representation for Mississippi State in the 2024 Paris Olympics)
- Noah McCord: 3rd place, Best Sports Column (NIL, Don’t underestimate Toledo, Baseball struggle)
