May 20, 2025 A group of University of Illinois students have been recognized for their outstanding work in the 2024-25 Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Update June 12, 2025: Congratulations to two journalism students for their outstanding accomplishments at the Hearst National Championships! Layli Nazarova won first place and a $10,000 scholarship award in Hearst’s National […]
June 2, 2025 Illinois Student Newsroom at Illinois Public Media members and journalism students Madison Holcomb and Layli Nazarova were named 2024 Mark of Excellence Awards winners in the audio category in their region by the Society of Professional Journalists. SPJ’s Region 5 comprises collegiate journalists within Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Holcomb, a senior, was […]
May 21, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood For his outstanding career accomplishments and generous monetary support of advertising students, Murray Kalis (BS ’61) was recognized by the College of Media with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. Kalis, whose work has taken him across the world and back, heading his own agency, and serving as chair of […]
May 21, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood Stephanie Lulay’s (BS ’08, journalism) start-up venture, Block Club Chicago—whose mission is to deliver reliable, nonpartisan, and essential coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods—has become a news staple for readers throughout the city since its founding in 2018. Lulay serves as executive editor and co-founder of the award-winning newsroom, which […]
April 29, 2025 Students from the UI7 Newsroom were recently recognized for their outstanding work by both the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Mid-America Chapter, winning two Crystal Pillar awards, and the Student Illinois News Broadcasters Association awards. “Both awards are contested greatly by surrounding schools and programs. Their accomplishments with wins, even […]
April 7, 2025 Congratulations to all the College of Media faculty and teaching assistants who were ranked as excellent by their students! This list is based on Instructor and Course Evaluation System questionnaire forms completed by students during the Fall 2024 semester and Winter 2024-25. Only those instructors who distributed ICES forms at least once during […]
December 12, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood Cheryl Whitlow Thompson (BS ’82, LAS; MS ’84, journalism) will be the first to tell you journalism is not just a job to her—it’s who she is. Digging deep to uncover truths, holding those in power accountable, and asking the tough questions comes naturally to the investigative correspondent and senior editor […]
October 10, 2024 Illinois Public Media’s Prairie Fire nominated for seven Emmys UPDATE 10/29/2024: WILL-TV’s Prairie Fire won four Mid-America Emmy Awards, including Best Magazine Program, for its first season. The show also won in the following categories: * * * Prairie Fire, a WILL-TV program featuring cinematic documentaries, profiles, and performances from downstate Illinois, has been nominated for seven Mid-America regional Emmy awards, […]
October 3, 2024 Updated May 13, 2025 Congratulations to these College of Media students who received campus and college awards and honors, and scholarships and fellowships that were made possible thanks to our donors. HONORS Bronze TabletInscription on the Bronze Tablets in the Main Library recognizes students ranking in the top three percent of their graduating class. […]
May 16, 2024 For sharing its passion with film lovers worldwide for 25 years, and making the greater Champaign-Urbana area a better place to live, work, and visit, Ebertfest was selected as one of five winners of the 2024 Tourism Impact Award from Experience Champaign-Urbana. The Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation presented the awards at the 11th […]