TommieMedia won awards in two regional journalism contests in early April, including two Crystal Pillars at the 2020 College Student Production Awards, which are sponsored by the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

“Navigating handicap accessibility at St. Thomas,” produced by Noah Brown and Emily Sweeney, received a Crystal Pillar for General Assignment – Serious News in the College-News category.

Mackenzie Bailey and Taylor Shupe received a Crystal Pillar in the College category of Arts & Entertainment/Cultural Affairs for their studio show episode “Backstage Pass with Lumasi.”

TommieMedia also received three Awards of Merit in the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association’s Eric Sevareid Awards contest.

Stories that were honored include: “Navigating handicap accessibility at St. Thomas” (Hard Feature), “The Locker Room with men’s basketball – Dec. 5, 2019” (Sportscast/Program) and “Backstage Pass with Lumasi” (Talk/Public Affairs). The multistate contest only gives first-place honors and Awards of Merit.

“The awards we’ve won here are a testament to the care and attention every staff member puts into what we do,” said current TommieMedia director Emily Haugen. “I’m so proud to be a part of an organization like this.”

TommieMedia is an award-winning, web-based organization aiming to deliver campus, local and world news to the community. Its mission is to produce high-quality, timely, multi-platform pieces for the University of St. Thomas and the broader community. All of its employees are students from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Alexis Okafor can be reached at okaf1618@stthomas.edu.