Student journalists from “The Point” Broadcast Newsroom at College of the Ozarks earned 26 awards for excellence in collegiate broadcast journalism, recognizing their achievements in reporting, anchoring, production, and storytelling. (Front row, left to right: Olivia Moss, Lauren Davis, Elayna Doctorian, Jacob Arzaga, Nathan Johnson. Middle Row, left to Right: Cody Davis, Wyatt Cochran, Isaiah Schieffer, Uriah Miller. Back Row, left to right: Abby Johnson, Josiah Pinto, Clay Steward)

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — Student journalists from “The Point” Broadcast Newsroom at College of the Ozarks have been recognized with 26 awards for excellence in collegiate broadcast journalism.

Top honors presented to the student journalists included: “Winner — Television Feature Reporting,” “Winner — Arts/Cultural Affairs,” “Winner — Food/Restaurant Reporting,” “First Place — News Writing,” and “First Place — Multiplatform Journalism.”

“These students are excellent young journalists,” said Erin Hayes, associate professor of the practice of journalism and supervisor of “The Point” Broadcast Newsroom. “They strive to produce quality work, and they work together beautifully as a team. They bring a professional mindset to all that they do. I am not just proud of them, I’m grateful for them. The profession of journalism needs good, honest, truth-seeking young people to fill its ranks, and our graduates of ‘The Point’ are proving to be well-suited for that mission.”

Hayes is an alumna of College of the Ozarks and an award-winning former ABC News national correspondent. She has received numerous prestigious awards, including four Edward R. Murrow Awards, the National Sigma Delta Chi Award for Investigative Reporting, and three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards, among others.

The students who received awards were as follows:

• Abigail Johnson, senior journalism major from Castile, New York
• Olivia Moss, senior video production major from Jasper, Missouri
• Clay Steward, senior video production major from Piedmont, Missouri
• Nathan Johnson, senior journalism major from Lincoln, Nebraska
• Lauren Davis, senior journalism major from Marion, Arkansas
• Wyatt Cochran, senior journalism major from Eagle Rock, Missouri
• Gabriela Keim, senior agricultural development major from Wausau, Wisconsin
• David Mazula, 2025 journalism graduate from Oregon, Illinois
• Cody Davis, junior music theory major from Hollister, Missouri
• Elayna Doctorian, graduate in speech communication from Macon, Missouri
• Pyrce Renfroe, graduate in public relations from Russellville, Arkansas

The honors were conferred by three respected collegiate journalism organizations: the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Region 7, the Missouri Broadcast Educators Association (MBEA), and the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

The Mid-America Chapter of NATAS, known for presenting regional Emmy Awards, recognizes excellence and innovation in visual storytelling. Its Student Production Awards honor outstanding achievements by college and high school journalists whose work contributes to educational, cultural, and news media.

The Missouri Broadcast Educators Association promotes excellence in student media through its annual College Media Competition, recognizing individual and collaborative achievement while supporting high standards in broadcast education across Missouri.

The Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization, advances ethical journalism and freedom of the press. Through its Region 7 Mark of Excellence Awards, SPJ recognizes exceptional student journalism that demonstrates professional-level reporting, storytelling, and public service.

The Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored “The Point” with the following Student Production Awards:

• Winner — Arts/Cultural Affairs: “Music, Music, Music” Abby Johnson, Olivia Moss, and Clay Steward

• Nominee — News Writer: Olivia Moss
• Nominee — Hard News Report: “After the Tornado” David Mazula
• Nominee — Feature News Report: “Culinary Competitor” Gabriela Keim
• Nominee — Photographer: Olivia Moss
• Nominee — Photographer: Gabriela Keim
• Nominee — Photographer: Cody Davis
• Nominee — Photographer: The Photojournalists of The Point

The Society of Professional Journalists Region 7 recognized “The Point” with several Mark of Excellence Awards:

• Winner — Television Feature Reporting: “Gifts Come Full Circle” Olivia Moss, Clay Steward, Nathan Johnson, and Lauren Davis
• Finalist — Feature Videography: “The Bells Are Ringing” Olivia Moss, Wyatt Cochran, and Clay Steward
• Finalist — Television Feature Reporting: “Up in the Air” Gabriela Keim, Cody Davis, Olivia Moss, and Abigail Johnson
• Finalist — Television General News Reporting: “Tornado Aftermath” David Mazula
• Winner — Food/Restaurant Reporting: Gabriela Keim, Lauren Davis, and Pyrce Renfroe

The Missouri Broadcast Educators Association recognized “The Point” in its College Media Competition with the following awards:

• News Magazine/News Show (Non-Recurring) — First Place: “The Point,” Feb. 20, 2025,  Abigail Johnson, David Mazula, Wyatt Cochran, and Olivia Moss
• News Magazine/News Show (Non-Recurring) — Second Place: “The Point,” April 10, 2025, The Point Staff
• News Magazine/News Show (Non-Recurring) — Third Place: “The Point,” Sept. 19, 2025, The Point Broadcast Journalists
• News Writing — First Place: Olivia Moss
• Multiplatform Journalism — First Place: “Pickleball” Nathan Johnson
• Hard News — Second Place: “Tornado Aftermath” David Mazula
• Hard News — Third Place: “Lest We Forget” Elayna Doctorian
• Hard News — Third Place: “Reflections” Olivia Moss
• Feature News — Second Place: “Culinary Competitor” Gabriela Keim
• Feature News — Third Place: “Shining Brightly” Elayna Doctorian
• Feature News — Third Place: “Training Nurses” Olivia Moss
• Sports Package — Third Place: “NCCAA Championship” Wyatt Cochran
• Special Programs — Second Place: “The Historian’s Insight” Olivia Moss
• Special Programs — Third Place: “The Point Christmas Edition” Abigail Johnson

“The Point” is an applied-learning newsroom in which students produce a bi-weekly news magazine focused on stories relevant to the campus community. Students gain hands-on experience in reporting, videography, editing, and producing. Since its establishment in 2016, “The Point” Broadcast Newsroom has received more than 170 collegiate journalism awards at the state, regional, and national levels.