AU journalism and digital media students honored as national awards finalists

ASHLAND, Ohio – Eleven students in Ashland University’s Journalism and Digital Media (JDM) Department are national finalists in the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Media Awards competition for their work with the university radio station WRDL 88.9 FM and television station AUTV.

The radio finalists are:

• Best Sports Play-by-Play (Top 6) – Ashland University Football – Cade Cracas, Stephen Struckmann, Ethan Jenkins
• Best Comedy Program (Top 5) – The Early Bird’s Word – Joshua Bachinsky, Joshua Spencer, Payton Whaley
• Best Radio Drama (Top 5) – WRDL Christmas Special – Anthony Marchetta, Jesse Baker, Eleanor Lohr
• Best Use of Video in a Radio Studio (Top 6) – WRDL Station Tour – Joe Monteith, Mikehlah Carr

The television finalist is a group honor:

• Best College/University Television Station (Top 6) – AUTV

The first-place awards and finalist trophies will be presented during the annual IBS Conference on March 7-8 in New York City. IBS, founded in 1940, is an organization with a membership of more than 1,000 non-profit, education-affiliated radio stations, television stations and webcasters.

“JDM provides students with an award-winning, hands-on learning experience that is designed to prepare and train students for a 21st century media landscape,” said Derek Wood, faculty advisor and general manager of WRDL. “Being honored by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System continues to bring national recognition to the program.”

AU, which has received annual recognition from IBS since 2016, was one of five Ohio colleges and universities with students among this year’s finalists. AU’s JDM program of radio, television and print journalism was created when the department integrated its curriculum in 2010 in an effort to meet the challenges graduates will face upon entering an evolving media world.

“Ashland’s JDM program was indeed on the forefront of new media education regionally and nationally in 2010,” said David McCoy, Ph.D., who serves as faculty advisor for AUTV and chairs the JDM department. “Our program continues to be a model of rigorous academics reinforced by professional learning opportunities for 21st century journalists.”

The JDM program was recognized in 2012 as one of 47 journalism programs in the country that fully converged its print and broadcast curriculum. AU was the only program in Ohio that received this distinction.