MSU students, alumnae, faculty earn Sevareid Awards

“This is an award that jumps off the resume page. When news directors and sports directors are looking at resumes, this is a difference maker. We spend time with our students talking about what separates a baseline stories and one that will win an award – extra sound, sound bites, extra interviews, more production."
Neil Roberts, MSU broadcasting professor

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Minot State University alumnae Alexus Arthur, students Leif Bakken, Kayle Borner, and Nolan Axten, and professor Neil Roberts all earned Eric Sevareid Awards at the Midwest Broadcast Journalist Association Conference March 31-April 1 in Bloomington, Minn.

Arthur, who graduated in December and currently works for KX News, captured a First-Place Award in Spot News award for her entry Bomb Threat – Central Campus.

“This is an award that jumps off the resume page,” said Roberts. “When news directors and sports directors are looking at resumes, this is a difference maker. We spend time with our students talking about what separates a baseline stories and one that will win an award – extra sound, sound bites, extra interviews, more production.

“The students make fun of me about referring to chili, but it is a good analogy. You add your yellow, red, and green peppers, red and yellow onions, ground sausage, ground beef, and all of your spices versus a bottle of ketchup and ground beef. If you don’t start with a lot, you’re not going to finish with a lot.”

Roberts, Bakken, and Borner teamed to earn a First-Place Award for the series Purple Pillage Radio Series on KZZJ in the Series category. Bakken and Roberts worked on the series, while Borner produced the open. Roberts also won a First-Place Award in Best Use of Audio in the Series category for ND Pheasants Down but not Out. He also won Award of Merit with ND Pheasants Down but not Out in Soft Feature and Sports Reporting. He earned an additional Award of Merit for the series Spring Fever Baseball – Season Opener!”

Bakken, a senior broadcast major, earned an Award of Merit for Sports Play-by-Play Student Market TV for his coverage of Minot State Men’s Basketball vs. USF NSIC First Round Playoff Game from 2016. Axten, a senior broadcasting major who currently works for KX News, earned an award of Merit for Sports/Program with his entry KX Sports 12-29-2017.

“First place is first place, but the Award of Merit is only awarded if it challenged for the top spot,” Roberts said. “In some categories, there might be one or two but in some there aren’t any at all. It isn’t quite as good as first place, but it is very coveted. We certainly felt we had others that were sent in that could have won, but to have three is really a testament to all the hard work put in by our students.”

The Eric Sevareid Awards are named for the Velva, N.D.-born journalist best known for his work as a correspondent for CBS Radio and Television. Each year, the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association presents awards to the best work done by broadcast news operations and journalists working in small, medium and large markets in a six-state region on radio, television and online.

Minot State is judged in a region consisting of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The student awards are open to all universities in those six states.

About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.

Published: 04/23/18   


» More MSU News