FAMU's student newspaper, The Famuan, Wins 11 Awards

Florida A&M University (FAMU) student-run newspaper, The Famuan, recently won 11 awards out of 21 categories at the 2007 HBCU Excellence in Journalism Student Newspaper Awards at the Black College Communication Association (BCCA) 10th Annual National HBCU Newspaper Conference, including the coveted Best Newspaper, twice weekly or more, Award.

“We applaud our students for receiving this recognition from the Black College Communication Association,” said James Hawkins, dean of the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication. “This recognition signals a high quality of journalism.”

Each year, participating BCCA member colleges, companies, and organizations come together at the National HBCU Newspaper Conference to share in a week full of workshops, networking, and fun.

This year, the conference included sessions on editing, copy writing, media law and increasing frequency, which was given by FAMU’s own Sidney Wright, a senior broadcast journalism student and former editor-in-chief of The Famuan, and Valerie White, a FAMU professor of journalism and BCCA chair. Other activities included a student editor roundtable, which Akeem Anderson, The Famuan’s editor-in-chief attended.

“I was extremely proud of what we accomplished as a staff,” Anderson said. “There are a lot of great newspapers out there, and to be considered one of the best is an honor. It has been three years since we won such an award and I'm just happy to return The Famuan to elite status.”

The following is a list of each award The Famuan and it’s staff garnered:

BEST STUDENT NEWSPAPER, TWICE WEEKLY or MORE
First Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University)

BEST NEWS COVERAGE
Third Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University)

BEST EDITORIAL/OPINION SECTION
First Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University)

BEST INDIVIDUAL PAGE DESIGN
First Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University) “Blacks on a New Grind”

BEST INFORMATIONAL GRAPHICS or NEWS ART/ILLUSTRATION
Second Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University) “Protestors hit the city streets”

BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY
Third Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University) “Academics leave star on sideline” by Akeem Anderson

BEST FEATURES/A&E SECTION
Third Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University)

BEST INDIVIDUAL PHOTOGRAPH
First Place: The Famuan (Florida A&M University) “Blacks on a New Grind” by Alex Acosta

BEST SPOT NEWS STORY
Honorable Mention(s): The Famuan (Florida A&M University) “Research building evacuated” by Jhenelle Johnson

BEST HEADLINE
Honorable Mention(s) The Famuan (Florida A&M) “Rattlers slither past Tigers (Jhennelle Johnson and Nyerere Davidson)

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT CRITICISM
Honorable Mention(s): The Famuan (Florida A&M University) “The Minstrel show: Black television is in utter disarray” by Nyerere Davidson

About the BCCA
The Black College Communication Association (BCCA) is a not-for-profit organization, established through a grant from the Freedom Forum. Membership consists of administrators at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with communications programs. The BCCA operates through annual dues from members and grants from foundations. The mission of BCCA is to identify resources necessary for strengthening communications programs at HBCUs; provide technical assistance to HBCUs seeking accreditation; and establish state-of-the-art hardware systems, which can be shared by member institutions to promote the understanding and advancement of communication as an academic and professional field.

Photo caption: Staff members of The Famuan proudly display awards at the National HBCU Newspaper Conference.