Bellisario College of Communications

Student entry earns first-place in statewide TV competition

Award winner for Best Feature tops entries from small-market stations across Pennsylvania

Nearly 40% of golf courses in Scotland, including the St. Andrews Links, are located along the coast. Credit: Centre County Report / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A feature story for a Penn State student-produced newscast earned first place in a statewide competition against TV newscasts from across the state of Pennsylvania.

The feature, focusing on the future of golf in Scotland, was named Best Feature in the Small Market Division of the annual Keystone Media Awards. The feature was produced by Preston Shoemaker and originally aired on “Centre County Report.”

“This is a huge accomplishment for our students to do this well against journalists working full time at stations across the state,” said Steve Kraycik, an associate teaching professor and director of student television for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. “It’s a testament to the hard work of our students and the quality of our newscasts.”

“Centre County Report” has annually been recognized as one of the nation’s best student newscasts. The newscast, produced during the academic year, airs on WPSU-TV across a large part of Pennsylvania as well as online and on streaming news outlets in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Overall, three entries from Penn State students — all from the award-winning “Centre County Report” — were part of the contest and all were recognized in some way.  The additional entries in the Keystone Media Awards each earned honorable mention status — one for spot news and one for sports feature.

Last Updated June 7, 2023