Mark Braboy
Associate Editor
The Blue & White Flash student newspaper won many accolades in the 2014-2015 Better Newspaper Contest during the 2015 O.C. McDavid Journalism Conference. The Jackson State University student newspaper brought back seven awards in six different categories.
On March 26, The Flash received awards in Best News Sports Story, Best Cartoon, Best Editorials, Best Miscellaneous Advertisement, and Best Website. They competed in 20 different categories against other student newspapers from Mississippi State University (The Reflector), Delta State University (The Delta Statement), William Carey University (The Cobbler), and University of Southern Mississippi (Student Printz). Several community colleges also competed in the junior division.
“I’m very proud of all my colleagues from all of the good writers to the graphic design artists. I mean, it was just wonderful to know that there are so many talented students that I work with,” said Derrick Walton, a senior mass communications major and staff writer from Yazoo City, Miss.
The annual conference, sponsored by the Mississippi Press Association took place at the Mississippi Craft Center in Ridgeland, Miss.
Journalists from the Clarion Ledger and The Petal News were present along with Leonard Van Slyke, an attorney from the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information, Gene McDavid, the son of the late O.C. McDavid, and Ann Brunson of the Craftmens Guild of Mississippi, who delivered a presentation.
A panel discussion on community journalism took place where journalists Therese Apel, David Gustafson, and Josh Mlot spoke in depth about many issues in the field, including whether or not it is important to have to story first or to have the story right and being a responsible journalist.
Slyke also gave legal advice when covering stories as well as what is ethical and unethical.
The annual conference is named after the late O.C. McDavid, who was the former managing editor of The Jackson Daily News. He actively pursued a second career as an artist and sculptor after retiring from journalism.
The staff of the Blue & White Flash enjoyed their time at the conference and learned a great deal of extensive information about journalism.
“Well being a freshman, this was my first time being at the O.C. McDavid Conference and it was a unique and memorable experience knowing that there are journalists in Mississippi that are still interested in print, because a lot of people say that print is at the bottom of the totem pole. I enjoy being around people who enjoy the beauty of print,” said William Kelly, a freshman mass communications major and photographer from Houston, Texas.
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