WestConn Students Win National Newscast Award

Since it's debut in 2011, "Election Connection" has brought the world of politics and the election process to the Western Connecticut State University student community.

The brain child of Dr. JC Barone, who is also a professor of Communication and Media Arts at WestConn, the course offers students a chance to experience what it's like to actually report on the November election, and broadcast an entire news program covering elections from all over the state of Connecticut.

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Now the show called "Election Connection" has been recognized Nationally by the Broadcast Education Associations Collegiate Festival Of Media Arts as the best of the best in the radio news catagory for their November 2021 live election coverage. Some 1,450 submissions from colleges and universities from not only across the country but around the world were all competing in multiple catagories, and the WestConn program was deemed the best in it's catagory.

The show is no stranger to accolades, this is actually the third major award that the show has recieved from the BEA. It took the top spot in 2015, and placed second in 2016. The show has also taken several awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences/New England Student Production Awards including a first place finish in the serious news catagory in 2020.

The show airs each year on election night starting at 8 PM, and is broadcast on the schools YouTube channel, and simulcast on the WCSU radio station WXCI-FM.

In order to put the show on the map, Barone, has drawn from his extensive professional experience to design the course as a vehicle to train students in media, journalism and liberal arts for the demands of today’s job market.

According to patch.com, JC cites the dedication of the students for the programs success citing that "they stay late after class, as well as working on weekends to insure that they are putting together the best product possible". He also said that during the pandemic it was particularly demanding, but "the discipline and collaboration of the students showed that they could jump any hurdle regardless of the challenges".

Here's a look at the show that took home the top award from last November 2021.

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