MIPA inducts 3 media outlets into its Hall of Fame
The Michigan Interscholastic Press Association has inducted a yearbook, a newspaper and a broadcast video program into its Student Media Hall of Fame. The student media outlets were honored as part of MIPA’s Spring Awards event in Lansing on April 23, 2018.
Echo of Grand Blanc High School, WDBC Dragon Broadcasting of Lake Orion High School and Arrow of Utica High School have inducted into the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Student Media Hall of Fame.
“These programs represent the diversity of student media we see in schools across the state of Michigan,” said Jeremy Steele, MIPA’s executive director and a faculty member in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University. “Each has a long history and commitment to quality journalism and media that goes back decades.”
Grand Blanc’s Echo yearbook has been published since 1932. Today, it is among the premier yearbooks not only in Michigan, but nationwide. It’s 2017 book earned a Pacemaker from the National Scholastic Press Association. Echo is produced by about 65 staffers across three class sections at the school. The yearbook is advised by Ava Butzu.
Lake Orion’s WDBC Dragon Broadcasting began in 1970 when teacher G. Brett Saunders started a single radio class at Lake Orion High School. He added television broadcast soon after. For the first few years, students used shoe boxes as pretend cameras. Today, WDBC Dragon Broadcasting includes eight classes and two teachers. This program produces two regular monthly shows, in addition to its daily live newscast AND live production of more than 75 after-school sports and events each year. The broadcast program is advised by Roger Smith.
Utica’s Arrow newspaper has a long traditional of doing strong journalism. The newspaper was founded in 1930. It added spot color in 2003 and full color in 2005. In 2015, the newspaper switched from a broadsheet format to a tabloid. And in 2013, It launched its website, which earned its own Spartan Award last year. The newspaper is advised by Stacy Smale.
The MIPA Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to recognize student media outlets that have built a reputation of excellence over a long period of time. To become a member, a student media outlet must earn nine Spartan Awards in a 10-year period. The Spartan is MIPA’s highest rating of a student media outlet.