Ten Montclair State School of Communication and Media Students Win Two Prestigious Folio Awards

For the third straight year, Montclair State School of Communication and Media students won two prestigious Folio Awards at a ceremony that highlights the work that is “the gold standard for the best in news and social media.”

Before a sellout crowd of several hundred media executives and students from other universities at Gatsby on the Ocean in Jones Beach, ten SCM future media professionals won awards in the following categories:

Best Newscast – Student

Montclair News Lab, Nov. 23, 2022

Solana Brol, Senior Producer

Peter Guziejewski, Senior Producer/Editor

Francis Churchill, Senior Producer

Stefano Cherici, Anchor

Erick Rivera, Producer

Henry Tighe, Producer

Erin Lawlor, Producer

Coronavirus Pandemic Coverage – Student

Montclair News Lab

FOCUS: Disruption – Moving Forward

May 9, 2022

Julia Egan, Senior Producer

Gabby Taylor, Senior Producer

Alexander Hyde, Show Editor

Professor Mark Effron who oversees the Montclair News Lab said, “Thank you to the Folio Awards for again giving our students the opportunity to showcase their meaningful and impactful work. It was an amazing team effort of reporting, storytelling, producing and editing. To receive recognition for the third straight year demonstrates how hard our students work and that our program provides a world-class education in state-of-the-art facilities.”

Dozens of former journalists and community leaders served as judges for the awards program, with one judge anonymously commenting about the FOCUS: Disruption show, “Well-rounded report…Excellent approach to this issue and done in the most professional of productions. Really nice work!” 

In 2021, SCM students won Folio Awards for FOCUS: Democracy and coverage of the Pandemic and last year, for “MSU Drag” and “Best Newscast.”

The Folio Awards recognizes quality news on the hyperlocal Long Island, New York City regional and National levels, and is considered among the industry-leading awards. The Fair Media Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for quality news and works to create a media-savvy society.

About the School of Communication and Media: Founded in 2012, the School of Communication and Media offers a range of dynamic programs in communication and media to a talented and diverse student population of over 1,800. Offering degrees in film and television, social media and public relations, advertising, journalism and digital media, sports communication, communication and media studies, animation and visual effects, and an MA in public and organizational relations, the School prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. The School houses award-winning student programs that include WMSC Radio, The Montclarion newspaper, Hawk Communications Agency, the Red Hawk Sports Network, Hawk+ OTT streaming platform, and News Lab, as well as the Center for Cooperative Media, which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local journalism. Student projects and programs have recently received national recognition from PRSSA’s Bateman Competition, an Edward R Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and a College Television Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Story by Keith Green

Media Contact: Keith Green at 973-655-3701 or greenk@montclair.edu