The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) recently released its rankings for institutional excellence in media—and Ball State University placed in the top 10 for creative achievement in student broadcast and media programs for the third consecutive year.
Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM) placed seventh nationally out of more than 90 ranked institutions in BEA’s “2024 Top Winning Overall Programs.” Ball State also placed second in the “Top Winning Sports Programs” and eighth in the “2024 Top Winning Documentary Programs” categories.
The BEA bases its institutional rankings on the past five years of student success in the BEA Festival of Media Arts. This leading international media competition highlights student and faculty creative works in the following categories: Audio, Documentary, Film & Video, Interactive Media & Emerging Technologies, News, Scriptwriting, and Sports.
“Our students continually impress me,” said Suzy Smith, department chair and associate professor of the Department of Media. “The faculty of the Department of Media are very proud of the work our students do, and this recognition from the Broadcast Education Association shows that our students are among the best of the best.”
Ball State had a strong showing at the 2024 BEA Festival of Media Arts competition, with several students earning recognition. This year’s Ball State winners include:
Short Form Documentary
- Faith Denig, Ameliah Kolp, Philipp Mischke & Jon Glodon – Award of Excellence, Clear Reception with David Letterman
Student Film and Video - Animation Category
- Veronica Newell – Award of Excellence, Falling
- Colton Hendrix – Award of Excellence, Me's A Crowd
Student News - Television Hard News Category
- Alex Almanza and Anna Chalker – Award of Excellence, Richmond Warehouse Fire
Student News - Television Short Feature Category
- Alex Almanza – 1st place, Woman walks again after being run over by a car
- Andy Newman – Award of Excellence, Dingers for Daryll
Student News - Television Anchor Category
- Alex Almanza – 2nd place, Alex Almanza Anchor Reel
- Anna Chalker – Award of Excellence, Anna Chalker Anchor Reel
Student Scriptwriting - Short Narrative Film Category
- Matthew Barton – Award of Excellence, Listen
Student Sports - Audio/Video Sports Event: Play-By-Play Talent
- Dominick Liacone – 1st place (tie), Ball State Sports Link: Dominick Liacone
- Charlie Maurer – 2nd place, Ball State Sports Link: Charlie Maurer
Student Sports - Video Story/Feature (Short) Category
- Josh Brunette – Award of Excellence, Ball State Sports Link: Men's Basketball vs. Kent State
Student Sports - Video Sports Live Game Production Category
- Jovanni Alcantar, Nate Locker, Sam Neiger, and Jordan Klimes – 1st place, Ball State Sports Link: Women's Volleyball vs. NIU
- Rachel Henderson, Jovanni Alcantar, Charlie Maurer, and Sam Neiger – 2nd place (tie), Ball State Sports Link: Men's Basketball vs. Bellarmine
Student Sports - Promotional Video/Tease/PSA Category
- Josh Brunette, Cameron Clift, Evan Miller, and Jack Ashby – 2nd place, Ball State Football: 2023 Intro
- Collin Phillips and Nick Lawler – 3rd place, Ball State Gymnastics: 2023 Intro
Graduate Documentary Competition
- Daria Buschur – 1st place, The Only Alternative: Exploring the Black Experience at Ball State
Ball State’s Department of Media provides immersive learning experiences for students from day one, such as producing newscasts, hosting radio shows, shooting and producing films, and much more—all within the University’s state-of-the-art facilities.
For more information about Ball State’s Department of Media, call 765-285-1480 or email
askbsumedia@bsu.edu.