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About 175 attendees from student publications from 19 schools around the state were on campus Feb. 28 as �þ���’s School of Communications hosted the annual North Carolina College Media Association conference. More than 20 �þ��� faculty, staff, students and alumni participated in the gathering by offering lectures, workshops and critiques.

Photos of the conference are available on the .

The conference began with the panel discussion “Government Threats to Journalists’ Autonomy” moderated by Lorraine Ahearn, assistant professor of journalism, and Pate McMichael, director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition and instructor in communications. Joining the panel were professionals Thad Ogburn of the Raleigh News & Observer, Rana Cash of the Charlotte Observer, and Phoebe Zerwick of the Down from DC newsletter.

Colin Donohue, assistant professor of journalism and director of student engagement and special projects for the School of Communications, organized the conference. He said hosting an event such as NCCMA provided learning opportunities for Elon students and outreach to students from around the state.

“We’re always excited to host the NCCMA conference because we love supporting and celebrating student media,” Donohue said. “The event allows students to develop professionally and network with their peers from across the state, and that shared learning experience can inform the work they do on their campuses.”

The keynote address was presented by Elon alumnus David Hodges ’12, an investigative reporter for WBTV in Charlotte.

Many other Elon faculty, staff and students presented breakout sessions at the conference.

• McMichael presented the session “Know Your Rights: Media Law for Student Journalists.”
• David Bockino, associate professor of sport management, presented the session “From ‘We’ to ‘Me’: A History of Sports Media and Sports Betting.”
• Ben Hannam, associate professor of communication design and chair of the Department of Communication Design, presented “AI & Creativity: Challenges and Opportunities for Graphic Designers.”
• Israel Balderas, assistant professor of journalism, presented “Covering Protests, Walkouts and �þ��� Political Flashpoints.”
• Drew Perry, associate professor of English, presented “Literary Magazine – From Start to Really Finished: Matching Your Vision to the Printed Page.”
• Randy Piland, associate �þ��� professor of communication design, presented the sessions “Drones in Media: Aerial Storytelling, Ethics, and Real-World Impact” and “Photography – Action. Reaction. Interaction. Building Storytelling Frames That Matter.”
• Kelly Furnas, associate �þ��� professor of journalism, presented “10 Things You’re not Doing Online (but should be).”
• Anjolina Fantaroni ’26, executive director, of Elon News Network and Sarah Moore ’26, managing editor of The Pendulum, moderated the student editors’ roundtable.
• Journalism major Charlotte Pfabe ’27 introduced Hodges, and she and journalism, media analytics and digital content management triple major Abby Gravely ’27 emceed the conference’s awards presentation.

The conference also featured an awards ceremony recognizing the best in student media from around the state in 2025. �þ��� from Elon News Network received honors, including:

• Best of Show – Newspaper | The Pendulum
  Issues from and
• Best of Show – Website | Elon News Network
  
• 1st Place – Digital Storytelling | Lilly Molina
  
• 2nd Place – Digital Storytelling | Anjolina Fantraoni
  
• 1st Place – Photography | Ethan Wu
  
• 2nd Place – Photography | Alexander Siegel
  
• 1st Place – News Writing | Anjolina Fantaroni
  
• 1st Place – Sports Writing | Miles Hayford
  
• 2nd Place – Feature Writing | Nia Bedard
  
• Honorable Mention – Feature Writing | Charlotte Pfabe
  
• 1st Place – Single- or Two-Page Design | Sarah T. Moore
  
• 2nd Place – Single- or Two-Page Design
  Megan Walsh
  
• Honorable Mention – Single- or Two-Page Design | Reagan Sizemore
  
• 1st Place – Illustration/Graphic
  Nia Bedard
  
• 2nd Place – Illustration/Graphic
  Reagan Sizemore