Radio-Television Journalism Students Win Honors, Scholarship at Mid-America Emmy Awards
By Caroline Murray
St. Louis (Oct. 21, 2013) — Missouri School of Journalism radio-television students were recognized at the 37th annual Mid-America Emmy Awards ceremony Oct. 5 in St. Louis.
Mihir Bhagat, junior and sports reporter for KOMU-TV, was one of the two winners of the Walter Cronkite scholarship. The merit-based award is given to students given to students who demonstrate the highest potential to join the television profession and thereby contribute to its future. Bhagat, from San Francisco, plans to pursue a career as a feature story sports reporter after graduation in May 2015.
Tom Martin, BJ ’13, won for his story “Giving the H.” Martin was also awarded an Emmy for best news story in the sports category for this story. It featured a beloved Helias High School student with Down syndrome who leads a crowd-favorite cheer during football and basketball games. The school is located in Jefferson City.
One award was in the serious news category for college students.
Artyom Rayev, BJ ’13, won for his story “Paris C’est La Vie Part 2: The Phoenix of Paris.” This was part of a three-part series on high school athletes overcoming adversity. This episode featured a senior who recovered from a difficult childhood and drug addiction to be a positive contributor for his high school football team. This is Rayev’s second collegiate Emmy award.
Fifteen-time Emmy-winning photojournalist Scott Schaffer, BJ ’04, was a presenter at the awards ceremony. Schaffer, a National Edward R. Murrow recipient, is the director of visual development at the Veterans United Network in Columbia. He began his career as a student at KOMU.
Twelve Missouri School of Journalism alumni were among the Emmy winners honored at the award ceremony.
The Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hosts the annual Emmy Awards ceremony. The nonprofit organization includes television markets primarily in Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois.
Since its founding in 1953, KOMU has won numerous awards showcasing its teaching mission, its staff and its top-quality news coverage. A self-funded auxiliary enterprise of the University of Missouri, KOMU is the only university-owned commercial television station in the U.S. that uses its newsroom as a working lab for students.
Updated: July 21, 2020