Students claim top honors in January Hearst competitions
Two Missouri School of Journalism seniors earned top finishes in the Hearst Journalism Awards’ Television I – Features competition in January, giving Mizzou an early lead in the overall Intercollegiate Broadcast Competition.
Students also finished in the top 10 and top 15 in other Hearst competitions this month, rounding out a strong start to the year in the prestigious awards race across several categories.
“These students have worked hard to embrace the Missouri Method of learning by doing and produce excellent community reporting,” said David Kurpius, dean of the School of Journalism. “This national recognition is well deserved.”
Charlotte Cicero took first place and a $3,000 scholarship for two stories she reported for KOMU-TV, the School of Journalism’s NBC-affiliate news station. The top spot automatically qualifies her for the National Television Championship in June. Fellow KOMU reporter Abigail Klinkerman earned second place for three stories.
Both students also serve as anchors at the station, making their claim to the top two spots all the more striking.
Cicero’s stories included a profile of a gunsmith working in historic Arrow Rock, Missouri, at one of only two shops in the country that produce handmade, 18th-century flintlock rifles. Professor Elizabeth Frogge, assistant news director at KOMU, said the story — which saw Cicero fire a flintlock rifle on camera — reflects an impressive level of creativity and professional maturity.
“Charlotte spent countless hours working with several faculty members to polish this story while allowing her personality to shine through,” Frogge said. “I can’t imagine a journalism student in any other college environment producing work at this level.”
One of those faculty members — Jann Carl, storytelling editor at KOMU — suggested the story as one that would work well with Cicero’s personality and proposed that she take a participatory approach that would feature her on camera interacting with Tyler Sydebotham, the gunsmith, rather than simply speaking to the audience. Cicero ran with the idea, ultimately finding that it imbued the footage with a distinctive charm.
“I spent almost two months on that piece,” Cicero said. “I was in Lee Hills Hall on the KOMU computers, audio engineering and editing. I rewrote the script like three or four times. It just became such a fun puzzle to create this piece.”
The other story that earned Cicero the top spot was a local spin on a national story. In light of the U.S. Treasury Department halting production of pennies, Cicero went to local business owners and coin specialists to hear their takes on the end of the coin’s 116-year run. The story also allowed her to gain valuable experience with a “double standup,” a technique in which a reporter appears on camera in two different locations within one story to make for a more complex and visually interesting final product.
Klinkerman, too, displayed an inventive approach to her stories that helped them stand out above submissions from all over the country.
“Each of Abigail’s Hearst stories reflect her dedication to improving as a journalist, from writing and using advanced graphics to on-air creativity and engagement,” Frogge said. “Her piece about some of the challenges facing the Columbia Fire Department not only showcases a real issue affecting our audience but also demonstrates the power of video and audio storytelling. Abigail used all the skills she’s learned as a KOMU reporter to polish this story.”
That story spotlighted the Columbia Fire Department’s efforts to increase the staffing of its response teams to the four-person standard set by the National Fire Protection Association.
“I got the chance to experience and go inside a real-life fire rescue simulation and time the difference between four-person response teams and three-person response teams,” Klinkerman said. “The difference was eye-opening. Through the experience, I was also able to build a sense of rapport with the fire department and am looking forward to working with them on future stories.”
Another story covered a beloved local artisan craft shop’s transition to new ownership after 42 years, recounting its legacy of women-led collaboration and entrepreneurship.
And a story about a shifting legal landscape for backyard chicken ownership treated viewers to an audiovisual feast of clucking, waddling chickens as locals spoke about the positive impacts of bird ownership in their lives.
Klinkerman and Cicero have shared the KOMU anchor desk on occasion. They also share a background in theater. Now, they share the esteem of top spots in a Hearst competition.
“I’m just so grateful that we get to share this experience together,” Cicero said. “I am in awe of the work that she does, and I couldn’t be luckier to have someone by my side who makes me a better journalist.”
More honors
In Hearst’s Photojournalism I – News & Features competition, senior Michael Baniewicz finished in 10th place and earned a certificate.
He was recognized for eight images ranging from coverage of the NFL Draft to depictions of a family’s effort to support people with special needs in Maysville, Kentucky, as well as a mix of local news and features. One was the product of two days he spent with Bobbi Bibbs, during which Bibbs discovered her cancer had returned. A resident of Kennett, Missouri, Bibbs’ situation is increasingly familiar at a time when pesticides have been linked to cancers and other health issues in rural communities.
Professor Brian Kratzer, director of photography for the Columbia Missourian — the School of Journalism’s community newspaper — said the photographs reflect the authenticity Baniewicz brings to his work, no matter the subject.
“Mike brings sincerity and honest care to those in front of his lens, whether he’s sorting through the chaos of 600,000 NFL fans at the draft in Green Bay, or in a quiet doctor’s office in the Bootheel listening to a couple hearing bad news from their oncologist,” Kratzer said. “He holds the responsibility of being a journalist in high regard.”
Baniewicz credited the collaborative ethos at the Missourian — and at the School of Journalism more broadly — with helping him take full advantage of the Missouri Method.
“The Columbia Missourian has offered many opportunities for me to collaborate with talented visual storytellers. These collaborations with other Mizzou photojournalists have encouraged me to constantly challenge myself as a photographer, and I am very grateful for the knowledge they have shared with me.”
Senior Hannah Schuh also earned a top 20 finish in the Multimedia I – Narrative Video Storytelling competition, tying for 13th place.
Hearst competitions will continue over the next several months, culminating in the national championship this summer.
Updated: January 28, 2026