Eaton named to NBS-AERho Board of Governors

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Ray Eaton, broadcasting technician in the communication arts department, was recently elected to the Board of Governors for the National Broadcasting Society-Alpha Epsilon Rho.

Eaton will serve a two-year term for the organization, a student and professional society of more than 85 chapters on college, university and high school campuses. He was elected to the position during the NBS convention in Washington, D.C.

“As a member of the board, I help to plan, implement and stage the national conventions as well as function as a member of specific task forces in the areas of fund raising, development, promotion and advisory roles,” Eaton said.

The 2014 convention will be held in March in Los Angeles. Eaton has been a member of NBS since 1998 and is the adviser for the group’s local chapter at Union.

In addition, Eaton and three Union students – junior Grant Atkinson and  junior Caroline Miller, both media communications majors, and senior Jacob Melder, broadcast journalism major, – were inducted into the Alpha Epsilon Rho Honor Society.

COM Alum win big at TN Assoc. Press

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Three COM alumni working at the Jackson Sun received honors at the annual Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors contest.

Tracie Holden Simer (2004, Journalism), the Sun‘s online/social media editor, won the Malcolm Law award for a project that revealed several area animal shelters did not follow state rules governing pet adoptions.

Aaron Hardin won first place in Spot News Photography for his photos of this church fire in downtown Jackson.

Aaron Hardin won first place in Spot News Photography for his photos of this church fire in downtown Jackson.

Photographer Aaron Hardin (2007, Digital Media Studies) won first place in Spot News Photography.

Reporter Jordan Buie (2010, Journalism) won first place in the Video category.

A team consisting of Simer, Buie and reporter Ned Hunter also won second place in the Daily Deadline category.

Simer and reporter Lauren Foreman won honorable mention in the Freedom of Information category, which included work from all of the state’s daily newspapers and broadcasters.

The Sun’s staff also placed first in the Website and Multimedia categories.

The Sun competed against six other newspapers across the state with daily circulations ranging from 15,001 to 50,000. The contest recognized work produced in 2012.

The awards were presented at a banquet Saturday night at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel.

[Original story found at the Jackson Sun‘s website here]