The event, titled “Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility,” will feature a series of discussions with industry veterans about changes we’re seeing in local media and how today’s journalists can do their best work amid them.

The event, at East Peoria’s Holiday Inn, 101 Holiday St., includes lunch.

Ticket sales are now closed.

Lewis, who served as the main weekend anchor at WGN-TV in Chicago, will speak about how TV has changed over the course of his career, memorable stories he’s covered, storytelling strategies, and his insight into the future for local news. 

Lewis’ journalism career has spanned across two decades with stops in Madison, WI; Rockford, IL; and Richmond, VA. In 2007, Lewis made his way back to Illinois, becoming an Anchor and Reporter at CLTV in 2007 and then moving to WGN in 2008 while still continuing his role at CLTV.  

While in Chicago, Lewis covered several breaking news stories from the anchor desk including the 2008 Presidential Election of Barack Obama and a mass shooting at Northern Illinois University in 2008. Lewis followed up his coverage with an award-winning special focusing on the victims’ recovery and the student journalists first on the scene of the NIU shooting.

In 2026, Lewis was one of the eight anchors to be laid off by Nexstar amid a corporate-wide downsizing. He is now the public information officer for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

This is a new format for our fall convention. Historically, we’ve spread the event over three days. This time around: One day (morning through late afternoon), fewer sessions, high impact. Drive in for the day.

In addition to hearing from industry veterans, we’ll also offer student critiques (**students: bring samples of your recent work; INBA members will give you feedback!**), career advice and networking opportunities.

Tentative schedule: Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility

• 9 a.m. — Welcome + Midterm Elections Panel: Mike Miletich (WAND-TV), Brenden Moore (Capitol News Illinois), Cameron Maine (WMBD-TV)
• 10 a.m. — AI in the Newsroom: Turning Public Records into Reporting Power: Ben Kramer & Blair
  Beverly, Local Matters
• 11 a.m. — Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today: Brandon Pope (Fox 32 Chicago) and
  Andrew Harvey (25News)
• Noon — Lunch (EXTENDED FOR NON-STUDENTS)
• 12:30 p.m. — Student/Young Journalist Meetup
• 1 p.m. — Newsmaker Keynote, Q&A + The Crossroads Conversation: Sean Lewis, formerly WGN-TV
• 2 p.m. — General Membership Meeting
• 3 p.m. — Adjourn

Illinois News Broadcasters Association is pleased to introduce a new session at this year’s Fall Convention, taking place Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn & Suites in East Peoria. This addition to the program highlights one of the most promising developments in local journalism: the use of artificial intelligence to strengthen public‑service reporting.

This session will feature “Local Matters,” an emerging platform founded by Ben Kramer and Blair Beverly, designed to help newsrooms more efficiently monitor local government meetings, documents and public records. As news organizations continue to navigate limited staffing and expanding coverage demands, Local Matters offers a practical solution to a growing challenge: the sheer volume of civic information that often goes unexamined. Their platform uses AI to surface potential stories, track ongoing issues and identify developments that might otherwise be missed.

Illinois Public Media, one of Local Matters’ early partners, has already begun integrating the tool into its reporting workflow, offering valuable insight into how AI can complement local reporting. During the session, Kramer and Beverly will walk attendees through the platform’s capabilities and discuss how AI can support accountability reporting in a rapidly evolving media landscape. They will explore the ethical considerations involved in adopting AI tools, the importance of transparency in automated workflows and the ways small and mid‑sized newsrooms can begin incorporating these technologies responsibly.

This session represents an important opportunity for INBA members to engage with a forward‑looking approach to public‑interest reporting and to consider how emerging tools can strengthen the mission of local journalism.

It is one of several valuable sessions that will be offered during the convention, titled “Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility.”

The new session add to an already strong lineup to INBA’s one-day convention, titled “Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility,” which also includes keynote speaker Sean Lewis, a former anchor at WGN-TV.

Ticket sales are now closed.

Tentative schedule: Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility

• 9 a.m. — Welcome + Midterm Elections Panel: Mike Miletich (WAND-TV), Brenden Moore (Capitol News Illinois), Cameron Maine (WMBD-TV)
• 10 a.m. — AI in the Newsroom: Turning Public Records into Reporting Power: Ben Kramer & Blair
  Beverly, Local Matters
• 11 a.m. — Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today: Brandon Pope (Fox 32 Chicago) and
  Andrew Harvey (25News)
• Noon — Lunch (EXTENDED FOR NON-STUDENTS)
• 12:30 p.m. — Student/Young Journalist Meetup
• 1 p.m. — Newsmaker Keynote, Q&A + The Crossroads Conversation: Sean Lewis, formerly WGN-TV
• 2 p.m. — General Membership Meeting
• 3 p.m. — Adjourn

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is pleased to announce an important addition to the 2026 Fall Convention program. We are honored to welcome Brandon Pope, Emmy‑winning journalist and anchor/reporter with Fox 32 Chicago, and Leon Hendricks, News Director at 25 News WEEK, who will join us for a newly added session.

The panel, titled Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Holiday Inn & Suites East Peoria. This session will offer a substantive examination of the current journalism job market, exploring how newsrooms evaluate applicants, the qualities and skills most valued in early‑career journalists, and the ways in which hiring practices have evolved in response to industry‑wide changes.

Pope will share insight from his recent transition into a major Chicago newsroom, while Hendricks will provide the perspective of a newsroom leader responsible for recruitment and talent development. Together, they will offer attendees a clear and practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing journalists entering the profession today.

This addition reflects INBA’s continued commitment to supporting both established professionals and emerging journalists as they navigate a rapidly changing media landscape. We look forward to the valuable perspectives Pope and Hendricks will bring to this year’s convention.

The new session add to an already strong lineup to INBA’s one-day convention, titled “Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility,” which also includes keynote speaker Sean Lewis, a former anchor at WGN-TV.

Ticket sales are now closed.

Tentative schedule: Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility

• 9 a.m. — Welcome + Midterm Elections Panel: Mike Miletich (WAND-TV), Brenden Moore (Capitol News Illinois), Cameron Maine (WMBD-TV)
• 10 a.m. — AI in the Newsroom: Turning Public Records into Reporting Power: Ben Kramer & Blair
  Beverly, Local Matters
• 11 a.m. — Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today: Brandon Pope (Fox 32 Chicago) and
  Andrew Harvey (25News)
• Noon — Lunch (EXTENDED FOR NON-STUDENTS)
• 12:30 p.m. — Student/Young Journalist Meetup
• 1 p.m. — Newsmaker Keynote, Q&A + The Crossroads Conversation: Sean Lewis, formerly WGN-TV
• 2 p.m. — General Membership Meeting
• 3 p.m. — Adjourn

ISU’s radio and TV stations won a total of nine awards, while EIU students claimed seven. Included in those seven were three individual awards for Olivia Bennett, who won for best news reporting, sports reporting and TV photography. She also won one of the INBA’s five college scholarships that were handed out April 18.

Here is the complete list of winners:

RADIO COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Radio Program

FIRST PLACE

• The Big Beautiful Bill
  • Ally Cooper, Colleen Holden, Bella Marello, Illinois State University

Outstanding Soft Radio Program

FIRST PLACE

• The RedZone: ISU Football National Championship Interview with Aondover Tarhule
  • Liam Lyons, Connor Allyn, Jaden Cohn, ISU 

Outstanding Radio Newscast

FIRST PLACE

• Ally Cooper, ISU

Outstanding Radio News Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Jonathan Dumois, NIU

SECOND PLACE

• Linder Sports Complex Renovations
  • Andrew Spaid, Eastern Illinois University

Outstanding Radio Sports Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Jaden Cohn, ISU

Outstanding Use of Sound

FIRST PLACE

• History Has Its Eyes On Them: ISU Students March for a Safer Future and Justice for the Past
  • Colleen Holden, ISU  

TELEVISION COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Television Program

FIRST PLACE

• Illinois In Session: Look ahead at 2026 Senate Race
  • Nathan Gonzalez, Mary Piacente and Piper Pascarella, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

SECOND PLACE

• Groovin Jaguar
  • GovState News Staff, Governors State University

Outstanding Soft Television Program

FIRST PLACE

• The Quad: Lights, Camera, Action – The Quad Takes the Stage
  • Aaron Anastos, Mary Piacente, Adrien Reetz, UIUC

SECOND PLACE

• Good Afternoon BloNo – Feb. 25, 2026
  • Aliah Mendoza, Aie Allen and Zakk Clark, ISU

Outstanding Sports Television Program

FIRST PLACE

• SportsZone – March 30, 2026
  • Nicholas Thompson, Zach Zanardo, Victor Todorov, ISU

SECOND PLACE

• Saluki Sportsview, Fall 2025, Ep. 2
  • Students of JRNL 445, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Outstanding Television Newscast

FIRST PLACE

• WEIU-TV News Watch
  • News Watch Staff, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• TV-10 News at Noon, March 23, 2026
  • Vivienne Hughes, Aliah Mendoza, ISU

Outstanding Television News Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Olivia Bennett, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• Matt Williamson, EIU

Outstanding Television Sports Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Olivia Bennett, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• Madalyne Korzeniewski, ISU

Outstanding Television News Photography

FIRST PLACE

• Olivia Bennett, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• Matt Williamson, EIU

View more SINBA Award winner photos on the INBA Facebook page soon.

The winners were selected by a panel of INBA members who evaluated about 20 scholarship applications.

The INBA has been supporting college students pursuing degrees in broadcast journalism since 1963. During that time, including the $12,500 in awards handed out this year, the INBA has awarded 223 scholarships worth about $225,000.

Here are this year’s winners:

OLIVIA BENNETT of Charleston is a junior at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism. She has worked as a Gray Television fellow for WOIO-TV in Cleveland; a producer, anchor and investigative reporter for TruBlu Crime Streaming; and managing editor, anchor and reporter for WEIU-TV News Watch. With this year’s award, Olivia is now a three-time INBA scholarship winner. Olivia took home INBA Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.

JOSHUA HIGHTOWER of Miami Gardens, Florida, is a graduate student in the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois Springfield. He is currently working as a reporting intern at WCIA-TV’s Capitol Bureau. He also was a reporter at WMNF 88.5 in Tampa while he attended the University of South Florida. Joshua is the winner of the INBA Bill Miller Scholarship, named after the longtime Springfield radio journalist who directed the PAR program from 1974 to 1993.

COLLEEN HOLDEN of Chicago will graduate next month from Illinois State University with a degree in journalism. She currently serves as news and sports operation director for WZND, the campus radio station, and a reporter, newscaster and “All Things Considered” host for WGLT. She previously worked as a reporter, producer and news director at WZND. Colleen was awarded the INBA Larry Wilson Scholarship, the news director at WSMI in Litchfield from 1970 to 1985.

ALIAH MENDOZA of Aurora is a mass media major at Illinois State University. She will graduate in May. Aliah has held several positions at ISU’s TV-10, including anchor, producer, director, social media manager, technical director, audio operator, camera/video playback/CG operator, and “Good Afternoon Blono” host. She also was a undergraduate teaching assistant for a TV production course. She was awarded the INBA Mary McAndrew Scholarship, named after the longtime journalist who spent 18 years with NBC News and also worked for the Associated Press and United Press International in New York and WBBM radio, WGCI radio and USA Today in Chicago.

ANDREW SPAID of Lake in the Hills will graduate this spring from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in TV and video production. He has worked as a sports and news anchor, producer and sports director for WEIU-TV and was an on-air DJ for Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU. He also is a host and producer of the Anytime Sports Podcast, worked on the live sports production crew for ESPN+ and was a freelance camera operator for WQAD-TV. Andrew is the winner of the INBA Don Brown Scholarship. Don is the namesake for the INBA’s first-ever scholarship, given in 1963. He worked for radio stations in Iowa and taught at the Universities of Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State and was instrumental in forming the INBA in 1955.

In addition to their scholarship awards, each of the five winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to the Best of Broadcast Awards event.

Three other students were named finalists for scholarship awards and were offered free tickets to the awards event. The finalists were Allison Cooper from ISU, Ciara Folkerts from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Matthew Williamson from EIU.

The Scholarship Selection Committee included:

• Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself and INBA board member.
• Jenna Dooley, news director, WNIJ in DeKalb, and INBA past president
• Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio, and INBA past president
• Emily Manley, former Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar and former INBA vice president

The INBA Scholarship program is supported through the INBA Foundation, which would welcome your help to continue supporting college broadcasting students. If you’re interested in making a gift to support that effort, make an online donation now.

INBA’s Crystal Mic Awards will be presented to Small and Large Market Radio and Television professionals, for the great work they’ve been doing during some very challenging times.

Students who are wrapping up the academic year will be honored with SINBA Awards for Radio and Television, and INBA Scholarships, given in memory of some of our earlier members.

Of course the evening will start with time for cocktails and networking, and we’ll continue those interactions during dinner. We’re excited to bring students and professionals together in one celebration.

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is proud to announce the winners in the 2025 Student Awards. These student broadcasters were honored Saturday, April 26, during the INBA Spring Convention in Bloomington.

TELEVISION COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Television Program

• First place: “UI7 Presents Decision 2024”: Piper Pascarella, Maggie Knutte, Hannah Lonergan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Second place: “The Bottom Line”: Kyle Langellier, Miriam Nesemeier, TV-10, Illinois State University

Outstanding Soft Television Program

• First place: “Good Afternoon Blono”: Austin Feaman, Jillian Claussen, Ella Pepper, TV-10, Illinois State University
• Second place: “Good Morning Illini”: Hannah Lonergan, Mallory Miller, Caroline Tadla, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Outstanding Sports Television Program

• First place: “Illini Sports Night” (Oct. 14, 2025): Emily Richie, John Shay, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Second place: “Saluki Sportsview” (Spring 25, Ep. 1): Students of JRNL 445, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Outstanding Television Newscast

• First place: “TV-10 News at Noon” (March 24, 2025): Gil Cano, Elizabeth Ippolito, Aliah Mendoza, Illinois State University
• Second place: WEIU-TV News Watch: Staff, Eastern Illinois University

Outstanding Television News Reporting

• First place: Gil Cano: TV-10, Illinois State University
• Second place: Matt Williamson: WEIU, Eastern Illinois University

Outstanding Television Sports Reporting

• First place: Andrew Spaid: Eastern Illinois University
• Second place: Jordan Kruse, Joey Benard: Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Outstanding Television News Photography

• First place: Matt Williamson, Lauryn Samuelson: WEIU, Eastern Illinois University 

RADIO COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Radio Program

• First place: Bird’s-I-View episode “Artificial Intelligence”: Lauren Leisure, Luke Biondi, Colleen Holden, WZND, Illinois State University 

Outstanding Soft Radio Program

• First place: RedZone: Jordan Davis, Benjamin Hudy, Joey LeMaster, Julian Voss, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio Newscast

• First place: Colleen Holden, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio News Reporting

• First place: The Great Recession of Higher Education: Nathan Cihak, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio Sports Reporting

• First place: Bloomington Bison coverage: Jaden Cohn, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio Sports Play-by-Play

• First place: Benjamin Hudy, Liam Lyons, Everton Levy, WZND, Illinois State University 
• Second place: Joey Lemaster, Jaden Cohn, WZND, Illinois State University

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association honored its 2025 college scholarship recipients during the INBA Spring Convention in Bloomington on Saturday, April 26.

The five winners were selected by a panel of INBA members who evaluated 23 scholarship applications.

The INBA has been supporting college students pursuing degrees in broadcast journalism since 1963. During that time, including the $11,000 in awards being handed out this year, the INBA has awarded 218 scholarships worth about $213,000.

Here are this year’s winners:

OLIVIA BENNETT of Charleston is a sophomore at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism. Olivia is working this semester as a producer, anchor and investigative reporter for TruBlu Crime Streaming. She helps to design and run a show that does long-form “48 Hours”-style pieces on crimes throughout the nation. She also has been a Gray Television fellow for WOIO-TV in Cleveland and a reporter for the PBS station on the EIU campus. With this year’s award, Olivia is now a two-time INBA scholarship winner.

Olivia will be taking home the Ed Brown Scholarship, named after the late Southern Illinois University Carbondale professor who served as the INBA’s executive secretary from 1968 to 1983.

SIMONE GARBER of Chicago is a junior journalism and history major at Northwestern University. She has worked as a reporter and anchor for the Northwestern News Network, a politics reporter for Medill News Service and a reporting intern for WJFW Newswatch 12 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

Simone has been awarded the INBA Mary McAndrew Scholarship, named after the longtime journalist who spent 18 years with NBC News and also worked for the Associated Press and United Press International in New York and WBBM radio, WGCI radio and USA Today in Chicago.

LINA GEBHARDT of Lombard is a journalism major planning to graduate this summer from DePaul University. She has worked as a reporter and anchor for “Good Day DePaul,” the multimedia editor for The DePaulia, a news intern at NewsNation and a graduate assistant.

Lina is the winner of the INBA Don Brown Scholarship. Don is the namesake for the INBA’s first-ever scholarship, given in 1963. He worked for radio stations in Iowa and taught at the Universities of Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State and was instrumental in forming the INBA in 1955.

LAUREN LEISURE of Bourbonnais is an Illinois State University journalism major who plans to graduate later this year. At ISU, Lauren works for TV-10, where she is a multimedia journalist, weather anchor and fill-in news anchor. She is also the news and sports operations director at WZND, the student radio station. Lauren has interned at WCIA-TV, WGLT radio at ISU and WFAV radio in Bourbonnais.

Lauren is being awarded the INBA Bill Miller Scholarship. Miller worked in radio for 25 years in Springfield before serving another 20 years as director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at Sangamon State University. He is a charter member of the INBA.

MATT WILLIAMSON of Le Roy is a junior at Eastern Illinois University, majoring in television and video production. He has worked at WEIU News Watch, a student-led broadcast, as an anchor, reporter, photographer, writer and producer.

Matt is the recipient of the INBA Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.

In addition to their scholarship awards, each of the five winners is receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to the Spring Convention.

Four other students were named finalists for scholarship awards and were offered free tickets to the Spring Convention. The finalists were Gil Cano, Elizabeth Ippolito and Rachael Deerfield, all of Illinois State University, and Cameron Maine, a former ISU student who is now a graduate student in the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The Scholarship Selection Committee included:

• Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself and INBA board member.
• Ryan Burrow, news director, WGN Radio, Chicago
• Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio, and INBA president
• Emily Manley, former Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar and current INBA vice president

The INBA Scholarship program is supported through the INBA Foundation, which would welcome your help to continue supporting college broadcasting students. If you’re interested in making a gift to support that effort, make an online donation now.

Educational sessions about immigration and weird weather and the celebration of our student broadcast journalists will headline the INBA Spring Convention in Bloomington April 25-27, 2025.

Here is the agenda for the weekend:

INBA Spring Convention schedule (all sessions at the Holiday Inn & Suites Bloomington Airport, 3202 E. Empire St., Bloomington)

Friday, April 25

> Evening welcoming reception at hotel.

Saturday, April 26

> 8 to 9 a.m. – Convention registration and check-in, hotel lobby

> 9:10 a.m. – Welcome

> 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.: Session One – Covering Immigration in the Second Trump Administration: The Trump administration has substantially altered America’s immigration policy in its first months in office. We’ll learn the basics of the system that governs immigration, hear from leaders of communities that have been affected and get tips for covering a fast-changing beat.

Panelists: Laura Aronson, director, Immigration Law Clinic, University of Illinois Law School; Maggie Rivera, President and CEO, Illinois Migrant Council; Adriana Cardona-Maguidad, immigration reporter, WBEZ Chicago

> 10:45 a.m. to noon: Session Two – Wild Wacky Weather: It doesn’t take a meteorologist to recognize that the weather in Illinois is getting a little weirder. You’ll hear from experts in the field about why that might be happening, how it impacts communities, and how we as reporters can better communicate before, during and after severe weather events.

Panelists: Chuck Collins, meteorologist WEEK 25News Peoria; Cathy Beck, director, McLean County Emergency Management Agency; Jim Angel, retired Illinois state climatologist; Gary Manier, mayor, Washington, Illinois, which was hit by an EF-4 tornado in 2013)

> Noon to 2 p.m.: Lunch and INBA membership meeting

> 2 to 3:15 p.m.: Session Three – The Future of Media: Angst over the future of journalism is nothing new. But the rapid pace of change, and recent rounds of layoffs at institutions big and small, at a time when the media’s watchdog role is more critical than ever, is enough to spike the anxiety of even the most veteran reporters. We’ll discuss the future of the industry with local and regional news leaders.

Panelists: Brad Gray, director of innovation, WTHR 13News (Indiana/TEGNA); Leon Hendricks news director, WEEK 25News (Peoria/Gray)

> 3:30 p.m.: Association meetings, student critiques

> 6 p.m.: Cocktail hour

> 7 p.m.: Dinner and presentation of student scholarships and SINBA awards

Sunday, April 27

10 to 11:15 a.m.: Session Four – A Refresh for Journalists: After a long work week and a weekend full of tough conversations and topics, it’s time for a break. We’ll get tips on how to take quick breaks during a busy day and recognize when deep breathing may just not be enough. 

Panelist: Erin Kennedy, manager, Community Resource Center, OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is proud to announce its 2024 college scholarship recipients. The students will receive their awards on Saturday, April 20, during the INBA Spring Convention in Rock Island.

The INBA has been supporting college students pursuing degrees in broadcast journalism since 1963. During that time, including the $13,000 in awards being handed out this year, the INBA has awarded about 213 scholarships worth nearly $202,000.

Here are this year’s winners:

HARRISON BELSANTI of Highland Park is a broadcast journalism major at Eastern Illinois University, graduating in just a few weeks. He has worked at WEIU-TV, the campus’ PBS affiliate, as a multimedia journalist, assistant producer and many other positions since January 2022. He’s also a repeat winner, having taken home an INBA scholarship at last spring’s convention. After graduation, Harrison will begin work as a multiskilled journalist at WQAD-TV, the ABC affiliate in the Quad Cities.

Harrison is being awarded the INBA’s Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.

OLIVIA BENNETT is a freshman at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in criminology. She works as a general assignment reporter and anchor for WEIU-TV and as a radio personality for WEIU Hit Mix 88.9 FM. Olivia is the first-ever recipient of the INBA Molly Hall Scholarship. Friends and family of Molly donated funds to establish this award after she passed away a year ago. Molly was an EIU graduate who spent 14 years in broadcast journalism starting at WTAX radio in Springfield, and then working as a reporter, anchor and Statehouse Capitol Bureau Chief for WCIA-TV. She went on to become executive director of the Energy Education Council.

MAGGEE BLEYER from Mount Carmel is completing her junior year as a journalism major at Illinois State University. She is heavily involved in student media, including being an assignment editor, anchor, producer and reporter at TV-10; a DJ at WZND; and a news and feature reporter and editorial board member for the Vidette. She was recently named the Vidette’s editor-in-chief for the upcoming year. Maggee also was an intern and digital media reporter last spring and summer for WEHT-WTVW in Evansville, Indiana. She also worked in student media extensively while she attended Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel during her freshman and sophomore years.

Maggee is being awarded the INBA Mary McAndrew Scholarship. Mary was a longtime journalist who spent 18 years with NBC News and also worked for the Associated Press and United Press International in New York and WBBM radio, WGCI radio and USA Today in Chicago.

LAUREN BRENNECKE of O’Fallon, Missouri, is a media studies major who will graduate next month from Webster University near St. Louis. She is currently a newsroom intern for St. Louis Public Radio, and she recently signed on to work there full time for an additional six months. Lauren also has worked for the University Podcast Network, editing and writing shows.

Lauren is being awarded the INBA Ed Brown Scholarship. Ed was a professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was a longtime executive secretary for the INBA.

DREW COFFEY of Mattoon is graduating in May from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in television and video production. He has worked at WEIU-TV for three years in a variety of roles, including reporter, anchor, writer, videographer, editor, studio camera operator, and graphics operator. He also works at Eastern’s on-campus newspaper, The Daily Eastern News. Last summer, he interned at WCIA-TV in Champaign.

Drew is being awarded the INBA Larry Wilson Scholarship. Larry was a longtime INBA member who served as news director of WSMI in Litchfield in the 1970s and ‘80s. He was an organizer and longtime supporter of the former INBA Road Shows and was a big advocate for involving students in INBA activities.

Thank you to the INBA Scholarship Selection Committee, which interviewed scholarship finalists and selected the winners. They are:

Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself.

Ryan Burrow, news director, WGN Radio, Chicago

Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio

Emily Manley, the Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar

The INBA Scholarship program is supported through the INBA Foundation, which would welcome your help to continue supporting college broadcasting students. If you’re interested in making a gift to support that effort, make an online donation now.