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.

Tickets are on sale now. And for a limited time, INBA professional members can get one free ticket for their newsroom for every ticket they purchase. Act quickly!

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. Or, arrive the night before, Sept. 25, when we’ll host an optional informal get-together. (Details to come.) 

If you do need to spend a night in East Peoria, the Holiday is offering a special rate for INBA attendees. Reserve by Sept. 11 to take advantage.

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. — Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today: Brandon Pope (Fox 32 Chicago) and
  Leon Hendricks (25News)
• 11 a.m. — AI in the Newsroom: Turning Public Records into Reporting Power: Ben Kramer & Blair
  Beverly
• 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

Mike Miletich, WAND-TV’s Capitol reporter, talks about covering the Illinois legislature, dealing with a complex schedule, how working as a producer has helped his reporting, preparation and work flow, explaining complex issues to viewers, working in Springfield, writing history as it happens, why he likes covering politics, expectations, why the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois Springfield was very helpful for his work, and more. This is from a livestream interview with Margaret Larkin.

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.

Tickets are on sale now. And for a limited time, INBA professional members can get one free ticket for their newsroom for every ticket they purchase.

While the one-day convention format allows for attendees to make the experience a one-day trip from almost anywhere in Illinois, the Holiday Inn is offering a special hotel rate for attendees who’d like to stay the night before or after the event. Reserve by Sept. 11 to take advantage.

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. — Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today: Brandon Pope (Fox 32 Chicago) and
  Leon Hendricks (25News)
• 11 a.m. — AI in the Newsroom: Turning Public Records into Reporting Power: Ben Kramer & Blair
  Beverly
• 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 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.

Tickets are on sale now. And for a limited time, INBA professional members can get one free ticket for their newsroom for every ticket they purchase.

While the one-day convention format allows for attendees to make the experience a one-day trip from almost anywhere in Illinois, the Holiday Inn is offering a special hotel rate for attendees who’d like to stay the night before or after the event. Reserve by Sept. 11 to take advantage.

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. — Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today: Brandon Pope (Fox 32 Chicago) and
  Leon Hendricks (25News)
• 11 a.m. — AI in the Newsroom: Turning Public Records into Reporting Power: Ben Kramer & Blair
  Beverly
• 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

Until CBS Radio shut down in the spring of 2026, Jennifer Keiper was an anchor there. She talks about reporting and anchoring, quality broadcasting and writing, career advice, changes in journalism, Burning Man, her upbringing, and the serious topic of suicide (her sister) and caring for family. This is from a livestream that Jennifer did with Margaret Larkin. Margaret interviewed her for the INBA in 2020 when she was at WBBM Newsradio, and in 2016 when she was at WLS.

On the latest episode of the INBA Podcast, Margaret Larkin talks to Mark Maxwell, who covers Illinois and Missouri politics for KSDK-TV in St. Louis. He previously was Capitol Bureau Chief at WCIA-TV in Springfield. He talks about his career in TV news, how he develops sources, covering politicians and news gathering, challenges, what he’s learned, and more.

The INBA handed out awards in about a dozen categories in each of four divisions, small- and large-market TV and small- and large-market radio.

Here are the final results. Look for more photos of award winners soon on the INBA Facebook page.

SMALL MARKET TV

• Best Station: First place: WAND, Decatur; Second: WHBF, Quad Cities
• Paul Davis Best Newscast: 1: WCIA, Champaign “Mahomet Murders”; 2: WCIA “Sean Grayson Verdict”
• Best Morning Newscast: 1: WQAD, Quad Cities “GMQC Election Day”; 2: 25 News, Peoria “Pumpkin Fest”
• Best Digital Presence: 1: WHBF; 2: Eyewitness News (WTVO, Rockford)
• Best Reporter: 1: Deron Molen, WAND; 2. Sam Matheny, 25 News
• Breaking News: 1: WIFR: Town of Nora Evacuated; 2: WIFR: Severe Storm Cancels Brat Days
• Investigative Report: 1: Lizzie Seils, Kyle Vincent, Nick Cheesman, 25 News, Peoria; 2: WGEM: Deputy DUI
• Writing: 1: Deron Molen, WAND; 2: Caroline Reese, WAND
• Sports Reporting: 1: Kyle Ainsworth, WGEM; 2: Patrick Cunningham, WMBD
• Podcasting: Behind the Numbers, WGEM; CI Sports Zone, WMBD
• Best Weather Operation: 1: KWQC First Alert Weather; 2: WCIA Weather Team
• Use of Videography: 1: Deron Molen, Erika Ahola, Jake Bedell, 2: WAND; Kyle Vincent, 25 News

SMALL MARKET RADIO

• Best Station: 1: Illinois Public Media, Urbana; 2: WNIJ, DeKalb
• Best Newscast: 1: WGLT Staff, Normal; 2: WTAX News Team, Springfield
• Best Digital Presence: 1: WGLT; 2: 102.3 The Coyote Rochelle Broadcasting
• Best Reporter: 1: Dave Dahl, WTAX; 2: Ethan Kruger, WSPY, Plano
• Breaking News: 1: Farm Fields on Fire, Illinois Public Media; 2: Madigan Sentencing, WTAX
• Investigative Report: 1: Life Under Oak Wood, WGLT; 2: When Orders of Protection Don’t Protect, WGLT
• Political Reporting: 1: Eleven People, Five Seats, Illinois Public Media; 2: A Normal $28,000 Campaign Contribution, WGLT
• Writing: 1: Yvonne Boose, WNIJ; 2: Dave Dahl, WTAX
• Sports Reporting: 1: Peter Medlin, WNIJ; 2: Lauren Wisdom & Micah Schnyders, WSPY
• Podcasting: 1: What We Brought, Illinois Public Media; 2: Welcome to Forgottonia, Tri States Public Radio Host Rich Egger
• Use of Sound: Jane Carlson, Tri States Public Radio; Rich Egger, Tri States Public Radio 

LARGE MARKET TV

• Best Station: 1: ABC7 Chicago, 2: KSDK, St. Louis
• Paul Davis Best Newscast: 1: ABC7 Chicago: The Election of Pope Leo; 2: ABC7 Chicago: DNC Finale
• Best Morning Newscast: 1: KSDK
• Best Digital Presence: 1: ABC7 Chicago
• Best Reporter: 1: PJ Randhawa, NBC5 Chicago; 2: Justina Coronel, KSDK
• Breaking News: 1: KSDK Explosion; 2: KSDK Garfield’s Survival
• Investigative Report: 1: Mark Maxwell, ADA Lawsuits; 2: Mark Maxwell, Condemned: Corrupt Building Inspector Fired
• Political Reporting: 1: Mark Maxwell, At the Margins of Power, 2: KSDK; Craig Wall, ABC7
• Writing: 1 and 2: Mark Maxwell, KSDK
• Sports Reporting: 1: Frank Cusumano and Randy Schwentker, KSDK
• Best Weather Operation: 1: ABC7 Chicago Staff; 2: KTVI-TV Weather Department, St. Louis
• Podcasting: 1: KSDK: And There You Have It
• Use of Videography: 1: Brian Ledford, KTVI; 2: Randy Schwentker, Frank Cusumano, KSDK

LARGE MARKET RADIO

• Best Station: 1: WBBM, Chicago; St. Louis Public Radio
• Best Newscast: 1: WBBM, Cisco Cotto, Mai Martinez, Cameron Costanzo; St. Louis Public Radio
• Best Digital Presence: 1: St. Louis Public Radio
• Best Reporter: 1: Terry Keshner, WBBM; 2: Will Bauer, St. Louis Public Radio
• Breaking News: 1: A Chicago Pope, WBBM; 2: Mike Madigan Convicted, WGN Radio
• Investigative Report: 1: Brian Munoz, Chad Davis, Kavahn Mansouri, St. Louis Public Radio
• Political Reporting: 1: Geoff Buchholz, WBBM; 2: Will Bauer, St. Louis Public Radio
• Sports Reporting: 1: Rick Gregg, WBBM
• Writing: 1: Jeremy Goodwin, St. Louis Public Radio
• Podcasting: 1: We Live Here, St. Louis Public Radio; 2: Interrupting the Next Mass Shooting, WGN Radio
• Use of Sound: Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, St. Louis Public Radio; Jeremy Goodwin, St. Louis Public Radio

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.

The last time former INBA president Steve Scott was interviewed for the INBA Podcast (five years ago!) was when he was at WCBS in New York. After WCBS stopped operations, he became a news anchor at KCBS radio. He gives us an update about being an alum of San Jose State, working in San Francisco, covering news, doing PA announcing for the Golden State Warriors and other NBA teams, the importance of joining an organization, and more.