- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Patel Joins K��Vlog��ýR as Political and Government Affairs Reporter

John Hill — Fri, 20 May 2022 13:30:49 +0000

Ronak Patel has joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio as the new political and governmental affairs reporter for , a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate. His duties include covering Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s administration as well as the Arkansas General Assembly, members of the state’s U.S. congressional delegation, local politics, and election coverage. “We’re excited to have Ronak with us,” said Michael Hibblen, news director for K��Vlog��ýR. “He brings a strong journalism background to K��Vlog��ýR and is part of a steady expansion of the staff of the newsroom which will enable us to do even more original reporting. He has good news instincts and is a strong writer.” A graduate of Little Rock Central High School, Patel attended the University of Central of Arkansas (UCA), where he graduated with a major in English and a minor in journalism in 2021. He got interested in journalism while working for UCA’s student newspaper, the Echo. “I saw the student newspaper, the UCA Echo, needed staff writers, and they were open to volunteers who weren’t journalism majors,” Patel said. “I did that my junior year and really enjoyed it. I changed my minor to journalism. During my senior year of college, it was the 2020 election, and I had political reporting. The professor did a great job of talking about politics, and that made me interested in going into political journalism.” As a student, Patel also reported on a state legislator requesting syllabi from UCA, a report that won a second-place award for in-depth reporting from the Arkansas College Media Association. Since graduating, he’s landed positions at the Southwest Times Record and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Despite his experience in print, Patel has always been a fan of broadcast and figured he would wind up working in broadcast eventually. “While I started off in print, I knew that I would have to venture out of print with the way the industry is changing,” Patel said. “I took a broadcast class at UCA, and I was always a fan of NPR. Steve Inkeep of NPR was always one of my favorite political reporters.” Since starting at K��Vlog��ýR, Patel said his favorite story has been an , George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, about his new biography, “Winthrop Rockefeller: From New Yorkers to Arkansawyer, 1912-1956.” “I’ve always been a big fan of Rockefeller, and I love reading about history,” Patel said. “Getting to talk to someone who is an expert on what Rockefeller did for the state and who he was as a person is interesting. I think a lot of people forget the impact that Winthrop had on the state, and it’s interesting to share that history with our Arkansas listeners about a figure who gets overlooked sometimes.” Outside of work, Patel enjoys watching basketball, either the Milwaukee Bucks or the UCA Bears, and playing video games. He also serves as a board member for the Society of Professional Journalists and encourages people to support local news. “I would encourage people to pay more attention to local politics and local news,” Patel said. “I used to only look at national news, but it’s important to learn about what is going on in your community. It’s cool to read feature stories that you can’t always get from a national news organization.”

Two ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Students Selected for Arkansas Newspaper Foundation Summer Internship Program

John Hill — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 17:22:27 +0000

Two talented student journalists from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have been selected as part of the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation’s 2021 summer internship program.�� The Arkansas Newspaper Foundation (ANF) has a commitment to serve Arkansas newspapers by helping fund summer interns at Arkansas Press Association member newspapers across the state. The internships provide students with real-world journalism experience while newspapers obtain a qualified candidate to fill a temporary position. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students selected for the ANF internship program include Chloe McGehee of Bryant and Remington Miller of Little Rock. A graduate of Bryant High School, McGehee is majoring in mass communication and minoring in political science. She served as the executive editor of The Forum, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student newspaper, and president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She has won a number of awards from the Arkansas Scholastic Press and Arkansas Collegiate Media Association. “I’m very thankful to receive the internship because I know I could not have done it without the help of my scholarship program, my previous editor, Jordan Woodson, and my advisor, professor, and friend Carlton Rhodes,” McGehee said. “Without them I would have never applied or had the skills to achieve it. I’m also incredibly excited to be doing what I love to do and want to work in for my career. It’s an invaluable experience and I do not take it for granted.” After she graduates in 2023, McGehee wants to work as a journalist and get her master’s degree. She’s thankful for the experience she is gaining from her internship with the Daily Record. “The paper and publisher I am working under, The Daily Record and Wesley Brown, are truly amazing, and I feel like I would not be having this amazing experience anywhere else,” she said. “He really allows me to shine where I can while always teaching me and making me more confident.”

Remington Miller

Miller, the second ��Vlog��ý Little Rock ANF summer internship recipient, is a graduate of Robinson High School in Little Rock and is a double major in mass communication and English. She’s a reporter for The Forum as well as a mass media research assistant for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Mass Communication. “I was so honored and surprised to receive the internship,” Miller said. “It is a great opportunity, and I am so eager for the real experience in the journalism field. I am really excited to look at the local news gathering process. I hope it allows me to start establishing contacts with possible mentors and create a better view on the news cycle in Arkansas, on the inside.” After she graduates in 2022, Miller plans to work as an investigative reporter. “I love working in print and online journalism so much. I have the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Mass Communication to thank,” Miller said. “I’ve got skills that I know will be useful with the internship. The professors have always been so supportive and willing to help me reach these internships and my career goals. I couldn’t do it without their support. Every journalism professor I’ve met has always been willing to help but my advisor and supervisor of The Forum, Professor Rhodes, has been really great about encouraging me to go for all these opportunities.” Both students are interning at the Daily Record this summer. Publisher Wesley Brown said he welcomes the opportunity to help guide and train promising young journalists through the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation internship program. “As a member of the Arkansas Press Association, we are excited to work with the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation to provide internships to outstanding students from colleges and universities across the state looking to enter the journalism field,” Brown said. “As a longtime journalist and industry advocate, I look forward to working with these budding journalists from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock this summer so they can further their educational experience.” The Arkansas Newspaper Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides support, professional development, and educational opportunities to APA member newspapers. ANF has offered internships for more than two decades. This year, ANF will fully fund four full internships and two half-internships for student journalists. The foundation is paying the internship costs to help Arkansas newspapers recover from the economic effects of COVID-19. In the past, newspapers participating in the internship program were expected to match ANF’s grant for a 10-week internship. Since last year, the ANF Board of Directors fully funded the internships for a total of $15,000 for the summer interns. “It’s an obligation of the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation to support and promote newspapers in this state, so it was a simple decision to continue to fully fund this vital program,” said Rusty Fraser, ANF board president and publisher of the Stone County Leader in Mountain View. “These interns get a front-row seat in a professional newsroom and can help immediately in reporting on the communities our newspapers serve.”

Brown Honored in 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards

John Hill — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 14:04:53 +0000

Alexandria Brown, a senior mass communication major at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been honored for her work with the very first story she ever made for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio.�� Brown, who reports and hosts “All Things Considered” and “Weekend Edition” for K��Vlog��ýR received third place honors in the Features, Broadcast category for her story, “.” The judges called Brown’s story “straightforward and interesting.” “Thank you to the judges for allowing me to receive my first Diamond Journalism Award,” said Brown, a native of England, Arkansas. “It’s such an honor to even be considered in this contest. The story I entered was the first piece I ever did for K��Vlog��ýR. It was about how an early census deadline could impact Arkansas’ economy by losing billions of dollars. This piece is special to me because it showed me how vital it is to inform our democracy about matters that impact us all that we may not even be aware of. Thank you to my fellow news team for guiding me through this and congratulations to them as well.” The 2021 Diamond Journalism Award Contest is sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The group considered work from journalists in Arkansas and six neighboring states. “Independent and local reporting is vital to the health of our democracy,” said Nathan Vandiver, general manager of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio. “We have seen the evidence of this first-hand in the pandemic and in the run-up to the 2020 election. It’s an honor to serve our community in this way and it’s especially an honor for the hard work of our news team to be recognized among such an impressive group of journalists from across the region.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio is a listener-supported public service department of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock based in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. Brown is a former intern at K��Vlog��ýR, the Little Rock National Public Radio affiliate, where she’s reported on issues such as the census and a proposed city sales tax. She now works part-time as the “All Things Considered” host and a reporter for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio. She is also a recent recipient of the Arkansas Press Women’s annual scholarship and a reporter with The Forum, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student newspaper. After she graduates in 2022, Brown plans to continue her career as a broadcast reporter.

K��Vlog��ýR Reporters Receive Honors in 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards

John Hill — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:27:44 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio is celebrating the success of its K��Vlog��ýR News Team for its honors in the . The contest, sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists considered work from journalists in Arkansas and six neighboring states. “Independent and local reporting is vital to the health of our democracy. We have seen the evidence of this first-hand in the pandemic and in the run-up to the 2020 election,” said Nathan Vandiver, general manager of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio. “It’s an honor to serve our community in this way, and it’s especially an honor for the hard work of our news team to be recognized among such an impressive group of journalists from across the region.” K��Vlog��ýR News received honors on six stories from the past year. “It’s great to see K��Vlog��ýR’s news department being honored for its reporting, especially when competing against radio and television stations from states within this region of the country,” K��Vlog��ýR News Director Michael Hibblen said. “I’m extremely proud of the work of our news staff.” Daniel Breen, K��Vlog��ýR Morning Edition host and reporter, received second place honors in Political Coverage, Broadcast and Education Coverage, Broadcast for his stories, , and,��. “The breadth of what you covered, while focusing on the volunteer, is impressive,” judges said of his political entry, and of his education story, “This was a very strong entry. The story included a lot of voices with different perspectives on the problem and how to address it. Well done.” Sarah Kellogg, K��Vlog��ýR’s politics and government reporter received third place honors in Political Coverage, Broadcast for her story, . Judges called her work, a “really smart use of natural sound.” K��Vlog��ýR News Director Michael Hibblen received second place honors in Health/Science Coverage, Broadcast for his story, . Judges also made note of Hibblen’s “nice use of natural sound throughout” the story. Alexandria Brown, who reports and hosts All Things Considered and Weekend Edition for K��Vlog��ýR received third place honors in Features, Broadcast, for her story, . Judges called Brown’s story “straightforward and interesting.” Brown is a student in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Mass Communication. Judges also recognized freelance reporter Anna Stitt, who produced a series,��, for K��Vlog��ýR News. This series was supported by the National Geographic Society’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists. Stitt’s series received third place honors in the Documentary/Investigative, Broadcast category. Judges gave Stitt’s reporting high marks for accomplishing “the basics of what we do – give voice to the voiceless, and hold the powerful accountable.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio is a listener-supported public service department of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock based in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education.

K��Vlog��ýR wins 10 awards from Society of Professional Journalists

John Hill — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 21:20:24 +0000

News reports and two local programs aired on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio station K��Vlog��ýR 89.1 FM won 10 awards in the 2020 competition of the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists.�� “It’s extremely gratifying to see the hard work of the K��Vlog��ýR news staff be recognized by our peers,” said Michael Hibblen, news director at K��Vlog��ýR. “At a time when the news industry is contracting and there are fewer sources for objective news, especially local news, I think the work that we do is more important than ever. It’s great to be honored.” Nathan Vandiver, general manager of K��Vlog��ýR and KLRE, thanked the award-winning reporters for providing an essential service to keep the public informed. “This recognition from SPJ is an honor,” Vandiver said. “Every day K��Vlog��ýR provides an essential service to the community that informs and educates, and it’s very nice to be recognized. Thank you to Michael and the K��Vlog��ýR news department for their work and to our ��Vlog��ý Little Rock partners who have also been recognized with awards.” In the News-Radio category, Daniel Breen, host of “All Things Considered,” won first place for his report, “.” Breen also won second place in that category for the report, “In Arkansas, Herbicide’s Damaging Effects Bring Research to a Halt.” Sarah Kellogg, K��Vlog��ýR “Morning Edition” host, won third place for “Gov. Asa Hutchinson Sets Broadband Access as Priority.” In the Feature-Radio category, former K��Vlog��ýR News intern Kelly Connelly, who graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a degree in mass communication in May, won first place for her report last fall “Livestock Showing Is Most Important Part of State Fair for Some Arkansas Teens.” Hibblen and David Monteith, reporter, won second place for their report, “Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Nearing Completion of Digital Rollout.” In the Politics-Radio category, Hibblen won first place for “Legislation to Place statues of Johnny Cash, Daisy Bates in U.S. Capitol Signed Into Law.” That included a report for K��Vlog��ýR and a segment in the music program “Not Necessarily Nashville” with Flap Jones.�� Second place went to Breen for “Arkansas House Committee Approves Execution Drug Secrecy Bill,” while third place went to Hibblen for “Arkansas Governor Says Trump Impeachment Questions Need To Be Answered.” Hibblen won the Health-Radio category for his report, “Doctor Assisting Qualified Arkansans To Get Marijuana Offers His Advice and Concerns.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock associate professor of English and host of K��Vlog��ýR’s program “Arts & Letters” Dr. J. Bradley Minnick won first place in the Documentary/Investigative Reporting-Radio for his show “They Like My Phras’n: The Life & Music of Rose McCoy.

K��Vlog��ýR reporters, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student bring home Diamond Journalism Awards

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 14:22:53 +0000

Reporters from, University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s public radio station, won nine Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition sponsored by the.�� Additionally, one ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student, Jackson Carter, a graduate student in the School of Mass Communication, received first place in the multimedia project category for his work, “Forgotten-An In-Depth Investigation into the Arkansas Foster Care System.” The awards, which were announced Nov. 14, recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering media markets in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. This year’s competition was judged by journalists from the Florida Pro Chapter of SPJ. The awards honor work published or broadcast between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017. Jacob Kauffman, K��Vlog��ýR reporter and anchor, earned second place in the Outstanding New Journalist competition. He also earned second place in the photo slideshow competition for his work, “Women’s March in Little Rock,” and first place in the documentary/investigative reporting category for his coverage of executions in Arkansas. Chris Hickey, K��Vlog��ýR reporter and anchor, along with Kauffman received first place in sports reporting for “College football gets Arkansas to change its new gun law.” Hickey also earned first and second place in feature reporting for his stories, “Research explores political attitudes in Little Rock’s religious,” and “Dealing with influx, Little Rock Mexican consulate expands legal services.” A full list of K��Vlog��ýR winners include:

�� Jacob Kauffman and Chris Hickey, first place, sports reporting, “College football gets Arkansas to change its new gun law”
�� Jacob Kauffman, first place, documentary/investigative reporting, “Execution Series”
�� Chris Hickey, first place, feature reporting, “Research explores political attitudes of Little Rock’s religious”
�� Darcy Hagood, second place, feature, “Photography exhibit explores Arkansas family’s grief”
�� Chris Hickey, second place, feature reporting, “Dealing with influx, Little Rock Mexican consulate expands legal services”
�� Jacob Kauffman, second place, photo slideshow, “Women’s March in Little Rock”
�� Jacob Kauffman, second place, Outstanding New Journalist
�� Karen Steward, third place, documentary/investigative reporting, “In-depth interview: Execution drugs and double executions”
�� K��Vlog��ýR Public Radio and Arkansas Public Media staff, third place, community service, coverage of Arkansas’ executions

K��Vlog��ýR reporters, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student nominated for Diamond Journalism Awards

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 13:21:23 +0000

Reporters from, University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s public radio station, have been nominated for eight Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.�� Additionally, one ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student, Jackson Carter, a graduate student in the School of Mass Communication, was selected as a finalist in the Multimedia Project category. The awards recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering media markets in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Jacob Kauffman, K��Vlog��ýR reporter and anchor, was nominated as a finalist for the Outstanding New Journalist award as well as awards in the Photo Slideshow, Documentary/Investigative Reporting, and Sports Reporting categories. The entire staff at K��Vlog��ýR Public Radio and Arkansas Public Media was nominated for the Community Service award. Additional K��Vlog��ýR nominees include:

�� Karen Steward, content development director, Documentary/Investigative Reporting
�� Chris Hickey, reporter and anchor, Feature Reporting
�� Darcy Hagood, reporter and anchor, Feature

The awards will be presented Wednesday, Nov. 15.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Patel Joins K����Vlog��ýR as Political and Government Affairs Reporter

Two ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Students Selected for Arkansas Newspaper Foundation Summer Internship Program

Brown Honored in 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards

K����Vlog��ýR Reporters Receive Honors in 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards

K����Vlog��ýR wins 10 awards from Society of Professional Journalists

K����Vlog��ýR reporters, ����Vlog��ý Little Rock student bring home Diamond Journalism Awards