More than 100 high school journalists and advisers from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana attended the 38^th annual Mark of Excellence newspaper, broadcasting and online awards ceremony at WKU March 2.

A program of the Kentucky High School Media Institute, the competition is co-sponsored by WKU’s School of Journalism and Broadcasting and the WKU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Twelve newspapers and nine broadcasting programs entered the 2017 competition with a total of 135 entries in 24 categories.

The best overall high school newspaper award went to the staff of On the Record from duPont Manual High School in Louisville, advised by Elizabeth Palmer. The best overall high school broadcast award went to the staff of WBHS 9 from Brentwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee, advised by Ronnie Adcock. The best overall high school news website award went to the staff of the PLD Lamplighter at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, advised by Wendy Turner.

The most valuable newspaper staff member award went to Abigail Hendren, a senior on the staff of PLD Lamplighter at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, advised by Wendy Turner. The most valuable broadcast team member award went to Rohan Palla, a senior on the staff of WPLD Lamplighter at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, advised by Wendy Turner. The most valuable yearbook staff member award went to Jessica Martel, a senior at DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, advised by Margaret Mattingly.

The keynote speaker for the awards ceremony was Jonathan Adams, a visiting professional-in-residence in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. Adams has been a photographer for more than 20 years, spending the majority of his career working out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he worked for the Jackson Hole Guide as chief photographer. In 1999 he quit his job to spend a year traveling around the world, and ever since his passion of photography and travel has taken him to more than 35 countries documenting the various cultures.

Contact: Sam Oldenburg, samual.oldenburg@wku.edu, 270-745-3055