Griffon Media earns national recognition

Nov. 11, 2026-Griffon Media students returned home from the 2026 Fall College Media Association Convention in Kansas City, Missouri with several national awards. The honors for the student-led news organization at Missouri Western State University included three first-place awards.

Griffon Media received the following national Pinnacle Awards (Division III):

• First Place, Multimedia Sports Story: Charlie Sample, senior applied communication and journalism major from Columbia, Missouri
• First Place, Coverage of Diversity: Kendall Warren, junior applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, Missouri
• First Place, General News Package (audio/video): Bailey Woodbury, senior cinematic arts major from Saint Joseph
• Second Place, Sports Feature (audio/video): Sample
• Honorable Mention, Podcast: Warren & Kyla Spradlin, a 2026 graduate in wildlife conservation and management from Platte City, Missouri.

In addition, the Associated Collegiate Press presented Best of Show awards at the conference. This category doesn't sort schools into divisions, so MoWest students competed against some much larger programs. One Griffon Media student was honored:

• Seventh Place, Broadcast Sports Story: Mila Larrieu, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Rang-du-Fliers, France

Also at the conference, Griffon Media students and faculty advisers Dr. James Carviou and Dr. Luling Huang presented at two well-attended sessions.

Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. MoWest is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit missouriwestern.edu.