arizona state university’s walter cronkite school of journalism and mass communication was ranked the best school overall in the television education association’s (bea) first-ever ranking of schools based on the creative achievement of its students.
cronkite school ranked first in the category of general programs, as well as sports and news programs. cronkite also ranked second in documentary programs and fifth in audio and interactive multimedia programs & emerging technology.
“This recognition is a reflection of the hard work and talent shown by our incredible students, who continue to produce some of the best video, audio and multimedia projects in the country,” said school dean cronkite battinto l. Bats Jr. “His dedication, along with the guidance of our faculty members, are one of the main reasons that the cronkite school is one of the best journalism schools in the country.”
The rankings are based on the results of the last five years of the bea festival of media arts competition, known as the preeminent international media competition focused on the creative efforts of students and teachers. During that time, nearly 6,000 creative works by students from more than 300 bea member institutions around the world were submitted for bea’s extensive judging process.
In recent years, the cronkite school has dominated the bea festival of media arts competition. cronkite won 26 awards in the 2021 competition, including seven first-place awards, marking the 11th time in 12 years that cronkite school has finished ahead of other universities in the country, including earning the most awards from the news division.
the bea rankings take a unique approach to evaluating academic media programs from around the world. Rather than being a general assessment of the curriculum and structure of an academic unit, a comparison of institutions is done by looking at the results. those outcomes are the quality and consistency of the creative works of students from a participating institution compared to others. While Bea has been systematically evaluating student work for more than 30 years, the annual rankings are based on the most recent five-year period of student success.
In the “bea festival school ranking 2022”, 170 schools are represented with winning students. The statistics are compiled and confirmed by the bea festival advisory committee, which is made up of creative directors and presidents of previous festivals.
about the cronkite schoolarizona state university’s walter cronkite school of journalism and mass communication is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading professional journalism programs and has received international recognition for his innovative use of the “university hospital” model. Rooted in the traditional values that characterize its namesake (accuracy, responsibility, objectivity, integrity), the school fosters journalistic excellence and ethics both in the classroom and in its 13 professional programs that fully immerse students in the practice of journalism. journalism and related fields. Arizona PBS, one of the nation’s largest public television stations, is part of Cronkite, making it the largest news outlet operated by a journalism school in the world. learn more at cronchite.asu.edu.
about the television education association (bea)bea is the leading international academic media organization, generating knowledge, excellence in media production and professional advancement for educators, students and professionals. there are currently more than 2,000 individual and institutional members worldwide. visit www.beaweb.org for more information.
About the Media Arts FestivalThe Media Arts Festival was created and is organized by bea faculty around the world to honor the incredible work of students and faculty. is an international refereed exhibition of creative activities by faculty and students and provides a venue for the display of winning submissions, including recognition of project authors, through presentation and award-giving sessions held during the bea’s annual convention in las vegas. the festival seeks to improve and expand creative activities, teaching and professional standards in broadcasting and other forms of electronically mediated communication. More than $19,000 in prizes are awarded each year, thanks to the Foundation’s long-time generous sponsorship and continuing Diana King Memorial Endowment. the hi-hat & The Lucille King Family Foundation was established in 1988 to support individuals, institutions, and organizations committed to educational excellence and professional development.
Visit www.beafestival.org for more information.