Montclair State University students won two 2025 National Edward R. Murrow Awards. One award was for a hard-news video. The other was for a full video newscast. The wins put student work on a major national stage.
The awards were given in New York City in October 2025. The wins show what can happen when students get real newsroom work, clear rules, good coaching, and time to learn. This story is not just about awards. It is about how young reporters learn the craft.
What Montclair Won
FOCUS Democracy: Our Election won the student award for Video Hard News. The project looked at Gen Z voters and the issues that mattered to them.
Arizona Stories: Border, Water, and Politics won for Video Newscast. Students went to the U.S.-Mexico border. They spoke with asylum seekers, police, aid workers, and others close to the story.
The official RTDNA winners list names Montclair State University in both student video groups. RTDNA says the Murrow Awards honor strong news work, skill, truth, and public service.
Why the Wins Matter
Student news works best when it feels like real news. A deadline matters. A source may not call back. A fact may need one more check. A script may need a fast cut. Students learn by making those calls while the clock is moving.
That is why our guide on how to become a news reporter puts so much weight on practice. School can help, but clips, calls, fact checks, and deadline work show what a new reporter can do.
The same is true on camera. Our guide to what a news anchor does shows that a calm voice is only part of the job. Anchors must know the story, ask clear questions, and help the viewer keep up.
What the Work Teaches
The two Montclair projects show two sides of video news. Hard news asks a team to stay on one key story and explain it well. A newscast asks a team to build a full show that feels clear from start to end.
Both jobs use the same basic skills. Reporters need good questions. Producers need a clean rundown. Camera crews need clear sound and useful shots. Editors need to cut the story without changing what people meant.
Students do not need a huge kit to practice. A small reporter notebook can help track names, facts, and follow-up calls. A simple phone interview microphone can make practice clips easier to hear. Good gear helps, but good reporting matters more.
Good Newsrooms Repeat Good Habits
Skill grows through small steps. Students pitch. They call. They check. They write. They shoot. They edit. Then they look back and ask what worked.
Those same habits help us read local news with more care. Our Valley News Dispatch guide says to check facts, use good sources, and slow down before sharing a claim. That rule is just as useful in a newsroom.
News can also change how people see a larger issue. A related look at the Harvey Weinstein story and the rise of #MeToo shows how one set of reports can grow into a much wider public talk.
Trust Comes First
A strong story is not just clear. It must also be fair. Reporters need to know what they can prove. They need to show the right context. They should not make a claim sound stronger than the facts allow.
Video adds one more risk. A cut can change how a quote feels. A shot can hint at something the words do not prove. Good teams match the pictures to the facts and keep quotes in fair context.
What Comes Next
A national award can open doors, but it does not end the work. Students still need more stories, more calls, and more hard days. They need to keep a strong reel and a clean body of work. They also need to stay curious.
Montclair’s two Murrow wins are a good sign for any student newsroom. Strong work can start on a campus. It can cover hard issues. It can serve real people. And when the work is careful enough, student news can meet a national standard.
