"Odessa Mass Shooting"

Recipient of the BEST SPOT NEWS BY A TELEVISION STATION award in The Charles E. Green Awards (2019)

KOSA-TV, Midland/Odessa

Judge’s Comments:

The Odessa-Midland shooting occurred at a contentious moment in the US as families across America were still in the process of healing from two recent shootings late that summer, including one in El Paso. The KOSA CBS7 crew took the appropriate time to collect all the available information from authorities and be transparent about what is known about the fast-moving situation. They were able to be a source of knowledge to their community in a moment when a lot of information is coming to audiences. The KOSA crew kept viewers informed on what stores and businesses were closed and where traffic may be a problem as the active shooter incident unfolded.

Live pictures from the hospital, roadways and witness testimony helped capture the gravity of the situation. When the production newsroom's safety was in danger they continued to provide live coverage as they moved offset. Anchor Jay Hendricks kept a calm, professional tone as he kept viewers updated on what was seen and heard. Then the crew also captured video in the mall where they were to follow. This coverage shows how journalist often put their lives in danger in the field and even on set but always work to keep their cool as they provide critical information.

Luqman Adeniyi

Judge’s Bio:
Luqman Adeniyi is an associate producer for CNN politics in Washington D.C. He started working at the cable news network in 2018 after working in New York for CNBC as a social video producer through their news associates program. Luqman, a Dallas-Fort Worth area native, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin’s journalism program in 2016. He also received a global business foundations certificate and studied political communications. Luqman was awarded the Headliners Foundation's George Christian scholarship in 2015. During his time at UT, he was the news director at Texas Student Television, a Moody College writing coach and completed internships at The Texas Tribune, Associated Press and KXAN News.

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