Oyster Bay High School's Bay News Now wins big at BASH Awards

Oyster Bay High School’s student-run news team, Bay News Now, made an impression at the Broadcast Alliance for Senior High Awards at Hofstra University on May 22. Competing against more than 40 high schools from Nassau, Suffolk, New York City and Westchester, the OBHS team took home three top honors, demonstrating excellence in student broadcast journalism.

The BASH Awards celebrate the best in high school broadcast journalism, highlighting the storytelling, reporting and production talents of students across the region. OBHS’s BNN team earned first place for Best News Package, with reporting by Madeline Mathews and photography by Noah Kingsley. They also received third place in the Human Interest Story category, with roles reversed - reporting by Noah Kingsley and photography by Madeline Mathews. The team also placed third for Best Short Broadcast/Daily Show, which featured anchors Madeline Mathews and Noah Kingsley, weatherman Henry Briggs, and a behind-the-scenes crew including Eva (Eden) Juretschko, Sienna Stewart and AnaLuz Ferrer working in the control room and on camera.

This success comes as OBHS marks the one-year anniversary of its broadcast studio. Since launching the studio, the school has replaced traditional morning announcements with a live daily show, entirely produced, written and anchored by students. This hands-on approach to broadcast journalism gives students career and technical education training that is rare among Long Island high schools. Everything is taught in-house, with students gaining real experience in television production, investigative reporting, field reporting, writing and producing digital content - and even professional and financial skills for the media workplace.

The OBHS multimedia journalism and television production program is part of a CTE-endorsed pathway, offering students the opportunity to earn a CTE endorsement on their high school diploma. This credential signifies that a student has completed a rigorous, state-approved course of study in a specific career field, combining academic coursework with real-world learning and culminating in a technical assessment or industry-recognized credential.

–Will Sheeline