The Broadcast Education Association recently honored the work of two USC students, Zane Heinlein and Jase Leonard, at its annual Festival of Media Arts. The seniors received awards for work they produced in the broadcast journalism capstone course, Carolina News. 

Heinlein was the photographer and reporter for Trade School Surge, which earned a TV Short Feature Award of Excellence. 

 "Zane did an exceptional job producing this story about why Gen-Z is ditching college for trade schools," says Rick Peterson, Carolina News senior instructor.  "A lot of research went into producing this story, and Zane's interviews with students provided insight into why Gen-Z finds the trade route more appealing. 

Leonard earned a TV Hard News Award of Excellence for The family of missing Broadway dancer pleads for his return. The report featured Columbia area native Zelig Williams whose family was pleading for his return. 

Peterson said, "Producing a story involving people who are distraught can be very intimidating.  This was a very emotional story, and Jase handled it with great sensitivity."

The 23rd Annual BEA Best of Festival Awards Ceremony was held in Las Vegas on Monday, April 7, 2025, as part of BEA’s annual convention. The 2025 Best of Festival winners were selected from a pool of 2,285 entries, representing over 300 colleges and universities in the following competitions: audio, documentary, film & video, interactive multimedia, news, scriptwriting, sports and two-year colleges.