Two Journalism Seniors Win Prestigious Radio Awards

BY NOHA SAHMOUD

Journalism seniors Nancy Salem and Nazly Abaza received top awards for their radio journalism projects, beating some 1300 other entries at the 2014 Broadcast Education Association’s Media Festival of Arts awards ceremony in Las Vegas last week.

According to their website, the Association is a global academic organization that provides a forum for educators, professionals and students to focus on electronic media while interacting to promote the industry.

Salem’s audio documentary, Intricate Design: The Life and Times of an Egyptian Fashion Designer, which won the Best of Festival award, beating out all other entries in all student categories, follows the career of Deana Shaaban as it focuses on her daily highs and lows. It was featured at the ceremony.

“I was familiar with Deana’s brand and was interested to see behind the scenes of a young female entrepreneur running a business,” said Salem.

Salem, a former Caravan editor, explained that the documentary was produced to sound like diary entries where Shaaban would record her daily struggles and accomplishments.

“I still can’t believe we won these prizes, but we really couldn’t have done it without our [Radio Journalism] Professor Kim Fox,” said Salem.

Salem and Abaza originally produced these documentaries for Fox’s JRMC 460 audio production class last fall. Although they both worked in the same group, they produced their pieces separately.

While Salem looks at the trials and tribulations of being a fashion designer in Cairo, Abaza’s audio documentary, 28 and Single, pokes fun at – and reveals the humorous undertones of – arranged marriages in Egypt. She explained in her project how different generations might view the topic differently, which may cause a dissonance in families.

“I did the documentary through the experiences of my cousin Malak because I find her story so funny yet awkward,” said Abaza, whose entry won first place in the Student Specialty Category.

Abaza took special interest in this issue because she felt everyone was so obsessed with the idea of getting married and committed and so forth.

“It’s just a horribly awkward and funny situation that many women in Egypt go through and one that many abroad may not fully understand, so I thought it would be an extremely relatable yet educational subject,” said Abaza, who is currently the Caravan’s photo editor.

“I’m more than excited for Nancy and Nazly. The award is extremely competitive and well-respected and winning it will give them bragging rights for life. I share in their enthusiasm for this accomplishment,” said Fox.

Fox added that it was a pleasure to coach the two students and that it is a great accomplishment for them with such a demanding course.

“Every professor should have a chance to work with students of their caliber: dedicated and eager to learn,” said Fox.