UNO Senior Jaimie Schmitz Wins Coveted Journalism Award

A 2011 Boone Central graduate recently was awarded one of college journalism's top awards. 

University of Nebraska at Omaha senior Jaimie Schmitz claimed a coveted first-place Eric Sevareid Award at the Midwest Journalism Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on April 9. Her investigative research on the TransCanada Pipeline and its impact on rural Nebraskans earned a top spot among college students from Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota.

Nearly 800 entries were received in this year’s competition. The college radio station, MavRadio.fm, earned four awards in all.

The Eric Sevareid Awards are named for the North Dakota-born and University of Minnesota-educated journalist best known for his work as a correspondent for CBS Radio and Television. Each year, the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association presents awards to the best work done by broadcast news operations and and journalists working in small, medium and large markets in our six-state region on radio, television and online.  

Schmitz serves as MavRadio.fm news director and is responsible for promotions and social media for the station. While her emphasis is in news anchoring and reporting, Schmitz also worked behind the scenes for Omaha hockey and soccer play-by-play. 

“She’s played an integral part in MavRadio’s programming and community engagement. Her reporting is among the best of the best in college radio and television,” said Jodeane Brownlee, MavRadio faculty adviser.

Schmitz pairs her radio experience with television. This year she served as reporter and anchor for UNO’s college television news program, The Omaha News. She co-hosted a live Iowa Caucus event in January. Along with her responsibilities in radio, televisions and academics, Jaimie works several hours a week at KPTM in Omaha.
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She graduates this May from UNO with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. Her focus is in Broadcast News. After graduation, she will work as a reporter and videographer for Pitzer Digital LLC, the parent company of the Boone County News, Antelope County News, Knox County News, Holt County News and The Orchard News.