University of Florida Students Win National Murrow Awards
Eleven journalism students from Gainesville earned three honors at the 2026 National Edward R. Murrow Awards gala in New York.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Financial Aid
Eleven University of Florida student journalists secured three national honors at the Edward R. Murrow Awards gala held on October 12, 2026. The awards recognize excellence in student reporting and digital media.
Why it matters
These awards highlight the achievements of student journalists from the Gainesville area who successfully navigated complex regional and global reporting projects. The recognition underscores the quality of journalism training provided by the university's faculty.
A total of 11 students contributed to the three winning projects, including a five-part series recognized for digital reporting excellence. The university also secured a small-market radio award for environmental coverage.
The players
Nicole Borman
She is a journalism student who received the Excellence in Video Hard News Student Award for her coverage of hurricane recovery.
Harrison Hove
He serves as the Journalism Chair and provided guidance for the award-winning video project.
Cynthia Barnett
She is a faculty member who supervised the award-winning five-part digital reporting project.
Gabby Salazar
She is a faculty member who supervised the five-part student project titled The Price of Paradise.
The details
Nicole Borman won the Excellence in Video Hard News award for her documentation of recovery efforts in Cedar Key following Hurricanes Debbie, Idalia, and Helene in 2024. Ten additional students collaborated on the five-part project The Price of Paradise, which earned the Excellence in Digital Reporting award under the supervision of Cynthia Barnett and Gabby Salazar.
Timeline
Hurricanes Debbie, Idalia and Helene impacted the region in 2024.
The awards gala was held on October 12, 2026, in New York City.
Culture Shift
This achievement follows the pattern of recognition established by the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards program. It reflects a broader trend of students tackling high-stakes investigative topics that were previously reserved for professional newsrooms.
These awards provide students with significant professional recognition as they enter the job market following their 2026 graduation. Local residents benefit from the high-quality investigative reporting produced by university programs regarding regional environmental events.
The takeaway
These honors highlight the growing impact of student journalism in addressing critical regional issues like hurricane recovery. Students interested in media careers can use these projects as benchmarks for successful investigative reporting and technical execution.
Further reading
Learn more about the academic and funding resources at the Financial Aid center for students.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WUFT | News and public media for north central Florida.
