SUNY Oswego’s strong broadcast and digital media coursework and opportunities recently received additional recognition as the highest among New York state public institutions and in the top 50 nationally in the 2025 Broadcast Education Association (BEA) rankings.

In the outcomes-based rankings that measure quality, consistency and creativity, Oswego rose to #48 in the nation (a huge jump from #67 last year). In specialty rankings, SUNY Oswego was ranked #16 in audio and #28 in broadcast and digital news. 

“For me, the most satisfying aspect of these rankings is the fact they are based on student work submitted to the BEA Festival of Media Arts,” said Jennifer Knapp, dean of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts. “More specifically, rankings are determined by student results at the festival, which shows our students are consistently outperforming other students from more expensive private schools.”

This year’s BEA awards saw students place in six categories, with Michael Riecke –- associate professor and chair of communication studies –- also placing in faculty category.

Oswego’s success in the 2025 competition represented more awards than any other SUNY school by a fairly wide margin, as reflected by the rankings.

“This was a banner year for us,” Riecke said in reflecting on Oswego’s awards. “I think one of the reasons we’ve had success in this competition is because there is a level of commitment among our faculty to really mentor students and help them navigate the process.”

Awards in 2025 included:

Student Audio Competition:

  • Best On-Air Personality 
    Third Place: “Be Afraid with Naked Raina” on WNYO: Raina Horetz

  • Multimedia Sound Design
    Second Place: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” scene: Jabari Williams, Juli-Anne Atwood and Jason Weiss

Student News Competition:

  • Television Short Form News Feature
    Award of Excellence: “What's behind the sign?”: Thomas Cafarella

  • Television Hard News
    Award of Excellence: “Buried in Barnes Corners”: Thomas Cafarella 

  • Television News Special Event 
    Award of Excellence: “Oswego Now: Eclipse Special”

Student Scriptwriting Competition:

  • Original Television Series Pilot
    Award of Excellence: “DELISH”: Maura McCloskey

Faculty Sports Competition:

  • Short-Form Sports Video
    Best of Competition: Michael Riecke: "Girls' Wrestling Expands" 

In discussing the multimedia sound design award, Atwood noted the importance of Oswego faculty’s guidance, approachability and encouragement toward student success.

“The professors here give so many opportunities for students to do different things,” Atwood said. “I’m so thankful for broadcasting faculty, communication studies and the whole School of Communication, Media and the Arts.  They are the most understanding, empathetic and really helpful people.”

Riecke noted that graduates finding success, an extensive alumni network in the field and travel and networking initiatives such as Hollywood POV make students well-prepared to excel at this level.

“A lot of our students get jobs in the field before we even graduate,” Riecke said. “We try to mimic what students will do in the field in our classes.”

Riecke also noted that students are high achievers with high expectations.

“It helps our students realize that they walk away with skills that will make them incredibly competitive in the marketplace,” Riecke said. “In many cases, they never quite think their work is good enough. They’re never sure if their work can play at a national level, but the fact of the matter is they can.” 

With the fall 2025 reopening of Hewitt Hall as the new high-tech home of broadcast and digital media, cinema and screen studies, graphic design and integrated programs after $80 million in renovations, students will receive even more opportunities.

“For an established program, we continue to be a rising star, and this ranking recognizes that the work of our students is a key measure of a program’s success,” Knapp said. “And the reopening of Hewitt will take things to the next level. It’s a great time to be a Laker!”

For more information on Oswego’s broadcasting, communication and related programs, visit the School of Communication, Media and the Arts website.

The recognition, released annually since 2022, ranks higher-education institutions based on the past five years of student success in BEA competitions. According to their website, nearly 7,250 student creative works were submitted from BEA’s more than 300 member institutions around the globe for BEA’s extensive juried process in the last five years.   

Visit the BEA rankings page for more information on its rankings.