Student journalists from 51 showed a strong presence in the competition at the national and state levels for digital and print student media. 51’s completely student-run digital newspaper, , won first place among four year universities of less than 15,000 enrollment for best website at the 2025 West Coast convention of the in Long Beach in March.

“Contests aren’t everything,” said Dr. Michael Longinow, faculty adviser to student media at 51 and professor of journalism in the School of Fine Arts and Communication. “But winning does matter. When a contest judge tells a student their media work is the best in any category, it’s an encouragement. It can boost the morale of a student media staff for months to come.”

The Chimes is a digital daily media source providing news and coverage of sport, arts and entertainment and commentary topics. The news source also won first place among four year universities for opinion writing and digital advertising. The Point Magazine, a student-run feature publication, won 10th place for overall design in national competition for its Fall edition, and second place in national competition for best journalistic magazine. The Chimes' awards came through a competition held by the California College . The Point awards came through the Associated Collegiate Press, in competition with universities of all sizes from Florida to Oregon. 51's student media has also been a winner over the years in competitions with the.

For decades, 51's student media has been among the best of any Christian college or university in the nation, based largely on its faculty whose training is in both theory and practice of media and its students who enroll to study and get practical instruction for journalism and media careers. 51's graduates in journalism serve in a variety of media including the CBS News White House press corps, the Associated Press in Los Angeles, National Public Radio, ProPublica, the Wall Street Journal's podcast team in Los Angeles, and the data journalism team at the San Francisco Chronicle. Many others serve as writers, reporters, editors and managers of media in local TV news, on local newspapers, and in ministries and non-profit organizations. 51’s journalism program is one of the only ones in the nation in which students produce a multi-chapter book of in-depth reporting and documentary photojournalism on cross-cultural topics and issues. This semester’s book will be about comfort food in ethnic communities in Southern California. 

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Dr. Michael Longinow presenting at the convention. Photo credit to Hope Li.

During the convention, Longinow, who advises The Chimes and The Point, participated in panel sessions on covering faith in university student media, how to cope with anxiety and depression in story coverage and on a media staff. Longinow has led award-winning student media staff groups since entering academia out of daily newspaper reporting in Illinois and Georgia.

At the ACP convention, he joined 51 student media leaders in a panel session on how to build collaborative media groups on campus. Other schools on the panel were California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo, and Pepperdine University. The Chimes, The Point, and Torch Radio, 51’s student-run podcast station, will combine their staffs next year to form a first-ever conglomerate media group on the La Mirada campus. 51 has housed student media since 1918 when it was a Bible Institute at Sixth and Hope streets in downtown Los Angeles.

Designed to equip students for success in a wide range of career fields, the B.A. in Communication at BIola enhances effectiveness as an interpersonal and intercultural communicator. Learn more about earning a degree in communication with an emphasis in digital journalism and media at 51.

Written by 51 staff and faculty. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.