The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism and Mass Communications Bateman Case Study team has earned an honorable mention and a top-12 finish in the 2024 national competition. The Public Relations Student Society of America hosts the Bateman competition annually for public relations students, allowing them to implement an entire public relations campaign using their classroom education and internship experiences.
This year, the CoJMC Bateman team competed with schools across the country. The top three finalists, Brigham Young University, Montclair State University and the University of Florida, presented to national judges on May 2 in New York City. University of Florida won.
CoJMC Bateman team members for the 2023-2024 year are listed alphabetically by hometown below. The information includes their year in school and major(s):
Nebraska
- Hastings: Maggie Nielsen, senior, advertising and public relations, German and global studies
- Lincoln: Jeannine Akamba, senior, advertising and public relations
Elsewhere
- Colorado Springs, Colorado: Emily Scheidler, senior, advertising and public relations and journalism
- Westminster, Colorado: Ryann Zechmann, junior, advertising and public relations
- Roscoe, Illinois: Emma Dostal, senior, advertising and public relations, French and global studies
- Wauconda, Illinois: Emma Magnone, senior, advertising and public relations
The team's faculty adviser was Dave Remund, CoJMC assistant professor of practice in advertising and public relations. Their professional public relations adviser was Jennifer PeeksMease, UNL assistant vice chancellor for inclusive leadership and learning.
The Bateman competition features the best of the best journalism, media and communications collegiate programs across the country. CoJMC has participated in Bateman for 10 years and has earned top-3, top-16, and top-20 national finishes in previous competitions.
This year, students were tasked with creating awareness of Culturs magazine on college campuses.
"The CoJMC team took a positive approach with the 'See Yourself' theme and invited students of all backgrounds to share and celebrate their own unique roots," Remund said. "They produced powerful video testimonials featuring diverse UNL students explaining how they saw themselves within the stories and pages of Culturs magazine."
Culturs mission is to enhance community and foster human connection of culturally fluid communities of multiethnic, multicultural, mixed race and geographically mobile people, which includes immigrants, refugees and Third Culture Kids.
"Promoting multiculturalism is a unique, sensitive challenge," Remund said. "I am so proud of how much care and consideration they put into this campaign."
To learn more about the Bateman Case Study Competition, visit https://www.prsa.org/prsa/scholarships-awards/bateman-competition.
