Cal State Northridge Journalism members win Golden Mike Award

Media Contact: Eve Green -- eve.green.0@csun.edu -- (818) 677-2130 -- (NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Feb. 18th, 2009) ―

Three members of Cal State Northridge’s Department of Journalism have been awarded a Golden Mike by the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California (RTNA).

Media production specialist Lincoln Harrison, assistant professor James Hill and graduating senior Natalia Zelaya won for their television news series, “AIDS in Tijuana.”

“The issue of HIV in Tijuana is important and the story was gratifying for Lincoln, Natalia and I to do,” said Hill. “To win awards is also gratifying, especially for a story like this. It means the judges agreed that this is an important issue to bring before the public.”

The trio received their honor at the RTNA’s annual awards banquet on Jan. 26. “AIDS in Tijuana” won “Best Hard News Series Reporting” in Division B. Harrison served as the series’ photographer and editor, Hill was the producer and reporter and Zelaya was the associate producer.

The three-part series aired on KCET’s Life & Times November 27 through 29, 2007. The long-format news stories, each six to seven minutes, examined the increasing rates of HIV and AIDS in Tijuana, Mexico. The concept for the series evolved from a class project initiated by journalism professor José Luis Benavides, in which his students were assigned to examine HIV/AIDS within the Latino community.

The series also won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association and was nominated for a Los Angeles-area Emmy.

Click here to watch “Aids in Tijuana.”

For more information about “AIDS in Tijuana,” please contact James Hill, james.hill@csun.edu.