Alexandria Brown, a senior mass communication major at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been honored for her work with the very first story she ever made for UA Little Rock Public Radio. 

Brown, who reports and hosts “All Things Considered” and “Weekend Edition” for KUAR received third place honors in the Features, Broadcast category for her story, “As Judge Considers Challenge To Early Census Deadline, Arkansas Officials Consider Impact.”

The judges called Brown’s story “straightforward and interesting.”

“Thank you to the judges for allowing me to receive my first Diamond Journalism Award,” said Brown, a native of England, Arkansas. “It’s such an honor to even be considered in this contest. The story I entered was the first piece I ever did for KUAR. It was about how an early census deadline could impact Arkansas’ economy by losing billions of dollars. This piece is special to me because it showed me how vital it is to inform our democracy about matters that impact us all that we may not even be aware of. Thank you to my fellow news team for guiding me through this and congratulations to them as well.”

The 2021 Diamond Journalism Award Contest is sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The group considered work from journalists in Arkansas and six neighboring states.

“Independent and local reporting is vital to the health of our democracy,” said Nathan Vandiver, general manager of UA Little Rock Public Radio. “We have seen the evidence of this first-hand in the pandemic and in the run-up to the 2020 election. It’s an honor to serve our community in this way and it’s especially an honor for the hard work of our news team to be recognized among such an impressive group of journalists from across the region.”

UA Little Rock Public Radio is a listener-supported public service department of UA Little Rock based in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education.

Brown is a former intern at KUAR, the Little Rock National Public Radio affiliate, where she’s reported on issues such as the census and a proposed city sales tax. She now works part-time as the “All Things Considered” host and a reporter for UA Little Rock Public Radio.

She is also a recent recipient of the Arkansas Press Women’s annual scholarship and a reporter with The Forum, UA Little Rock’s student newspaper. After she graduates in 2022, Brown plans to continue her career as a broadcast reporter.