Press

Our media program continues to earn recognition for its excellence in student broadcasting, filmmaking, and storytelling. From winning News Media School of the Year in 2023 and 2024 to being featured on ABC57, WNDU, WSBT, and Sunny 101.5 FM, our students and staff are consistently celebrated for their dedication and creativity. Highlights include:

• 2025: Received $1,000 from  from Martin's Super Markets on WNDU's "One School at a Time" program.
• 2024: ABC57 and Sunny 101.5 featured our second consecutive News Media School of the Year win and the impact of our program on students' futures.
• 2023: Multiple stories aired on WNDU, WSBT, and ABC57, showcasing student projects, state awards, and collaborations with alumni like Maria Catanzarite and Alex Almanza.
• 2022 and Earlier: Features on Hometown Living, WSBT, and the South Bend Tribune, along with coverage of WETL’s 60th anniversary.

Explore the full press coverage below and see how our students continue to make their mark in the world of media.

May 20 -  Our 2nd Annual Student Media Showcase was covered by WSBT. Here is the video story that aired: https://wsbt.com/news/local/media-program-state-awards-celebration-recognitions-showcase-student-short-film-news-commercials-music-videos-education-community-school-corporation-sbcsc-south-bend-indiana

March 21 -  Our media program is on WNDU's "One School at a Time" program, as the winner of a $1,000 grant from Martin's Super Markets! Here is the video story that aired today:

https://www.wndu.com/2025/03/21/one-school-time-rileys-media-center-wins-martins-grant/

March 19 -  Our media program's IASB wins are listed in the South Bend Tribune at https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/news/education/2025/03/19/south-bend-schools-wins-awards-from-indiana-association-of-school-broadcasters/82496549007/

April 16 -  Tim Richardson and Reese Kissel were guests on the Jack & Tracie Show on Sunny 101.5 FM for their "Tell Me Something Good" segment and talked about our program and News Media School of the Year. Listen at https://omny.fm/shows/sunny-101-5/jack-traci-show-april-sixteen-1?t=1m30s

April 11 -  We were privileged to have our media program featured on ABC57 today. They highlighted our recent 2024 News Media School of the Year award, as well as all the opportunities and projects we have to offer our students. A big thank you to reporter Emily Arnold for showcasing our students and faculty! https://www.abc57.com/news/south-bend-schools-named-news-media-school-of-the-year-for-second-straight-year

September 8 - WNDU captured our program alumnus and mentor Maria Catanzarite's last visit with us before she leaves WNDU as an anchor/reporter for nine years to move to Arizona. https://www.wndu.com/2023/09/08/wndus-maria-catanzarite-speaks-journalism-students-riley-high-school/

June 22 - WNDU stopped by our TV & Radio Camp to highlight our broadcast program alumnus/WNDU reporter Alex Almanza who is assisting instructor Tim Richardson with the camp. 

https://www.wndu.com/.../wndus-alex-almanza-stops-by.../

April 23- A South Bend Tribune article about the world premiere of the adapted radio play Sarcophagus airing on WETL 91.7 FM created by our media students and the Riley drama class.  https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/entertainment/2023/04/23/wetl-fm-broadcasts-russian-play-about-chernobyl-disaster/70137991007/

April 16 - Matthew Pandori-Tessely and Lydia Thurston represented our media production program on WNDU's Sunday Morning Spotlight. They chatted about winning News Broadcasting School of the Year at state and what the program means to them. https://www.wndu.com/video/2023/04/16/sunday-morning-spotlight-award-winning-sbcsc-tvradio-cte-program/

April 10 - WNIT features South Bend Schools' Broadcast Media and Film Production won “News School of the Year” through the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters Association. Among the accolades are first place for School Newscast and Video Magazine plus 10 additional awards.  Videographer Kristen Franklin  Editor Greg Banks.  https://youtu.be/NbT7Ha_2E4I

April 8 - Media Instructor Tim Richardson on WNDU's Saturday Morning Sitdown discusses the  River Bend Film Festival and a bit about our media program as well.  Some our students will appear on the  same show next week to talk about our classes and state wins. https://www.wndu.com/2023/04/08/saturday-morning-sitdown-20th-river-bend-film-festival/

March 31 - ABC57's Summer Horan visits the SBS-TV studios to talk with our media students about the class and winning "News Broadcasting School of the Year" at state. https://abc57.com/news/summers-spotlight-SBCSC-student-journalists-win-2023-school-of-the-year

March 15 - Instructor Tim Richardson and his media students on WSBT's First in the Morning show discuss winning "News Broadcasting School of the Year" at state. https://youtu.be/gts7RgYIeHY

November 5 - Media Instructor Tim Richardson on Saturday Morning Sitdown talks about our program and what Career & Technical Education has to offer. https://www.wndu.com/video/2022/11/05/saturday-morning-sitdown-tim-richardson/

May - South Bend Careers: Meet Tim Richardson, Broadcast Media and Film Production instructor at Riley High School and learn what it means to him to be #ConnectedAtTheBend in May 2022: https://fb.watch/elbmUrFxto/

May 3 - Feature story on "Hometown Living" about our media program in May 2022: https://wsbt.com/community/hometown-living/sbcsc-radio-television-program

March - News story on WSBT about winning 1st Runner Up Television School of the Year.

December 15 - Front page article from The South Bend Tribune .  

December 7 -  News story about WETL's 60th anniversary in on WNDU.