Bradley Wilson, associate professor of mass communication at Midwestern State University, has been honored as the 2020 winner of the David Adams Educator of the Year Award.

The Scholastic Journalism Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication honors one division member annually for his/her outstanding performance in the college/university classroom and scholastic journalism workshops and conferences. The award, usually presented at the group’s annual conference, was presented at the online-only AEJMC Conference, Friday, Aug. 7.

As his supporting letter for the nomination, Journalism Education Association Executive Director Kelly Glasscock notes that Wilson is an important part of two major JEA programs. He has been the creative, energetic, forward-thinking editor of the organization’s quarterly magazine “for decades.” He also “serves as the photography contest coordinator for our National Student Media Contests. Thousands of students participate in the contests each year, with photography representing a plurality of entries. Wilson coordinates asynchronous digital judging prior to our national conventions and then runs the final stage of in-person judging as well as a large critique session so students may learn from their experience in entering our contests.”

Two groups Wilson has always supported fully, scholastic journalism and higher education, are represented in this award. That made it more special for him. “Both groups have so much to offer each other, and it’s nice to know that I’ve been successful at some level in bridging the two.”

Linda Shockley of the Dow Jones News Fund wrote in her letter, “Each summer he guides a dozen aspiring interns through line editing, headline writing and page designing for the Southwest Journalist, the residency publication. He crafts a meticulous schedule of exercises, guest instructors, and newsroom simulations to push out interns who consistently perform well in summer internships.” 

She also noted, “This year is no exception. As the pandemic scotched traditional plans for pre-internship training, Bradley made quick adjustments to deliver high-quality instruction remotely. He is an integral part of the News Fund’s instructional team who makes a lasting impression on our interns.

“Wilson is an educator, no doubt about it. Whether he’s teaching his own students at Midwestern State University or high school students at the national JEA/NSPA convention or even judging photo contests for state and national organizations, he’s busy teaching. He wants to be sure everyone knows how to improve and better appreciate the craft they’re practicing.”

Wilson is appreciative of the organization and its mission. “This recognition is really special to me because it’s from my peers,” Wilson said. “When I look at the list of past recipients, I see people who are people I’ve gone to for years for ideas and thoughts. They truly are leaders in both scholastic journalism education and higher education. I’m honored to be included in that group.