Former Southeastern Channel anchor-reporter-producer Lauren Hawkins has been hired as the Traffic Reporter for WBRZ-TV Ch. 2 (ABC) in Baton Rouge, La. (DMA 94). As traffic reporter, Hawkins provides information and updates on driving conditions and road closures, reporting accidents and traffic jams, for Baton Rouge area drivers.
A December 2021 graduate of Southeastern, at the Southeastern Channel Hawkins was a reporter, anchor, and producer for the student newscast, “Northshore News.” She won 1st Place as the “Best College Television News Reporter in the South” out of 30 universities covering an eight-state region of the southeast U.S., including Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The award was presented at the 2021 “Best of South” awards given by the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) in a virtual ceremony. Hawkins anchored the newscast episodes for which “Northshore News” won 1st Place for “Best College Television Newscast in the South“. Along with her 1st Place news reporter award, Hawkins also won 4th place for “Best College Television Journalist in the South.” She was also selected as a 2nd place “Finalist” for the SPJ Mark of Excellence Award for Best Television Feature Story as given by the Society of Professional Journalists at its District 12 regional competition.