StudentCam is C-SPAN’s annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the competition and we invited middle and high school students to create a short documentary addressing the theme, “Looking Forward while Considering the Past.”
9th grade student Braden Mosteig from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California won 2nd Prize for his documentary about the news media business, “Who Pays Dues for News?” As a 2nd Prize winner, Braden will receive $1,500 in prize money.
C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable and satellite television companies, who also support StudentCam. In Long Beach, C-SPAN is available locally through Spectrum.
“For two decades, StudentCam has provided a platform for students across the country to share their voice on issues important to them and their communities,” said Adam Falk, Senior Vice President of State Government Affairs for Spectrum. “Like this year’s winning students, Spectrum is committed to strengthening the cities and towns where we live and work, and we congratulate Braden on his outstanding achievement in C-SPAN’s 2024 StudentCam competition.”
More Information:
- Press Release: Long Beach Students Win Prizes in C-SPAN’s National Video Documentary Competition (Google Doc)
- Article: L.A. County Students Win Big at C-SPAN’S StudentCam Competition (L.A. Parent)
StudentCam 2024 Second Prize: "Who Pays Dues for News?"
Congratulatory Messages and Recognition

Certificate of Special Recognition - Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA)
Written by studentcam
Recent Posts
- 2026 3rd Prize High School Eastern Division – “The Pursuit of Sleep” by Andrew Allaire, Richard Frankowski, & Gavin Dolby
- 2026 3rd Prize High School Central Division – “The Cost of Independence: Family Farms” by Danica Pestorious, Michaela Hanson, & Brielle Bakken
- 2026 3rd Prize Middle School Division – “The Limits of Difference: From the Declaration of Independence to United States v. Virginia” by Celeste Stout
- 2026 3rd Prize High School Central Division – “The 1904 Philippine Reservation: Forgotten Pieces of American History” by Luisa Marietta
- 2026 3rd Prize High School Eastern Division – “Removed: The Past, Present, and Future of Book Censorship in America” by Alara Kocoglu, Angela Yang, & Satvik Jain