ROCKINGHAM — Recent Richmond Senior High School graduate Kylie Hood was awarded the 2025 Clark Cox Media and Journalism Award on Aug. 5.
The Richmond Observer established the award in 2024 in memory of the late Clark Cox to honor an outstanding Richmond Senior High School Student in media and journalism who exemplifies the traits of a great journalist.
Cox was born in Ashe County where he received the Morehead Scholarship for UNC-Chapel Hill, being the first in the county to do so. He served in several news roles with the Richmond County Daily Journal before becoming the publication’s editor and later leaving to become an associate news editor at The Pilot in Moore County.
Cox received many awards for his work in journalism. Further, Cox received an award from the North Carolina Historical Society for his true crime book “Deadly Greed,” which covered the Richmond County double homicide of Macio McEachern and his mother in 1991.
“My children, Tom and Candice Cox, and I are very appreciative of this recognition of Clark’s work in this community,” said Helen Cox, widow of the award’s namesake. “Thanks for your thoughtfulness in this recognition.”
“At the top of a very short list of students who were deserving of the Cox Award this year, Kylie epitomizes everything this recognition represents,” Kyle Pillar, Hood’s annual production advisor, said. “Kylie is a true student of the profession and our yearbook couldn’t have been completed without her patience, discretion and leadership as a senior editor.
“With her expansive knowledge of the field and her great work ethic, I’m sure Kylie will succeed during and after her time as a media journalism student at East Carolina,” Pillar continued. “She has a lot of experience already, so I’m certain she’ll make an impact wherever she goes once she graduates.”
Pillar is also sports editor of the RO.
Hood will attend East Carolina University this coming semester, majoring in communications. She then plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill to earn her master’s in media and journalism to become a sports broadcaster and journalist.
Hood is a native of Richmond County, daughter of Meredith and Errol Hood.
NOTE: This story has been updated to correct a spelling error. 2:33 p.m. 8-27-25.
