McNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY
The McNeese State University Alumni Association will present its 2026 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award to Doug Warner, a news anchor with KNWA in Northwest Arkansas, during halftime ceremonies at the McNeese vs. Tarleton State football game on Saturday, Sept. 12.
This award recognizes McNeese graduates who have distinguished themselves in their chosen field of endeavor on a national or international level and is the highest award presented by the alumni association.
A native of DeRidder, and a graduate of McNeese, Warner has worked in several news markets including Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Beaumont and Waco, Texas, and Shreveport and Lake Charles.
Warner’s award-winning career spans nearly four decades across Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He is a four-time Reporter of the Year recipient, honored by a host of professional industry organizations including the Louisiana Associated Press, the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmy award). In all, he has earned 14 Emmy awards with over 40 nominations along with multiple regional and national Edward R. Murrow awards for his reporting. His feature, investigative and sports reporting has also been honored multiple times by the Associated Press of Texas, the Press Club of Southeast Texas, the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.
Warner’s investigative reporting led to life-saving changes in Louisiana, including the installation of hundreds of miles of cable/median barriers along interstates statewide. He has also reported live from major weather events including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Harvey. And just days after the 2000 Presidential election when the country was left with a ‘hanging chad’ virtual tie, Warner secured the first interview in the country with eventual President George W. Bush while covering the “Western White House” in Crawford, Texas.
He is a longtime advocate for the American Cancer Society, Men Wear Pink, Susan G. Komen, Goodwill Industries, Special Olympics and the Alzheimer’s Association.
