April 2001

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Matt Dees won first place in editorial writing.

Dan Lee won first place in in-depth writing.

Laura Stoehr won third place in feature writing.

Nathan Gentry placed eighth in radio.

Holly Headrick placed
10th and 16th in television.

 
 

Hearst winners abound

UNC-CH students lead national field

Photos by Maricarmen Josephs

In the 41st year of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program, the School has turned in an impressive performance, holding first overall in the intercollegiate competition based on results from eight of the 11 contests.

Students enter their work in three categories: print with six contests, broadcast journalism with two contests and photojournalism with three contests. The top 20 entries in each category receive recognition, and UNC-CH students have placed in all three categories.

"We are just delighted with the work our students have done and the recognition they are earning. Their wins are an honor for them and the School," said Dean Richard Cole.

Seniors Matt Dees and Dan Lee won first place in editorial writing and in-depth writing respectively. Each has won $2,000 and all-expenses-paid trips to San Francisco in June to compete in the National Writing Championships.

Dees, who worked at the St. Petersburg Times last summer, said he came away with a great experience, as well as a prize-winning editorial.

"I worked with some of the best in the business who were all willing to take me under their wings but also seemed to appreciate my input and ideas," Dees said. "As far as the award, it certainly is an honor. I consider myself fortunate that I had some brilliant minds to pick before writing the ‘tome,’ as my boss called it."

Lee’s in-depth story featuring a woman dying of cancer appeared in the Ledger-Star of Newark, N.J. Lee wrote his story as part of the Gene Roberts Prize, awarded annually to a student to complete an in-depth project.

Associate Dean Jan Yopp, who chairs the Hearst committee in the School, said she was extremely pleased with the students’ wins this year.

"It’s a real honor," said Yopp. "Students get recognition for their work, and the win looks good on their résumés. They also earn money."

Students who placed in the broadcast journalism competition were senior Nathan Gentry, who placed eighth in radio broadcast news, and senior Holly Headrick, who took 10th in the first television broadcast news contest and 16th in the second TV contest.

Seniors Sean Busher and Greg Wolf finished 14th and 15th, respectively, in the first photojournalism competition. Junior Sefton Ipock tied for 15th place in the second photo contest.

In print, senior Laura Stoehr won third in feature writing, junior Ashley Atkinson tied for 15th in in-depth writing, and senior Bret Strelow won 13th in sports.

The students selected from the School to compete in each contest receive $50, and their photos are on in display in the Student Records office.

Yopp stressed the value of the local recognition students receive from being chosen to enter their work in the Hearst competition.

"Just to have your work selected for entry in the competition is an accomplishment," Yopp said. "That puts a certain quality on your work."

In 1999-2000 the School placed seventh overall and third in the print competition.

The Hearst Awards Program, often called the Pulitzer Prizes of college journalism, operates under the funding of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by its namesake in 1948. Hearst created the program to encourage and support excellence in journalism and journalism education in U.S. colleges and universities.

A Steering Committee of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, chaired by Cole, guides the annual competition, which is open to schools accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

Renner Vaughn is a junior in the electronic communication sequence.