April 2001

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Elliott to join VOA through Kuralt Fellowship

Charles Kuralt’s name lives on at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication through an annual fellowship awarded this year to Christine Elliott.

The School awards a bachelor’s or master’s degree graduate the Charles Kuralt Fellowship in International Broadcasting. The fellowship, which honors the late UNC-CH alumnus and one of America’s most beloved broadcasters, gives the graduate a chance to work as a full-time reporter or producer at Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, D.C.

Elliott, a senior in the electronic communication sequence, was not even considering applying until teachers mentioned it to her in class. Then she met with Associate Dean Tom Bowers, who convinced her she should go for it.

Seven candidates applied for the fellowship, but Elliott stood out for several reasons.

"She’s enthusiastic. She has strong credentials and wants very much to be a radio journalist," said Jerry McKinney, news director at VOA. "She interviewed well and was highly recommended by those at UNC who know her work."

"The others that applied were all good journalists," Elliott said. "I didn’t know how to compare myself. I did what I had to apply and let it be."

When she first heard the news, Elliott was overwhelmed.

"I started crying, fell on the floor face down, and then called my parents and fiancé to tell them the news," she said.

At the VOA headquarters, Elliott will begin working as a writer in the newsroom, where she can learn more about how a broadcasting service works.

She’ll then move on to work with the headquarters’ English-language broadcasters, where she’ll be given reporting assignments around Washington, McKinney said.

McKinney also said Elliott probably will wrap up her yearlong experience when VOA tries to send her to one of its foreign bureaus, preferably the Spanish branch since she knows the language.

"I think she’ll bring a solid professionalism with her to VOA," McKinney said. "We hope we are the ultimate winner and that she’ll find a home here."

VOA is the largest international broadcasting service of the U.S. government. Each week, it produces and broadcasts more than 900 hours of U.S., world and regional news to a worldwide audience of 91 million. It reaches its audience in English and 52 other languages through radio, television, the Internet and 1,200 affiliate stations around the world.

Melissa Sowry is a junior in the electronic communication sequence.