College of Champions

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

College of Champions A second consecutive No. 1 finish in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program topped a list of awards earned by College of Communications students in national competitions and programs during the 2012-13 academic year.

Four College of Communications students competed at the individual national championships of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards program contested in San

Francisco in June. Pictured are (left to right): Stephen Pianovich, Jill Knight, Savannah Smith and Brittany Horn.

(Photo by John Beale)

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

Record performance nets back-to-back championships The College of Communications captured back-to-back national championships in the overall intercollegiate standings in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program.

The College claimed its first overall championship in 20112012 and repeated in 2012-2013, scoring a Hearst record 823 points in the combined writing-broadcasting-photojournalism-multimedia standings.

The annual Hearst competitions (Photo by John Beale) in writing, broadcasting, photoPenn State, North Carolina, MissouFINAL STANDINGS journalism and multimedia draw ri and Nebraska were the only univermore than 1,000 student entries 1. PENN STATE sities to finish in the top-10 in all four 2. North Carolina each year. The competition is open competitions.

3. Missouri to students from the country’s 106 The College finished first in inter4. Nebraska nationally accredited undergraduate collegiate writing; second in photo5. Western Kentucky mass communication programs.

6. Arizona State journalism; third in broadcasting; and The College also finished first in 7. Indiana fifth in multimedia. the combined writing-broadcast8. Kent State The Hearst Journalism Awards ing standings and in the combined 9. Florida Program is conducted under the 10. Syracuse writing-broadcasting-photojournalauspices of the accredited schools of 11. Northwestern ism standings.

12. Iowa the Association of Schools of Journal“We were pleased when we won 13. Montana ism and Mass Communication and is our first overall championship last 14. Oregon fully funded by the William Randolph year,” Dean Doug Anderson said.

15. Kansas “And to claim another crown is Hearst Foundation.

16. Minnesota even sweeter.”

17. Ohio The program awards more than 18. LSU The College captured seven $500,000 in awards and grants annu19.

Southern California individual top-10 student finishes ally to the country’s nationally ac20. Michigan State in writing; three individual top-10 credited programs. finishes in photojournalism; two The College and its students reindividual top-10 finishes in broadceived $51,800 from the Hearst Foundation in casting; one individual top-10 finish in multimedia; awards and scholarships in 2012-2013. and two groups of students earned top-10 finishes in The College consistently ranks among the top the multimedia team competitions. schools in the overall standings. Before the backIn addition to the 15 top-10 finishes, the College earned nine finishes in the top-20 in the four compe- to-back championships, Penn State finished: 10th in 2011; third in 2010; 11th in 2009; sixth in 2008; titions. ninth in 2007; seventh in 2006; fifth in 2005; fourth Penn State was the only university to finish in the top-five in all four competitions. in 2004; and fifth in 2003. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

Student efforts drive repeat writing championship The College of CommunicaThe William Randolph Hearst tions repeated as the national Foundation’s Journalism Awards champion in the intercollegiate writing competition of the WilProgram, often called “the liam Randolph Hearst FounPulitzers of college journalism,” dation’s Journalism Awards is open to students from the Program.

The competition, often country’s 106 nationally called “the Pulitzers of college accredited mass communication journalism,” is in its 53rd year. programs.

The country’s 106 nationally accredited journalism-mass FINAL STANDINGS communication programs are eligible to compete.

1. PENN STATE Schools can submit two student entries in 2. Indiana each of the five monthly writing competitions: 3. Northwestern features, enterprise reporting, sports reporting, 4. Florida personality/profile writing and breaking news 5. Arizona State writing. This year’s competition drew more than 6. Kansas 500 writing entries.

7. (tie) Iowa The final intercollegiate standings are calculat7. (tie) Missouri ed based on overall student performances.

9. Nebraska “We are a perennial top-five place winner in the 10. North Carolina annual Hearst intercollegiate writing standings,” Dean Doug Anderson said. “But back-to-back national championships truly is a special accomplishment and a credit to the strong students in our program.”

All 10 of the College’s writing submissions finished in the individual top 25.

Stephen Pianovich led the way with a first-place finish in breaking news writing.

Other top-25 finishers: Brittany Horn, second in breaking news and ninth in features; Sarah Peters, second in personality/profile writing; Mike Hricik, third in personality/profile writing; Casey McDermott, fourth in enterprise reporting; Daniel Jenkins, fifth in sports writing; Kristin Stoller, 14th in enterprise reporting; Emily Kaplan, 17th in sports writing; and Eric Feinstein, 21st in features.

Pianovich and Horn earned spots in the Hearst individual championships in San Francisco in June. Only eight students from the more than 500 writing entrants qualified for the individual championships.

“We are so proud of our students,” said Russ Eshle-

Brittany Horn

Mike Hricik

Daniel Jenkins

Casey McDermott

Sarah

Stephen

man, associate head Peters Pianovich of the Department of Journalism and co-coordinator of the College’s writing submissions. “They tackled tough stories and did a wonderful job of reporting and writing them.”

Two Penn State students have captured the individual writing crown in the San Francisco championships in the past seven years: Halle Stockton, who won in 2007, and Andrew McGill, who placed first in 2010.

The top-five place winners in each of the writing competitions earn scholarships, with matching grants to the College of Communications.

The College also will receive a gold medallion and a $10,000 award for its first-place intercollegiate finish.

Judging the writing competition this year were: Ward Bushee, editor and executive vice president, San Francisco Chronicle; Marty Kaiser, editor and senior vice president, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and John Temple, former managing editor of The Washington Post. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

Strong TV, radio entries prompt third-place finish The College captured third place in the 2012-2013 final intercollegiate broadcast competition in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program.

Schools can submit two student entries in the radio competition and two entries in each of the two monthly television competiSteve Kraycik, director of television and online operations, snaps a tions.

FINAL STANDINGS semester-ending “Centre County Report” photo. (Photo by Curt Chandler) The radio 1. North Carolina competition is for news and features. The first television 2. Arizona State monthly competition is for features and the 3. PENN STATE second monthly competition is for news.

4. Missouri The final intercollegiate standings are cal5. Syracuse culated based on overall student performanc6. Florida es.

7. Northwestern Cat Rachel The broadcast team was led by Rachel Janisko Polansky 8. Nebraska Polansky, who earned sixth place in televi9. Michigan State national recognition sion features, and Cat Janisko, who placed ninth in 10. Southern California in America’s best teletelevision news. vision competitions Adrienne DiPiazza claimed 11th place in televilike Hearst,” Steve Kraycik, director of student telesion news. vision and online operations, said. “I’m incredibly Rounding out the scoring were Ryan Smith, who proud of their efforts and accomplishments over finished 14th in radio; Erica Brecher, who scored points in television features; and Marco Ranzi, who the past year.”

The College will receive a gold medallion and a scored points in radio. $2,000 award at the Hearst championships in San Bob Richards, the Curley professor of First Amendment Studies, said: “In class, our radio news Francisco for the third-place intercollegiate finish.

Judging the broadcast competition this year students learn the value of telling a story through were: Edward Esposito, vice president, Informathe use of sound. We’re pleased that the Hearst tion Media, Akron, Ohio; Kate O’Brien, senior vice competition recognizes the importance of radio president, ABC News, New York; and Fred Young, news reporting and that our students are competiretired senior vice president for news, Hearst Teletive in this area year after year.”

“Our Penn State students continue to gain more vision, Inc., New York. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

Multimedia students invest hours for award-winning work A first-place individFINAL STANDINGS ual finish by Savannah Smith and a second 1. Western Kentucky place in the team 2. North Carolina competition fueled the 3. Nebraska College’s fifth-place 4. Missouri finish in the 2012-2013 5. PENN STATE intercollegiate mul6. Syracuse timedia standings in 7. Kent State the William Randolph 8. Montana Hearst Foundation’s 9. Arizona State Journalism Awards 10. Oregon Program.

Fifth place in the final school multimedia standings is the College’s highest finish in that competition.

Schools can submit two entries in each of the three individual multimedia competitions: narrative multimedia storytelling-features; news; and enterprise reporting. Schools can also submit two entries in the team multimedia storytelling-news category.

The final intercollegiate standings are calculated based on overall student performances.

Smith earned first place in news for her piece on a Philipsburg, Pa., youngster who was the first child in the world to receive a new treatment for a form of leukemia.

Smith is the first Penn State student to receive a first place in the multimedia competition. She qualifies for the Hearst individual championships in San Francisco in June.

The trio of Dave Cole, Katherine Rodriguez and Steve Osborn earned second place in the team competition for their project on the deep bond the impoverished community of Clairton, Pa., has with its high school football team: The Bears.

Cole, Rodriguez and Osborn made numerous trips to explore the town and to cover the team as it won a state record 63 games in a row and a fourth consecutive state championship.

“The students knew that ‘Bear’d Up’ had the potential to be a great package,” Curt Chandler, senior lecturer and co-coordinator of the multimedia entries, said. “They worked really hard to become better in-

Savannah Smith (below right) produced a story about a child from Philipsburg, Pa., who received a new treatment for leukemia.

terviewers, and to improve their audio and video production skills so they could do the story right.”

The trio of Jennifer Swales, Kelly Tunney and Hayley Wildeson earned sixth place for their package on religion in central Pennsylvania. They looked at two churches, very different on the surface but with some important underlying similarities: a mega church, with 15,000 members, and a storefront church, with 60 members.

“The students worked long hours over the semester to produce a layered and engaging story,” Will Yurman, senior lecturer and co-coordinator of the multimedia entries, said. “Just as important, they came away as better journalists—more skilled with the equipment, and better able to craft and shape a story.”

Renee Guida finished 13th and Kelly Tunney 15th in enterprise reporting; Chloe Elmer placed 17th in news; Travis Clark claimed 19th in narrative multimedia storytelling-features; and Bradley Thomas earned points in narrative multimedia storytelling-features.

The lead judge for the multimedia competition was Cory Tolbert Haik, executive producer, news innovations and strategic projects, The Washington Post. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

RAISING VLADAMIR

By Kelley King

When Diane and Frank Elliott had trouble conceiving after their marriage in 1992, they chose adoption. Eight adoptions later, the Elliotts have the family they’ve always wanted. Although caring for eight special needs children on a tight budget can be challenging, Frank Elliott says that they “wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Their son Vladamir, 7, was born with SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome, a rare disorder that caused him to be born without eyes and with severe developmental delays. Although Vladamir requires constant specialized care, he lives life with grace and calm and helps anchor the family.

(Images from Kelley King’s awardwinning photo story begin on this page, as Vladamir celebrates putting his shirt on by himself with his father Frank seated next to him.)

Photo students capture best-ever finish in program Top-five individual finishes by FINAL STANDINGS Chloe Elmer, Kelley King and Jill Knight led the College to second 1. Missouri 2. PENN STATE place in the 2012-2013 intercol3. Western Kentucky legiate photojournalism standings 4. North Carolina in the William Randolph Hearst 5. Ohio Foundation’s Journalism Awards Chloe Kelley Jill 6. Nebraska Elmer King Knight Program.

7.

Kent State student photojournalists in the nation and the The second place photojour8. Oregon Hearst second place finish is well-deserved nalism finish is the highest in the 9. Minnesota validation for our students’ hard work,” John College’s history.

10. (tie) Florida Beale, who coordinates the College’s phoSchools can submit two student 10. (tie) Iowa State tojournalism entries, said. “It’s gratifying entries in each of the two monthly to see each of our Hearst entrants receive photojournalism competitions: picture story/series and recognition in such a prestigious competition.” news and feature.

The College will receive a gold medallion and a The final intercollegiate standings are calculated based $4,000 award at the Hearst championships in San Franon overall student performances.

Knight claimed fourth place in picture story/series and cisco for the second-place intercollegiate finish.

Judging the photojournalism competition this year 16th in news and feature. She qualifies for the Hearst were: Steve Gonzales, director of photography, Housindividual championships in San Francisco in June. ton Chronicle; Sue Morrow, assistant multimedia editor, King captured third place in picture story/series.

Sacramento Bee; and Jakub Mosur, freelance photograElmer finished fifth in news and feature.

“We believe that Penn State has some of the best pher, San Francisco. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

BEA recognizes ‘Centre County Report’ as nation’s best A weekly newscast produced

by College of Communications students earned the top honor and two students captured first places in individual categories as Penn State crafted its best performance ever in the prestigious Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts, a nationwide competition honoring the best in facultyand student-produced media.

An episode of “Centre County Report,” the half-hour news program produced each week during the academic year by communications students, was Accepting the award for “Centre County Report” in Las Vegas were (left to right): Jordan Pruett, Marco Ranzi, Steve Kraycik and Cat Janisko. (Photo by Bill Gardner) selected as Student Newscast ricane Sandy, the upcoming election and (Jerry) Best of Festival—the top honor Sandusky case developments.The fact their stuin the competition. dent newscast was named best in the nation is a The honor comes with a $1,000 prize and a wonderful honor for this group.” crystal award.

Dean Doug Anderson praised the leadership of Judges praised the episode from November 2012, citing the anchors and the production values Kraycik and the work of the students. of the program. The judges’ comments included: “Winning the best of festival newscast award “Anchors did an excellent job. Very professional is a significant accomplishment,” Anderson said. and very well spoken. I felt like I was watching a “This group has set a high mark for future Penn professional newscast. Story selection and order State students to equal.” were solid, and the team did a fine job.”

The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Along with the newscast, individual honorFestival of Media Arts, sponsored this year by the ees were Cat Janisko, from Johnstown, Pa., who Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation and was named the top Television News Anchor, and Future Media Concepts, has been honoring faculRachel Polansky, from Orangeburg, N.Y., who ty and student work for more than a decade. earned first place in Sports Show Feature as well More than 1,600 professors, students and media as the Award for Excellence in Interviewing.

Polansky’s segment focused on a power lifter and professionals are individual members of the BEA and some 275 college and university departments her interview was conducted with Special Olymand schools are institutional members of the orgapian Austin Bowen. nization.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these students.

The BEA is the professional association for They worked so hard each week to produce a professors, industry professionals and graduate quality newscast,” said Steve Kraycik, director students who are interested in teaching and reof student television and online operations in the search related to electronic media and multimedia College. “And that particular newscast featured coverage from a busy news week, including Hurenterprises. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

PROUD PRESENTERS A five-member presentation team was the face of the College of Communications entry in the annual National Student Advertising Competition conducted by the American Advertising Federation. This year contesting teams built plans for Glidden paints and Walmart. Presenters were (left to right): Julianna Esposito, Brittany Smith, Jessica Edwards, Deaven Freed and Jennifer Maughan.

Two selected students bolster ongoing Dow Jones success Two Penn State journalism students were selected for the Dow Jones News Fund Editing Intern Program this summer.

The students were selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide who will work at media outlets across the country beginning in mid-June. Those selected were: Crystal Jones, a junior from Annapolis, Md., who will be working at the Journal News in White Plains, N.Y., and Paige Minemyer of State College, Pa., who will be working at the Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Va. Students selected for the program attend eight-day training programs on college campuses before completing paid internships for a minimum of 10 weeks.

At the end of the full program, interns who return to college as full-time students the following fall receive scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $1,800 from the Dow Jones News Fund.

Students qualify for consideration for the internships by scoring high on a standard editing test designed by the Dow Jones News Fund staff and administered under controlled conditions on the students’ home campuses. Final selections are made by directors of the training programs based on the test, reference checks, an essay and the student’s academic record.

Including the new class of interns, 73 Penn State

students have been selected for the Dow Jones News Editing Fund Intern Program during the past 13 years, second most of any university in the country.

Both of the selected Penn State students have had previous internship and journalism experience.

Jones completed an internship with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) in Washington, D.C., last summer and is currently completing an internship as the co-editor of the newsletter for the LGBTA Student Resource Center on the University Park campus.

“This is going to be my first newspaper internship,” Jones said. “I’m excited to finally start my professional career.”

Minemyer, who works at The Daily Collegian on the copy desk and has completed internships at The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pa., and the The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., anxiously anticipates the summer opportunity as well.

“I’m really excited to get the chance to move out of Pennsylvania and out of my comfort zone a bit,” said Minemeyer. “It’s in Virginia, so it’s a decent drive, but not so far that I’m completely out of touch.”

The Dow Jones News Fund is a nonprofit foundation supported by the Dow Jones Foundation and other communications companies. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

AAF recognizes four through ‘Most Promising’ program Four Penn State College of Communications students were honored by the American Advertising Federation through its Most Promising Minority Students program and recognized at a function with advertising and public relations industry leaders in New York City.

Two students—Mariha Chowdhury of Vienna, Va., and Jenny Zhuo of Garnett Valley, Pa.— were recognized as national finalists and two others—Danielle Nathanson of Old Bridge, N.J., and Kimberly Price of State College, Pa.—earned “honor roll” recognition.

A total of 40 finalists and 10 honor roll students from across the nation were rec- College of Communications honorees through the program were (left to right): Danielle Nathanson, Mariha Chowdhury, Jenny Zhuo and Kimberly Price. ognized through the program this year. ceptional by their During the past eight years, the AAF During the past college professors program has honored 34 Penn State communicaand advisers. eight years, the tions students, 24 as national finalists and 10 as The program AAF program has honor roll selections—second most of any universibegan in response ty in the country. honored 34 Penn to the advertising This year’s honorees were recognized during a State communications industry’s conluncheon at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City students—24 as cern and need and they participated in career fair and immersion to enhance the national finalists sessions during the three-day event. multicultural and 10 as honor roll “These students are all excellent scholars, are representation in interested in various areas of the field and are active selections. the business. In in the Penn State chapter of the American Advertisaddition to honing Federation,” said Ken Yednock, a senior lecturer oring students, the program also increases students’ in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations knowledge and understanding of the business by who serves as the adviser to the AAF chapter on providing networking, interviewing and industry campus. “Each of the students, all of whom are connections. seniors, represents the best in multicultural diverThe AAF is the oldest national trade association sity in the College of Communications. They were representing about 40,000 professionals in the nominated because of their track record and potenbusiness with a network of local ad clubs and 226 tial to be most successful in the communications college chapters throughout the country. business.”

The Penn State AdClub is chartered as the Donald The Most Promising Minority Students program W. Davis Chapter of the American Advertising Federacknowledges those minority students deemed exation and has more than 150 student members. l

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13

Students earn national awards, finish strong in SPJ region With two national champions, a second-place recipient and a thirdplace finisher, the College of Communications stood out in the 2012 Mark of Excellence Awards coordinated by the Society of Professional Journalists.

More than 4,600 entries from student journalists around the nation were considered for the awards, which recognize work published or broadcast during 2012.

Penn State’s individual national champions were Casey McDermott, who finished first in editorial writing, and Kelley King, who finished first in sports photography.

Torri Singer finished second nationally in photo illustration. In addition, the “Centre County Report,” a half-hour newscast produced each week during the academic year by students in the College of Communications, finished third in best all-around television newscast.

Penn State also dominated the SPJ Region 1 competition, which includes colleges and universities

from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and central and eastern Pennsylvania. For that competition, competitors were separated into divisions based on the size of their student enrollment. Penn State competed in the largest division.

A complete list of Penn State’s regional winners follows: NEWSPAPERS

Breaking News First Place: Mindy Szkaradnik In-Depth Reporting Third Place: Casey McDermott Feature Writing Second Place: Jennifer Swales Sports Writing First Place: Emily Kaplan Second Place: Eric Visintainer Editorial Writing First Place: Casey McDermott Sports Column Writing Third Place: Adam Bittner

MAGAZINE

Best Student Magazine Second Place: Valley Magazine

ART/GRAPHICS

Breaking News Photography First Place: Tyler Sizemore General News Photography First Place: Chloe Elmer Second Place: Torri Singer

Feature Photography First Place: Kelley King Second Place: Krista Myers Third Place: Chloe Elmer Photo Illustration First Place: Torri Singer Sports Photography First Place: Kelley King Second Place: Amanda August

RADIO

In-Depth Reporting Second Place: Casie Tennin

TELEVISION

Breaking News Reporting Second Place: Adrienne DiPiazza General News Reporting Second Place: Cat Janisko Third Place: Matt Sonsalla Feature Reporting First Place: Karam Khosa, Matt Andersen and Will Monkowski Sports Reporting First Place: Fernando Calderon and Pete Floyd Second Place: Karam Khosa, Matt Anderson and Will Monkowski Third Place: Rachel Polansky, News Photography Second Place: Matt Sonsalla Sports Photography First Place: Rachel Polansky and Dan Hamilton Second Place: Fernando Calderon and Pete Floyd Best All-Around Television Newscast First Place: “Centre County Report”

ONLINE

Sports Reporting First Place: Melanie DiCarlo Best Affiliated Website Second Place: The Daily Collegian Online

Broadcast students perform well vs. pros, other students Penn State students grabbed several top finishes in a statewide competition conducted by the Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association.

The annual competition allows students to compete both against other college broadcasters and by radio market size, pitting students against professional broadcasters from across the state. Penn State competed in the Medium Market Division, against stations from Allentown and Harrisburg, among others.

A list of Penn State’s finishes follows:

MEDIUM AND SMALL MARKET RADIO

Enterprise/Individual Reporting Jon Blauvelt, “Paterno Catholic Center,” ComRadio, first place Torri Singer, “Hurricane Sandy,” ComRadio, third place Feature Miranda McCormick, “Cheerleading Injuries,” ComRadio, first place

MEDIUM AND SMALL MARKET TV

News or Sports Talk Program “In the Game” (Episode 103), ComMedia, first place

STUDENT RADIO

Casie Tennin, “Scandal Recovery Efforts,” first place

STUDENT TELEVISION

Liz Derita, Katie Bassett, Carolyn Cohen and Lucy Ukwa, “Service Dogs,” first place; Erica Brecher, “Comfort Zone Camp,” second place; James Swanson, Aaron Dunlevy, Bill Hood and Kofi Appiah, “Hockey Lockout Puts NHL Cities and Businesses in the Penalty Box,” third place

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2012-13