UNL broadcast journalism student finishes 2nd in Hearst finals

University of Nebraska-Lincoln broadcast journalism student Christopher Welch placed second nationally in the 45th annual William Randolph Foundation's Journalism Awards for Television Broadcast News Championship.

UNL finished third overall, third in the broadcast news division and sixth in the writing division.

A sophomore from Dakota Dunes, S.D., Welch was one of five television finalists who qualified for the championship competition. He and the other student finalists reported two stories, one about the 99th anniversary of San Francisco's devastating 1906 earthquake and the other about Treasure Island, created in 1939 for the World's Fair.

Welch focused his earthquake story on the likelihood that a quake as violent as the 1906 disaster could happen again -- nearly 100 percent -- and on how ready San Francisco would be to respond. He focused his Treasure Island story on the island's history and secrets that even most San Franciscans know little about.

Welch said he had never been as nervous in his life as he was the morning the competition began, but by the time the finals were over, he had had a wonderful time. "It was the best experience of my life," he said.

Broadcasting faculty member Trina Creighton worked with Welch and the other broadcasting entrants during the past school year, pushing them to meet deadlines and "rewrite and rewrite and rewrite," Welch said.

Welch will receive a $4,000 scholarship and the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications will receive a matching grant of $4,000.

Other UNL broadcasting students who placed included: Dustin Schilling, Greenville, Pa., third in radio; Elizabeth Dorland, Lincoln, sixth in radio; Melissa Fry, Omaha, ninth in radio; Juanita Page, Omaha, 16th in television.

News-editorial students who placed in the competition included: Vince Kuppig, Lincoln, fourth in sports writing; Kris Kolden, Plattsmouth, Neb., seventh in photojournalism; Alyssa Schukar, Lincoln, 16th in photojournalism; Erica Rogers, Lincoln, 11th place in editorial/column writing; Quentin Lueninghoener, Omaha, 19th place in editorial/column writing; Patricia Vannoy, Lincoln, seventh in personality/profile; Dirk Chatelain, Columbus, Neb., third in feature writing; Lincoln Arneal, North Bend, Neb., 17th in feature writing.

Joe Starita, associate professor of news-editorial, worked with the writing entrants and Luis Peon-Casanova, lecturer in news-editorial, worked with the photojournalists.

The championships were held May 23-28 in San Francisco. The broadcast news judges, all non-Hearst media professionals, were: Terry Connelly, senior vice president and general manager, The Weather Channel, Atlanta, Ga.; Felicia Middlebrooks, morning anchor and correspondent, WBBM News Radio 780, Chicago; and Tom Negovan, anchor and investigative reporter, KYW-TV, Philadelphia.

The Journalism Awards Program, often called the Pulitzers of college journalism, awards more than $400,000 a year in scholarships, grants and stipends to students for outstanding performance in college level journalism, with matching grants to the students' schools. Of the approximately 400 journalism programs in the country, 105 are accredited by the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication and are eligible to participate in the awards program.

CONTACT: Trina Creighton, Lecturer, Broadcasting, Journalism & Mass Communications (402) 472-4796; or
Marilyn Hahn, Communications Specialist, Journalism & Mass Communications, (402) 472-0876