Broadcast journalism student to compete in Hearst national championship

University of Nebraska-Lincoln broadcast journalism student Brandi Kruse of Glyndon, Minn., will compete in the 50th annual National Broadcast News Championships of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

Kruse is one of five finalists from around the country to have been selected and qualified for the 2010 Broadcast News Radio Championship June 8-12 in New York City. Writing and photo finalists will also compete in the championships. Awards will range from $1,500 to $5,000.

"It's wonderful to see Brandi's talent recognized by professional judges in the Hearst competition," said Barney McCoy, associate professor of broadcasting at UNL. "Now, she'll go to New York and compete for top national honors. What more can you ask for than opportunities like these?"

Kruse, a member of the ABC News On Campus Bureau at UNL, has worked as a reporter/anchor at Lincoln radio station 1240 KFOR-AM, where she earned a statewide award for her work in news. Kruse has held positions with the news and public affairs unit at NET Television on several political and social documentaries. She has had internships at KOLN/KGIN-TV news in Lincoln, ESPN Radio in Fargo, N.D., and has made appearances on the college's program, "Star City News."

There are 110 colleges and universities with accredited undergraduate journalism schools participating in the Hearst program, often called the Pulitzers of college journalism. Funded and administered for 50 years by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the program awards more than $550,000 a year in scholarships, grants and stipends under the auspices of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The competition judges, all professionals in radio and television, are: Fred Young, former senior vice president of news, Hearst-Argyle Television, Yardley, Pa.; Barbara Cochran, President Emeritus, RTDNA, Washington, D.C.; and Ursula Reutin, news director, KIRO Radio in Seattle.

WRITER: Marilyn Hahn, Communications Specialist, Journalism and Mass Communications, (402) 472-0876