UNL's Brandi Kruse wins Hearst national broadcast news championship

Released on 06/16/2010, at 2:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Lincoln, Neb., June 16th, 2010 —
Brandi Kruse
Brandi Kruse

University of Nebraska-Lincoln journalism student Brandi Kruse placed first in the Hearst Broadcast News National Championships in New York City June 8-12. Kruse, a senior from Glyndon, Minn., majors in broadcast journalism.

Kruse earned a $5,000 prize and a Hearst medallion. She won an additional $1,000 prize for Best Use of Radio for News Coverage in the semifinal round of competition.

One of five finalists in radio, Kruse went to New York City to participate in a spot news assignment about security in the wake of the failed bombing in Times Square and how security has changed since 9/11.

"We were given the assignment Tuesday, given Wednesday to report and Thursday to edit at NYU," Kruse said.

"My story was about the importance of public vigilance to combat terrorism. I interviewed the street vendor responsible for reporting the Pathfinder to police in Times Square (who was later thanked by the President for his vigilance). I also interviewed the head of a private security agency that controls private security in Times Square, a professor at the Center on Terrorism at John Jay College in Manhattan and a partner in a New York City advertising agency who coined the phrase, 'See Something, Say Something,' a day after 9/11 in an attempt to incite public vigilance."

Barney McCoy, an associate professor of broadcast journalism, said, "We're thrilled for Brandi. She's the embodiment of journalistic excellence and what we teach in our college. She works hard and smart, is conscientious and always tries to improve. She's also a great team member and mentor to fellow students."

Kruse, who was a member of the ABC News On Campus Bureau at UNL, has worked as a reporter/anchor at Lincoln's KFOR-AM, where she received a statewide award for her work in news. She has had 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 school-run program Star City News.

Helping UNL to finish fifth overall in the Hearst Intercollegiate Awards for Broadcast News were Sara McCue of Spearfish, S.D., and Kelli Sajevic of Liberty, Mo., who placed seventh and 10th in early rounds of the radio and broadcast news competition. This is the 50th year of competitions in which matching grants will be awarded to participating schools.

The judges for the broadcast competition were Fred Young, former senior vice president of news for Hearst-Argyle Television in Yardley, Pa.; Barbara Cochran, president emeritus, RTDNA, Washington, D.C.; and Ursula Reutin, news director for KIRO Radio, Seattle.

Often called "The Pulitzers of College Journalism," the Hearst program holds year-long competitions in writing, photography, broadcast news and multimedia for journalism undergraduates.

Currently 110 colleges and universities with accredited undergraduate journalism schools are eligible to participate in the program. Funded and administered for 50 years by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the program awards up to $550,000 in scholarships, grants and stipends annually, under the auspices of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Publisher William Randolph Hearst established the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and the Hearst Foundation Inc. in the 1940s, a few years before his death in 1951. Since then, the foundations have awarded more than $759 million in grants and programs.

WRITER: Marilyn Hahn

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