KU News Release

April 14, 2009
Contact: Jill Jess, University Relations, (785) 864-8858.

KU members of Society of Professional Journalists advance in national contest

LAWRENCE — Six journalism students and recent graduates from the University of Kansas earned nine 2008 Society of Professional Journalists Region 7 Mark of Excellence awards, which will be presented at the society’s regional spring conference April 24-25 in St. Louis, Mo.

Winners at the regional level will advance to the national competition. National award winners will be honored at the Society of Professional Journalists’ Convention and National Journalism Conference Aug. 27-30 in Indianapolis.

The awards honor outstanding work in print, broadcast and online collegiate journalism produced in 2008. Most of KU’s student work appeared in the University Daily Kansan newspaper, online at Kansan.com and on KUJH-TV, the television station affiliated with KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Adviser to the KU student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is Mike Williams, associate professor of journalism.r

KU regional award recipients:

— Overall general news reporting: Haley Jones, Shawnee junior, and Alex Parker, Kansas City, Mo., master’s student in journalism.

— In-depth reporting: Brenna Hawley, Salina senior, for “Parched Future of the Plains”.

— In-depth reporting: Ryan McGeeney, Lawrence master’s degree student, for “Ghost World,” which examined homelessness in Lawrence.

— Feature writing: Thor Nystrom of Baxter, Minn., who earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in spring 2008, for “To Hell and Back,” his harrowing personal narrative of mental illness after being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a high school sophomore.

— Sports writing: Thor Nystrom for “Looking at both sides of the scalp,” which looked at athletics ticket scalping.

— Television feature: Wendy McCart, Lafayette, Ind., senior, for “Voter registration on the rise,” about increases in voter registrations in Lawrence.

— Television in-depth reporting: Wendy McCart for “Pets can benefit from natural foods,” a look at advantages and definitions of natural pet foods.

— Online in-depth reporting: Alex Parker, for “Readying for War,” based on his ongoing stories from five days embedded with the First Infantry Division’s 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team as they were being trained for Iraq at Fort Irwin, Calif. The First Infantry Division, also known as the Big Red One, is based at Fort Riley, Kan.

The Society of Professional Journalists promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate current and future journalists through professional development; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press through its advocacy efforts. The organization, founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi at Depauw University in Greencastle, Ind., is headquartered at the Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Center in Indianapolis, Ind. The KU student chapter was founded in 1910.

The organization includes 10 U.S. regions with about 10,000 student and professional members who include those in broadcast, print and online journalism, journalism educators and others affiliated with journalism careers.

Region 7 includes 14 student chapters at colleges and universities in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. Besides KU, they include Baker University, Emporia State University, Kansas State University and Wichita State University in Kansas; Drake University, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa in Iowa; Central Missouri State University, Northwest Missouri State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Truman State University and University of Missouri-Columbia in Missouri; and University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Student winners are listed below by hometown, level in school or degree received, major and, when available, parents’ names and high school or previous school attended and award category.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66046
Ryan McGeeney, master’s degree student in journalism; bachelor’s degree in political science in 2006 from the University of South Florida after serving seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps; in-depth reporting.

From Lawrence 66049 and Salina
Brenna Hawley. See SALINE COUNTY

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Shawnee 66217
Haley Jones, junior in news and information with a minor in business, daughter of Mike and Kelley Jones; Christ Preparatory Academy, Kansas City, Kan.; overall general news reporting.

SALINE COUNTY
From Salina 67401 and Lawrence
Brenna Hawley, senior in news and information and political science, daughter of Kevin Hawley of Salina and Helen Hawley of Lawrence; Salina Central High School; in-depth reporting.

INDIANA
From Lafayette 47909
Wendy McCart, senior in news and information with a minor in English, daughter of Eric and Robin McCart; Jefferson High School; television feature and television in-depth reporting awards.

MISSOURI
From Kansas City 64112
Alex Parker, master’s student in journalism, son of Geoffrey and Betsy Parker; Pembroke Hill School; bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in history in 2003 from Miami University of Ohio; overall general news reporting and online in-depth reporting awards.

MINNESOTA
From Baxter 56425
Thor Nystrom, bachelor’s degree in journalism from KU, spring 2008; son of Bob and Rachel Nystrom; Brainerd Senior High School, Brainerd, Minn.; feature writing and sports writing awards.

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