'Maryland Newsline' Once Again Named
Best Daily Newcast by SPJ
For Immediate Release August 2, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, MD – The Philip Merrill College of Journalism’s nightly newscast has been named the best in the nation for the third time by the Society of Professional Journalists.
“Maryland Newsline,” the 30-minute newscast produced by advanced broadcast news students and aired on the college-operated cable station UMTV, won SPJ’s prestigious Mark of Excellence Award. The show, inaugurated in 2002, was named best in the nation both in 2003 and 2002, and was a national finalist last year.
“This award is a testament to the hard work of our students and of our outstanding faculty,” said Dean Thomas Kunkel. . “Once again they have demonstrated that Maryland is home to one of the top journalism programs, if not the best for practical broadcast news experience.”
The college is also home to three other national finalists in this year’s awards. Trish Hartman was named a finalist in the television spot news reporting category for her report on a courthouse fire. In the online general news reporting category, Daina Klimanis, Danny Jacobs, Cleve Bryan and the staffs of the Capital News Service were finalists for their report on the future of the Hubble Space Telescope. Jessica Shyu, Lisa Tossey, Daina Klimanis, Charmere Gatson and the CNS staffs were finalists in the online in-depth reporting category for their “Maryland Votes” package.
The national finalists were previously recognized by receiving first place in one of 12 of the regional competitions and were selected from more than 3,000 entries in 45 categories.
“The winners of the SPJ Mark of Excellence awards represent the best in college journalism and certainly are the result of exceptional work on the part of those chosen for the awards,” said Jim Highland, SPJ vice president for campus chapter affairs.
National winners and finalists will be recognized during the Mark of Excellence Luncheon on Oct. 17 at the society’s national convention in Las Vegas.
For more information contact: Matthew C. Sheehan, 301.405.8320.