by Molly Roe
James Wooldridge, a senior journalism major at the CoJMC, won fifth place in the Photojournalism II- Picture Story/Series of the 2018-2019 Hearst Journalism Awards Program. There were 86 entries from 51 schools submitted nationwide.
Wooldridge will receive $1,000 for this award. His project, which focused on a unique friendship between two college students, can be viewed at http://www.newsnetnebraska.org/2019/02/10/jack-and-dan/.
“James is developing into a terrific photojournalist,” photojournalism Professor Bruce Thorson said. “His storytelling using visuals is compelling and draws the viewer into the lives of those he photographs.”
In a recent addition to the program guidelines, the first-place winner automatically qualifies for the National Photojournalism Championship which will be held in San Francisco next June. The other top winners in this competition, along with the top finalists from the photo I competition, will submit additional photographs for the semi-final round of judging in April.
Finalists will be chosen from that round to compete in the Hearst Journalism Awards National Championships, along with writing, radio, television and multimedia finalists.
Western Kentucky University has won the 2018-19 Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition with the highest accumulated student points in the two photo competitions held this year.
It is followed by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Ohio University; San Francisco State University; University of Iowa; Arizona State University; Ball State University; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Oregon; University of Kentucky. The top three intercollegiate winners earn $10,000, $4,000 and $2,000 respectively.
The photojournalism judges are: Erin Lubin, freelance photographer, San Francisco; Dai Sugano, staff photographer/senior multimedia editor, The Mercury News; and Jose Luis Rios, director of photography, San Antonio Express-News.
The Journalism Awards Program, now in its 59th year, added multimedia to the competitions in 2010. The program also includes five writing, one radio, two television, and two photojournalism competitions offering up to $700,000 in scholarships, matching grants and stipends. 104 member universities of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication with accredited undergraduate journalism programs are eligible to participate in the Hearst competitions.
