by Molly Chapple
Two University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Journalism & Mass Communications students placed in the top 20 in the Hearst Journalism Awards multimedia competitions.
Alyssa Ranard, senior journalism major, placed fourth, while junior journalism major Gabriella Parsons placed sixth.
Ranard, a Yutan, Nebraska, native, wrote a story focusing on the issues on the border of South Sudan and Uganda, where millions of South Sudanese people are fleeing from violence in their home country.
In her reporting, she visited a refugee camp called Morobi, which housed about 150,000 refugees.
“There were so many issues and stories that needed to be told,” Ranard said. “I spent a good part of my time talking to the refugees to find out what they believed to be the biggest issues and based my stories on what I learned. I also tried to focus on the people in the camp who were pushing forward in life, despite their circumstances.”
After graduation this spring, Ranard’s goals are to give back through working with nonprofits, both domestic and abroad.
Parsons, a Lincoln native, won the award for her story about mental health issues facing Ugandan war survivors, specifically those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
While reporting on the subject, Parsons met two women who survived the war, Monica and Polline. Both of these women experienced attacks during the war. Polline was severely burned in a fire, and Monica lost her right leg in a landmine explosion.
Parsons said she learned how tough it can be to report on such sensitive topics with war survivors.
“We’re taught in school that journalism is about telling people’s stories, but through my experiences I quickly learned how problematic that can be and just how delicate of a process it really is to tell someone else’s story,” Parsons said.
“Polline and Monica had to recount their attacks to me –– they had to, in some ways, relive those experiences. That is something I often think about. These weren't just interviews, but rather conversations where deep rooted emotions and traumas were dug up and experienced all over again for the sake of this story.”
After graduation in December 2018, Parsons hopes follow her passion and continue to produce documentary work that investigates social injustices.
Senior Emily McMinn also placed 13th in the Hearst Photojournalism II: picture story/series competition.
The 2017-2018 Hearst Journalism Awards Program is held in 108 member colleges and universities of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication with accredited undergraduate journalism programs. The awards program consists of five writing, two photojournalism, one radio, two television and four multimedia competitions. The program awards up to $500,000 in scholarships, matching grants and stipends annually.
