University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications students Robby Korth, Jacy Marmaduke and Morgan Spiehs, as part of the Carnegie-Knight News21 national investigation team, have won the Online News Association award in the student projects pro-am category.
“This Online Journalism Award is truly a great accomplishment,” said Maria Marron, dean of the college. “This is a testament to our strong journalism program and the talented students and faculty with whom I have the pleasure of working.”
University of Nebraska–Lincoln students were among 29 students from 16 universities. The 2014 investigation featured dozens of multimedia stories, videos, databases and photo galleries examining the polarizing issues of gun rights and regulation in the United States.
The investigation was led by News21 Executive Editor Jacquee Petchel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, and Leonard Downie Jr., the former executive editor of The Washington Post and current Weil Family Professor of Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where News21 is based.
“This award is particularly special not only because it recognizes the power of strong journalism, but because it also underscores our efforts to be innovative in our visuals and storytelling about one of the most controversial topics in America,” Petchel said. “We are really proud of these young journalists for their extraordinary and visionary efforts on this project.”
Students analyzed gun laws in all 50 states and compiled the most complete database on gun-related deaths among children in America. They also traveled to more than 28 states interviewing hundreds of individuals and sharing their stories.
The Washington Post, USA Today and NBC News were among the news organizations that published major portions of the investigation.
The Nebraska students were supported by the Peter Kiewit Foundation.
The Online News Association is dedicated to inspiring innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. Membership includes news writers, producers, designers, editors, bloggers, technologists, photographers, academics, students and others who produce and distribute news for digital delivery systems.
Carnegie-Knight News21 is a multimedia investigative reporting initiative established by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The “Gun Wars” project was also supported by the Miami Foundation, the Ethics and
Excellence in Journalism Foundation, the Hearst Foundations, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the Peter Kiewit Foundation and Louis A. “Chip” Weil.
