Three Huskers recently placed in the National Hearst Journalism Awards Competition. Naomi Delkamiller of Omaha placed eighth in the feature writing competition on Jan. 14. Linda Kuku of Lincoln placed 16th in the television features competition on Dec. 19, 2024. Katherine Lockyear of Lenexa, Kansas, placed 14th in the multimedia narrative storytelling competition on Jan. 18.
Delkamiller, a senior advertising and public relations and journalism double major, placed with her entry, “‘She’s here because she got herself here’: The rise of Broken Bow’s self-taught barrel racer,” which was published by the Flatwater Free Press on March 20, 2024.
Kuku, a senior broadcasting major, was recognized for her stories “Culxr House opens doors to creativity in Omaha,” and “Art and politics do mix at the Sheldon Art Gallery in Lincoln,” both published by the Nebraska News Service on Nov. 19, 2024.
Lockyear, a May 2024 graduate who majored in advertising and public relations and journalism, was awarded for her story, “The Golden Barber,” published by the Nebraska News Service on May 14, 2024.
The Hearst Journalism Awards Program is comprised of 14 monthly competitions in a variety of categories, including writing, photojournalism, audio, television and multimedia. Participation is limited to journalism programs accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, and each school is limited to two entries in each competition.
“Our students’ recognition in the Hearst Journalism Awards Competition is a testament to their hard work, creativity and dedication to storytelling,” said Shari Veil, Jane T. Olson Endowed Dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. “Linda and Naomi’s achievements reflect the high caliber of talent and commitment among our students and faculty, and we’re incredibly proud to see their efforts celebrated on a national stage.”
The Hearst Journalism Awards Program was founded in 1960 to support and encourage journalism education at the college and university level. The program awards scholarships to students for outstanding performance in college-level journalism, with matching grants to their schools. The 62nd annual program, offering up to $700,000 in awards, includes five monthly writing competitions, two photojournalism competitions, one audio competition, two television competitions, and four multimedia competitions, with championship finals in all divisions.