KNOXVILLE— Suzanna McCloskey, a senior journalism and electronic media major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is one of the winners of the annual Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition, sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation.
Nine winners, whose entries represent print, broadcast, and interactive media, were chosen for the high quality of their work, an essay about their interest in international affairs, and letters of recommendation. Each winner receives a nine-day, all-expense paid journalism study trip to Japan.
The competition was established in 1984 in cooperation with the Indiana University School of Journalism and honors the memory of the journalist who led Scripps Howard Newspapers from 1922 to 1953 and United Press International from 1912 to 1920.
McCloskey, from Memphis, is managing editor of UT’s news website, the Tennessee Journalist, and is an intern at McGhee Tyson Airport. She previously interned at the Knoxville News Sentinel.
“Having always lived in Tennessee, I’m really interested in getting out and exploring new places,” McCloskey said. “With graduation in December, I’m starting to think about future plans. I’m really open to anything at this point in my life. In my time at UT, I think I’ve gotten a really strong background in journalism, so I feel really prepared.
“This is a great opportunity and I’m really lucky to be a recipient,” she said.
The prize responds to the need for today’s student journalists to better understand international affairs, said Mike Philipps, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation.
“A number of previous winners have chosen careers in international journalism,” he said. “They often cite this journalism study trip as the motivation behind their decision.”
The expenses‐paid trip will be led by Bradley J. Hamm, dean of the journalism school at Indiana University and a Roy W. Howard scholar, who has extensive travel experience throughout Asia. Travel begins June 15 and includes excursions primarily in the Kansai region cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. Included in the trip is a visit to Hiroshima, the first city in world history to be devastated by the atomic bomb, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park.
The Scripps Howard Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the E.W. Scripps Co., parent company of Knoxville News Sentinel, Metro Pulse, Skirt Magazine, Home Market Now, Auto Seller Weekly, Knoxville Business Journal, and Shopper News. It is a leader in industry efforts in journalism education, scholarships, internships, literacy, minority recruitment/development, and First Amendment causes. With a special commitment to the regions where Scripps does business, the foundation helps build healthy communities and improve the quality of life through support of sound educational programs, strong families, vital social services, enriching arts and culture, and inclusive civic affairs.
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C O N T A C T :
Stephanie Dixon (865-974-2125, sdixon7@utk.edu)
Amy Blakely (865-771-9127, ablakely@utk.edu)