Department of Music News

Western Kentucky University’s School of Media & Communication continued its tradition of national success in the annual Hearst Journalism Awards Program with a sixth-place finish in the 2024 Overall Intercollegiate Competition.

WKU has placed in the top eight overall for 31 straight years with four overall championships in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2018.

The top 10 schools in the 2024 Overall Intercollegiate Competition are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Florida; Syracuse University; University of Missouri; Arizona State University; WKU; Pennsylvania State University; Michigan State University; University of Iowa; and University of Maryland.

Often called “The Pulitzers of college journalism,” the Hearst program includes five writing, two photo, one audio, two television and four multimedia competitions offering up to $700,000 in scholarships, matching grants and stipends. Currently, 105 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.

In the 2023-2024 Hearst program, WKU finished second in the Intercollegiate Multimedia Competition and received a $4,000 award, fourth in the Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition and 10^th in the Intercollegiate Broadcast Competition.

Awards will be presented during the Hearst program’s 64th annual National Writing, Photojournalism, Audio, Television and Multimedia Championships in San Francisco, California. Two WKU students will compete for national championships June 1-7. Brett Phelps of Bardstown is one of six finalists for the National Photojournalism Championship, while Rhiannon Johnston of Louisville is one of five finalists for the National Multimedia Championship.

WKU students have won 16 Hearst individual national championships since 1985 — photojournalism in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2016; multimedia in 2015 and 2023; writing in 1985; and radio news in 2006.

WKU’s history of success in Hearst competitions includes winning the Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition 29 times in the past 35 years and winning the Intercollegiate Multimedia Competition nine times since it was added in 2010.

The top 10 schools in the 2024 Intercollegiate Multimedia Competition (highest accumulated student points from the four multimedia competitions) were University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; WKU; Syracuse University; University of Florida; University of Nevada, Reno; University of Missouri; Pennsylvania State University; Arizona State University; and Stony Brook University.

The top 10 schools in the 2024 Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition (highest accumulated student points from the two photo competitions) were University of Iowa; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Missouri; WKU; Michigan State University; San Francisco State University; Ohio University; University of North Texas; Iowa State University; and University of Kentucky.

The top 10 schools in the 2024 Intercollegiate Broadcast Competition (highest accumulated student points from the three broadcast competitions) were Syracuse University; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Missouri; University of Florida; Pennsylvania State University; Arizona State University; University of Maryland; Kent State University; Ohio University; and WKU.

Contact: School of Media & Communication, (270) 745-4144.

- WKU -

Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, our students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.