Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Awards 11 Missouri Journalism Students with Summer Internships

Columbia, Mo. (April 7, 2008) — The prestigious Dow Jones Newspaper Fund has awarded 11 Missouri School of Journalism students summer internships in news, sports and news wire copy editing.

For 50 years, top reporters and editors have had the privilege of receiving Dow Jones Newspaper Fund training. The Newspaper Fund, founded in 1958 by editors of The Wall Street Journal, seeks to improve the quality of journalism education. Now one of the most recognized editing programs in the world, the Newspaper Fund regularly accepts Missouri Journalism students along with the best and brightest future journalists in the country.

Pam Cohen Amanda Jacobs Megan Kinkade Katie Krawczak Danielle Lacey Danny Lawhon
Allison McGee Rae Nudson Greg Pietras Kate Rainey Ashley Thomas

Top row, from left: Pam Cohen, Amanda Jacobs, Megan Kinkade, Katie Krawczak, Danielle Lacey, Danny Lawhon. Second row: Allison McGee, Rae Nudson, Greg Pietras, Kate Rainey, Ashley Thomas.


Each student will receive pre-internship training and a weekly salary for the 10-week internship. Interns who return to college full time the following fall will receive $1,000 scholarships from the Newspaper Fund. Last year, the Newspaper Fund accepted 17 of the School’s journalism students, a record number. This year, the students competed against more than 500 applicants to win the internships.

Missouri Journalism students have the advantage of a strong editing program, which is anchored by hands-on training at the School’s real news media outlets: the Columbia Missourian, a community daily newspaper; Vox magazine, an arts and culture weekly; Global Journalist, an international magazine; and several online outlets. There, students practice the reporting and editing skills they learn in a rigorous curriculum taught by seasoned professors and journalists.

The School is also home to the Knight Center for Editing Excellence, directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Knight Chair Jacqui Banaszynski. The Knight Center stimulates innovation in teaching and research on editing, offering programs for all levels of students and mid-career professionals.

Brian Brooks, associate dean for undergraduate studies and administration, has served as deputy director or director of the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing internship program at Missouri for more than 30 years. He said that the School’s consistent success in the Dow Jones program is a testament to the Missouri Method.

“Our formula for success is pairing top journalism students with our renowned faculty and then giving them professional experience in real-world media outlets,” Brooks said. “The Missouri Method has served us well for 100 years, and we intend to keep it that way for the next century.”

Students and their Dow Jones Newspaper Fund internship locations are:

Pam Cohen
The Kankakee (Ill.) Daily Journal
Program: News Copy Editing
Cohen is a junior newspaper journalism major and Spanish minor from Southlake, Texas. She plans to graduate in May 2009.

Amanda Jacobs
The San Francisco Chronicle
Program: News Copy Editing
Jacobs is a senior newspaper journalism and classical humanities double major from Downers Grove, Ill. She interned with Third Sector Magazine in London, England, in spring 2007. As a Walter Williams Scholar, Jacobs has been on the Dean’s list and has earned a National Merit Scholarship in addition to a Ralph K. and Maxine J. Hibbs Scholarship from the College of Arts and Science. Jacobs plans to graduate in May 2008.

Megan Kinkade
The Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise
Program: News Copy Editing
Kinkade is a senior newspaper journalism major from Carrollton, Texas. She minors in both history and psychology and has held internships with CURE and Heal magazines. She plans to graduate in May 2008.

Katie Krawczak
The Enid (Okla.) News & Eagle
Program: News Copy Editing
Krawczak is a junior newspaper journalism major from Sturgis, Mich. Previously, she has interned for The Sturgis (Mich.) Journal. She plans to graduate in May 2009.

Danielle Lacey
Detroit News
Program: News Copy Editing
Lacey is a newspaper journalism and Spanish double major from St. Louis. She plans to graduate in May 2009.

Danny Lawhon
The Miami Herald
Program: Sports Copy Editing
Lawhon, a senior from St. Joseph, Mo., is a newspaper journalism major with a minor in Spanish. He plans to graduate in December 2008.

Allison McGee
The Detroit Free Press
Program: News Copy Editing
McGee is a graduate student from Memphis, Tenn. She is studying newspaper editing and plans to graduate in December 2008.

Rae Nudson
The Kansas City (Mo.) Star
Program: News Copy Editing
Nudson is a newspaper journalism major from Kennesaw, Ga. She plans to graduate in December 2009.

Greg Pietras
The Roanoke (Va.) Times
Program: News Copy Editing
Pietras is a senior studying newspaper journalism. Originally from Columbia, S.C., Pietras has interned for The Onion A.V. Club. He plans to graduate in May 2008.

Kate Rainey
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Program: News Copy Editing
Rainey, a San Jose, Calif., native, is a master’s student studying news editing. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota and is currently the copy and production intern for Cottage Living Magazine in Birmingham, Ala. She plans to graduate in May 2008.

Ashley Thomas
The Associated Press (N.Y.)
Program: News Wire Copy Editing
Thomas graduated in December 2007 and currently works as a design intern for The Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal. She plans to enter the School’s master’s program this fall. Originally from New Berlin, Ill., Thomas has worked for Retail Jeweller Magazine in London, England, in addition to serving in several capacities at the Columbia Missourian.

Updated: April 27, 2020

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