Missouri School of Journalism Places Second Overall in 2008-2009 Hearst Competition, Wins $5,000 in Prizes

Matthew Harris Wins First Place in the Writing Competition and $2,000 in Prizes

Greg Bowers Print and Digital News Faculty

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Columbia, Mo. (May 4, 2009) -- The Missouri School of Journalism placed second overall in the 2008-2009 Hearst Journalism Awards Program, one of the most elite national collegiate journalism competitions.

Andrew Astleford	Rebecca Delaney
Matthew Harris	Elle Moxley

In total, five of the School's students placed in the Intercollegiate Writing Competition of the Hearst awards program, which is often called the "Pulitzers of College Journalism." The winners garnered points from the six writing competitions of the academic year for the School's overall placement, coming in second after the University of Kansas.

Matthew Harris, a senior when he wrote his story, "Back to Basics," placed first in the Personality/Profile writing competition in which 106 students from 61 universities competed across the nation. Harris is one of 10 students selected to compete in the 2009 National Writing Championship in early June in San Francisco. There, the finalists will participate in various spot assignments competing for additional scholarship awards that range from $1,500 to $5,000.

Harris profiled Quin Snyder, a former coach for the University of Missouri men's basketball team. Greg Bowers, assistant professor and sports editor of the Columbia Missourian, worked closely with Harris as he wrote the story.

"Matt worked hard to get the interview. Then he worked very hard on that story. Through numerous drafts, rewrites and cuts, he kept his head up and plowed ahead like a professional. The Hearst judges recognized the effort," Bowers said. "He should be proud of himself."

Senior Andrew Astleford's narrative piece on former NFL player Tom McHale, which was published in the Washington Post, placed 3rd in the competition, earning Astleford $1,000.

Seniors Rebecca Delaney, Elle Moxley and Audrey Spalding also placed in the Hearst writing competition.

Since 1950, the Hearst Awards have recognized excellence in collegiate journalism in three categories: writing, photojournalism and broadcast news. Students active in campus media submit their work to different competitions within each category, and practicing journalists review the submissions and name the finalists. More than 100 accredited undergraduate schools of journalism participate in the contest each year. The Hearst program matches each scholarship won by students in the monthly competitions with an equal amount for the schools they represent.

Missouri's Hearst Intercollegiate Writing Competition winners and their scholarship amounts are:

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