Journalism Alumna Wins National Hearst Award

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Emily Rhodes

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Emily Rhodes, a recent graduate from the Walter J. Lemke department of journalism in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded a national Hearst Award.

The 54th annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program received 105 entries from 55 schools within the Personality/Profile writing category. Rhodes received seventh place out of 10 finalists in what Dale Carpenter, chair of the journalism department, calls the “Pulitzer Prize for college journalists.”

Rhodes’ winning story “Blind But Not Broken” is about Annie Mahoney, a 9-year-old taekwondo champion who is also blind. The story was written in professor Bret Shulte’s Magazine Writing class and was published last November in the Arkansas Traveler magazine.

The Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication includes 105 member universities accredited undergraduate journalism programs are eligible to participate in the Hearst competitions.

Rhodes received a certificate of merit for being a national finalist in her category. She currently serves as creative director for Celebrate Arkansas magazine.

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program was founded in 1960, to provide support, encouragement and assistance to journalism education at the college and university level. The 54th annual program consists of five monthly writing competitions, two photojournalism competitions, three broadcast news competitions (one in radio and two in television) and four multimedia competitions. Championship finals are held in all divisions.