WILL Press Room
Top Award for China Documentary
Monday, June 16, 2008
A U of I student radio documentary on China that aired on WILL-AM last summer was the national winner for radio in-depth reporting in the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)'s 2007 contest.
Ten students, most undergraduates, in professor Nancy Benson’s international reporting course went to China last year to produce the two-hour radio documentary, “China: Beyond the Great Wall.”
WILL-AM news director Tom Rogers accompanied the students, as did WILL’s John Paul, a U of I graduate student, whose reports are included in the documentary.
This year’s SPJ contest attracted more than 3,400 entries in 39 categories from collegiate journalists.
In announcing the awards, Neil Ralston, SPJ’s Vice President for Campus Chapter Affairs, said, “I encourage media executives who are looking for the next wave of high-quality journalists to pay attention to the winners of SPJ’s Mark of Excellence Awards. These young men and women represent some of the best that journalism programs have to offer, and we’re proud to be able to honor them at the national level.”