July 2003

UM student tops national
journalism competition
A University of Montana student from Great Falls won top honors in the final round of competition of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program, otherwise known as the "College Pulitzers," in San Francisco during May.

Danielle Cross, a senior in the radio-television department, won first place in the radio news competition, as well as a prize for best use of radio for news coverage. She took home $6,000 in prize money - $5,000 for the first-place award and $1,000 for the other honor. She is the first UM student to win a national first place in the radio news category of the competition.

"This is a huge honor," said UM Adjunct Assistant Professor Denise Dowling, who has taught Cross in several classes. "Not only for Danielle, but for the University."

Cross' road to the top of national competition began in February when she entered two stories in the first round of the radio news competition. She took second place in that round, winning $1,500. Cross then was invited to enter the semifinals, submitting different radio pieces for the judges' consideration. Five finalists emerged from that semifinal round and were invited to San Francisco for the live competition.

Dowling was not surprised that Cross fared so well. "Danielle has a very creative voice and a passion for telling stories that make a difference," she said. "She has a knack for finding the people affected by the issue and drawing listeners in with their personal stories.

"Another reason Danielle's stories stand out is her use of natural sound," Dowling said. "She uses natural sound so well that the audience is transported to the scene of the story."

Cross' talent in radio broadcast has earned recognition in other competitions as well. She is a finalist for the Society of Professional Journalists 2003 Mark of Excellence Award in the radio spot news reporting category for "School of the Americas," a piece she did for UM's KBGA radio station, where she is news director.

Cross and KBGA also earned recognition from the Broadcast Educational Association for a radio newscast produced and anchored by Cross that aired on September 11, 2002. It reflected on the terrorist attacks of the previous year and was judged best student radio newscast in the country.

Cross also won second place in the BEA's radio hard news category for a story titled "Underage and Under the Influence," which examined the penalties students might pay for providing alcohol to underage friends.

However, the final round of the Hearst competition was unlike any of the previous competitions Cross had entered. "Students are judged on their finished work as in other competitions," Dowling said. "But they are assigned a story and set loose in San Francisco as they gather news, conduct interviews, write, edit and gather sound. I would be really intimidated, but Danielle is absolutely unflappable."

"The competition was absolutely nerve-racking," Cross said. "The judges gave us two stories to cover, a day to finish them and $40 to get around the city. Not being from San Francisco, I didn't know who to talk to or where to find them, or even how to get around the city."

The student journalists completed one story on President Bush's tax cut and another on San Francisco's homeless. While it was hard to finish the stories on deadline in a city she'd never even visited, Cross said that she was pleased with her final result.

"It seemed impossible at first, but at the end of the day when I had sound bytes and interviews it felt really good to know that I really can get stories done under a lot of pressure in a strange city."
Cross' parents, Suzanne Richards and Elvin Cross of Great Falls, attended the ceremony in San Francisco and were by her side when she won the prestigious award. Cross says the highlight of her week was meeting former White House reporter Helen Thomas. Thomas was a featured speaker at the awards ceremony.

What's next for UM's leading radio journalist? Cross will return to finish her last semester in the fall and plans to find an internship for spring semester. Until recently she had her sights set on a career in television broadcasting, but now she's rethinking her options.

"There are aspects of radio that are really appealing," said Cross, "and it looks like maybe I'm not too bad at it after all."

People who have worked with Cross hold her in high regard and think she'll have many options awaiting her after graduation. "It's been my honor to work with this talented and dedicated young woman," Dowling said. "She's something special."

The William Randolph Hearst Foundation, which administers the national competition, has awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships, matching grants and stipends in its 43 years. Students from 105 accredited colleges and universities compete each year in print, photography and broadcast contests.

University Relations | Cary Shimek, Editor
The University of Montana-Missoula
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© 2004 The University of Montana