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Twenty-FourthAnnual Celebration

First AmendmentAwards Dinner

Radio Television Digital News Foundation Congratulationsto the 2014 rtdnf first amendment honorees

The Dave Lougee Robin Sproul Bill Plante NBC News Gannett Broadcasting ABC News CBS News

Your Friends at RTDNA and RTDNF

Chris Carl David Louie RTDNA Chairman Janice S. Gin Vince Duffy Harvey Nagler RTDNF Chairman Dan Shelley Kathy Walker Amy Tardif Christy Moreno RTDNA Chair-Elect Scott Libin Loren Tobia Terence Shepherd RTDNA Treasurer Brandon Mercer Ed Esposito Carlton RTDNF Treasurer Jam Sardar Randy Bell Mike Cavender RTDNA/F Executive Director Andrew Vrees Bill Roswell Barbara Cochran Mark Kraham RTDNA President Emeritus Terry Scott Kevin Benz Jerry Walsh Immediate Past RTDNF Chairman Sean McGarvy Holly Gauntt

2 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014 Radio Television Digital News Foundation Program WELCOME INTRODUCTION MASTER OF CEREMONIES Mike Cavender Vince Duffy RTDNA/F Executive Director RTDNF Chair Awards Presentation FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD The Associated Press Accepted by: Gary Pruitt, President and CEO, The Associated Press Presenter: Tom Curley, Retired, former President & CEO, The Associated Press

FIRST AMENDMENT SERVICE AWARD Robin Sproul Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, ABC News Presenter: , Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, ABC News

LEONARD ZEIDENBERG FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD Lester Holt Principal Anchor, “Dateline”, Anchor, “NBC Nightly News” Co-Anchor, “Today” Weekend Edition Presenter: David Corvo, Senior Executive Producer Primetime, NBC News

First Amendment Leadership Award Dave Lougee President, Gannett Broadcasting Presenter: Rob Mennie, Vice President & Senior News Executive at Gannett Broadcasting

RTDNF Lifetime Achievement Award Bill Plante Correspondent, CBS News Presenter: , Senior Executive Producer, CBS News

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 3 Radio Television Digital News Foundation

Expresses sincere thanks to our generous sponsors:

4 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014 Sponsors

DIAMOND

Gannett Co, Inc.

PLATINUM

Cox Reps Hearst Television

GOLD

The Associated Press ABC News CNN Newsource National Association of Broadcasters

SILVER

American Petroleum Institute CBS News Radio CBS News CEA CNN Investment Company Institute NBC News National Association of Broadcasters Wiley Rein LLP

FRIENDS OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT

ABC News Radio ABC NewsOne Steve Jones and Al Prieto John and Barbara Cochran U.S. Chamber of Commerce U.S. Trust Bank of America Corporation

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 5 dave loUgee, 2014 rtdnf first amendment leadership award honoree

Unbridled passion, Unwavering dedication a leader committed to the power of local news a nd the betterment of a merica.

congr atUlations, dave. First Amendment Leadership Award RTDNF presents this award annually to a media executive, business or government leader who has upheld the highest standards of and made a significant contribution to the protection of First Amendment freedoms.

2014 Honoree Dave Lougee

Dave Lougee was named president of the Broadcasting Division for Gannett Co., Inc. in July, 2007. The company operates 23 television stations in the U.S. Lougee serves on several industry boards. He is currently Vice Chair of the NBC Affiliates Board, and a member of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board of Directors. He is also a member of the BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Board of Directors, and is immediate past Chair of the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) Board of Directors.

Prior to returning to Gannett, Lougee served as executive vice president/media operations for , where he was in charge of the company’s 19 TV stations and four cable news operations outside of . In 2005, he was named a senior vice president of Belo. He joined Belo in 1998 as news director at KING-TV in Seattle/Tacoma, and became president and general manager of Belo’s TV and cable operations in Seattle/Tacoma in 2000. From 1996 to 1998, Lougee was vice president/news at WRC-TV, the NBC owned and operated station in Washington DC. From 1990 to 1996, Lougee was vice president/news director at KUSA-TV in Denver, a Gannett station. He began his broadcasting career at KMGH-TV in Denver in 1981, and worked at KCNC-TV in Denver Lougee is a graduate of the University of Colorado and attended the Stanford Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2004.

Dave and his wife Danni live in Great Falls, Virginia with their son Nash.

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 7 Congratulations Lester Holt

2014 Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award Winner

Your Friends & Colleagues At NBC News Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award Named for the late Broadcasting & Cable senior correspondent, this award is presented annually to a radio or television journalist or news executive whose work, through high standard and significant achievements, embodies the spirit of the First Amendment and its free-press principles.

2014 Honoree Lester Holt

Lester Holt was named Principal Anchor of “Dateline” in September 2011. Holt serves as the weekend anchor for the broadcast “NBC Nightly News,” and is also the co-anchor of the weekend edition of “Today.” In addition, Holt serves as fill-in anchor and correspondent for “NBC Nightly News with ” and the weekday “Today” program. He also contributes to MSNBC, NBC’s 24-hour cable news network.

Holt joined the NBC News family in 2000 and has reported from many of the world’s hot spots. In 2003 he reported from the /Iraqi border as US forces prepared to launch their invasion of . In 2006, he reported from the front lines in Lebanon on the war between Israel and Hezbollah and from on the terror threat to U.S. bound-airliners from the UK. In early 2010, Holt traveled to Haiti where he reported on the immediate aftermath and response to the devastating earthquake. In early 2011, Holt reported from the streets of Cairo on the latest political and civil unrest in Egypt. In March 2011, Holt travelled overseas to cover the earthquake and nuclear crisis in Japan. Other major international stories he has covered include the mysterious 2009 crash of an Air France jetliner over the South Atlantic. Holt was also among the early wave of reporters to cover the oil leak disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. He was in the same region in 2005 when both hurricanes Katrina and Rita came ashore.

Over the last year, Holt has covered a wide range of stories for “Dateline.” In August 2011 – telling the story of the larger struggle in the American economy to lower unemployment – Holt reported from Millen, Georgia, a small industrial town so devastated by the Great Recession that its unemployment numbers were more than twice the national average. In January of this year, Holt conducted an exclusive interview with Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson, and the following month, he anchored a special “Dateline” tribute to legendary singer, actress and producer Whitney Houston, who had died suddenly the day before. In March 2012, Holt reported from Sanford, Florida on the latest in the Trayvon Martin case and in June 2012 – as part of “Dateline’s” Emmy award-winning series, “” – Holt reported on suburban poverty in America, sharing the shocking and personal stories of families confronting poverty for the very first time.

Before becoming co-anchor of “,” Holt anchored “Lester Holt Live,” a daily news show on MSNBC in which he covered breaking news and provided news updates and analysis. Holt has also served as the lead anchor for daytime news and breaking news coverage on MSNBC. He has served as a primary anchor for MSNBC’s coverage of the biggest news events of the last several years, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and the war in Afghanistan, and he was the lead daytime anchor for MSNBC’s coverage of Decision 2000. Holt also served as anchor of “Countdown: Iraq,” a nightly news telecast concentrating on the latest developments surrounding the war with Iraq, from October 2002 through March 2003.

The award-winning broadcast journalist came to MSNBC from WBBM-TV in , where he spent 14 years. His duties at WBBM-TV included anchoring the evening news. Holt not only worked at the anchor desk in Chicago, but he also reported extensively from trouble spots around the world including Iraq, Northern Ireland, Somalia, El Salvador and Haiti. He has contributed to the CBS News broadcast “48 Hours,” earning a 1990 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award for his work on “48 Hours: No Place Like Home.” In 2010, Holt was part of the “Today” anchor team that won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program.

Previously, Holt worked as a reporter at WCBS-TV in from 1981-82. In 1982 he transferred to sister station KCBS- TV (then KNXT) in as a reporter and weekend anchor and returned to WCBS-TV a year later as a reporter and weekend anchor.

Holt studied government at State University in Sacramento. He resides in New York City with his wife.

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First Amendment Service Award This award honors news professionals in local or network news who work in an off-air, management capacity. Through largely behind-the-scenes work, winners of this award are in a position to influence their news products and demonstrate standards of excellence that are the underpinnings of journalistic integrity and credibility.

2014 Honoree Robin Sproul

Robin Sproul has been vice president and Washington bureau chief for ABC News since March 1993. She is responsible for the editorial supervision and management of the network’s largest bureau, oversees news coverage of all Washington beats and stories, and serves as the network’s liaison to the federal government on news policy matters. She served as director and vice president of Washington news coverage from 1992-1993.

Ms. Sproul joined ABC News in 1981 as Washington bureau chief for ABC News Radio, a position she held until 1992. During her years as radio bureau chief, she produced live coverage of national political conventions, as well as election night analysis for national elections. She was executive producer of presidential radio addresses, news conferences and inaugurations. In addition Ms. Sproul served as producer of U.S. radio coverage of military operations, including missions in the Persian Gulf, Panama and Libya. Ms. Sproul began her career as news assignment manager at WMAL-Radio in Washington, DC in 1976.

During her career Ms. Sproul has earned numerous broadcasting honors. She was part of the ABC News team to win an Emmy for coverage of the inauguration of . She was also part of the ABC team to win the George Foster Peabody, duPont, Emmy and Sigma Delta Chi Awards for coverage of the events of September 11th, 2001. In addition, she won the George Foster Peabody Award in 1987 for her work as executive producer of ABC Radio coverage of the U.S. Navy escort mission in the Persian Gulf. She has also received the Ohio State Award and the Associated Press Outstanding News Operation

In 2011, Ms. Sproul was a Sulzberger fellow at . In 2007, she was a fellow in residence at Harvard Kennedy School’s Joan Shorenstein Center, writing a research paper on exit polling. She is currently a member of the Gridiron Club, serving as treasurer, and also writing and producing musical skits for the annual Gridiron show.

A former member of the advisory board of the Newseum and the Board of Trustees of the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation, Ms. Sproul also served on the board of the National Press Foundation from 1996 until 2004. From 1998-2000 she was vice chairman of the NPF board, and from 2000-02 she chaired the board. From 2002-2004, she was on the executive committee. Ms. Sproul is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, where she had a double major in bacteriology and English. She and her husband live in Bethesda, Maryland. They have two daughters.

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 11 “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” —Thomas Jefferson, 1786

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RTDNF FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD WINNERS.

CC_rtdnf-ad_1-17-14.indd 11 1/17/14 2:16 PM

“Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe.” – Thomas Jefferson

NAB salutes Gannett Broadcasting President and NAB Board Member Dave Lougee.

We honor this year’s RTDNF All-Star cast of First Amendment freedom advocates, which includes NBC’s Lester Holt, ABC’s Robin Sproul, the Associated Press and CBS’s Bill Plante. NAB Congratulates Dave Lougee

2014_NAB_RTNDF_HP_Ad FINAL.indd 1 2/25/2014 4:09:44 PM First Amendment Award RTDNF recognizes exceptional successes made by an individual or organization that has played a significant role in dissemination of news and information.

2014 Honoree The Associated Press

The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.

AP’s commitment to independent, comprehensive journalism has deep roots. Founded in 1846, AP has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high-quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings.

Today, AP employs the latest technology to collect and distribute content. It is in the process of overhauling its video and photography content: transitioning to high-definition, expanding its coverage and building a , flexible, powerful infrastructure. AP has the industry’s most sophisticated digital photo network; a 24-hour continuously updated online, multimedia news service; a state-of-the-art television news service; and one of the largest radio networks in the U.S. Its commercial digital photo archive is one of the world’s largest collections of historical and contemporary imagery. AP Mobile, the AP’s award-winning news app, has been downloaded over 9 million times since its launch in 2008, and AP has a strong social media presence, building new connections between AP and its members, customers and consumers.

Since the was established, in 1917, AP has received 51 Pulitzers, including 31 photo Pulitzers.

AP, which is headquartered in New York, operates in more than 280 locations worldwide, including every statehouse in the U.S. Two-thirds of its staffers are journalists.

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 13

Lifetime Achievement Award This award honors journalists in the electronic media who have distinguished themselves throughout their careers with consistently outstanding work. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who routinely demonstrates the highest standards of excellence and ethics in reporting and producing the news.

2014 Honoree Bill Plante Bill Plante has been a CBS News White House correspondent during the administrations of (beginning in 1981), , George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During the administration of the first President Bush, he was CBS News’ State Department correspondent (1989-92). Plante’s reports are seen regularly on “CBS This Morning,” where he is senior White House correspondent, and the “CBS Evening News with .”

Plante has been based in CBS News’ Washington bureau since December 1976. He has covered every Presidential campaign since 1968. Before his first White House assignment, he covered general and off-year elections, including the national political conventions. In 1968, he reported on the campaigns of Hubert Humphrey and . During the 1972 campaign, Plante’s assignments included covering candidates George McGovern and Sargent Shriver. In the summer of 1976, he covered and then, in the fall, Walter Mondale’s vice presidential campaign. Plante was a floor reporter at the 1988 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

During the Reagan presidency, he covered the President’s activities and major overseas trips, including the historic summit meeting in with Mikhail Gorbachev. Plante was part of the CBS News team that received a 1986 Emmy Award for coverage of the Reagan- Gorbachev summit at Reykjavik, Iceland. He also covered Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign and was part of the CBS News team that won an Emmy Award for its coverage.

At the State Department, he covered Secretary of State James Baker’s trips to the Middle East, both before and after the Gulf War; the changing U.S.-Soviet relationship during that period; and the 1991 Middle East peace talks, among many others. He served as anchor of the “CBS Sunday Night News” (1988-95).

Plante’s reporting has not been restricted to politics, however. He covered the fall of Skylab and Pope John Paul II’s visit to the , both in 1979. Earlier that year, following the Shah’s departure from Iran, Plante reported on the revolution in that country and was one of two American journalists to cover a revolutionary trial in Teheran. He was the reporter on a 1977 five-part series examining America’s criminal justice system for the “CBS Evening News with .”

Plante served as a correspondent in the Chicago bureau (1966-76) after he joined CBS News in June 1964 as a New York-based reporter/ assignment editor. During that time, he served two of his four tours of duty in Vietnam, reporting on the bombing strikes over North Vietnam, the Vietnamization and pacification programs in the south and the fall of the governments in Vietnam and Cambodia. Plante also covered the civil rights movement in Mississippi and Alabama, including Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic march from Selma to Montgomery.

Plante’s recent White House coverage includes the first trip by a U.S. President to Myanmar (Burma) by President Obama, in addition to his trips to Indonesia and Korea. Additionally, he reported on the recent fiscal cliff negotiations, the sex scandal involving Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Obama while attending a summit in Cartagena, Colombia, and the 40th anniversary of Watergate. Plante also provided the first-ever look inside the exclusive Washington, D.C. hideaway that serves as a hotel for former presidents and interviewed astronaut John Glenn on the 50th anniversary of NASA’s launch of Friendship 7.

In addition to his White House coverage, Plante recently returned to Selma, Ala. in March 2012 to cover a commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic march. He also interviewed former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn on the 50th anniversary of the nation’s first orbital flight.

He has received many major broadcast journalism awards. In addition to for his coverage of the death of Princess Diana, the Reagan-Gorbachev summit and Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign, he won an Emmy for his investigative report on the U.S.-Soviet wheat deal broadcast on the “CBS Evening News” (1972). Plante’s international work was recognized with a 1971 Overseas Press Club Award for his reports on the India-Pakistan War, and a second in 1975 for Best Radio Spot News Reporting for his coverage of the fall of the South Vietnam and Cambodian governments and evacuation of American personnel.

He was born in Chicago. Plante was graduated from Loyola University in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in humanities, and he studied political science at Columbia University (1963-64). He and his wife, Robin Smith, an award-winning independent documentary producer, live in Washington, D.C. Plante has six sons.

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 15

COX REPS & COX MEDIA GROUP WARMLY CONGRATULATE

DAVID LOUGEE OF GANNETT BROADCASTING

on receiving the

2014 RTDNF FIRST AMENDMENT LEADERSHIP AWARD We’re at the heart of it...just like you

With 44 domestic and international editorial operations, and more than 4,000 CNN employees worldwide, CNN Newsource is the industry’s most powerful newsgathering resource. We can help you win in your local markets, across all platforms.

Behind every Newsource product stand the best news people in the business. Our integrity and commitment to our craft are unparalleled. We are news people, and in many cases, local news people – like you.

CNN Newsource is a proud sponsor of RTDNF. Two organizations committed to excellence in journalism.

To learn more about CNN Newsource, visit our website at .com/newsource, or call us at 404.827.4642 Past Honorees First Amendment Award 2014 – The Associated Press 2013 – Twitter 2012 – Jim Bohannon 2010 – Barbara Cochran & Marcellus Alexander 2009 – John S. and James L. Knight Foundation 2008 – Richard Wiley

Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award

2014 – Lester Holt 2005 – 1996 – Carole Simpson 2013 – Candy Crowley 2004 – 1995 – Walter Cronkite 2012 – Martha Raddatz 2003 – 1994 – 2011 – 2002 – 1993 - 2010 – Brian Williams 2001 – Jim Lehrer 1992 – James Snyder 2009 – 2000 – Diane Sawyer 2008 – 1999 – 2007 – and 1998 – Mike Wallace 2006 – Gwen Ifill 1997 –

First Amendment Service Award 2014 – Robin Sproul 2008 – Paula Madison 2002 – Fred Young 2013 – Lloyd Siegel 2007 – Philip S. Balboni 2001 – Gary Wordlaw 2012 – Marci Burdick 2006 – William Wheatley 2000 – Lee Giles 2011 – Susana Schuler 2005 – Wendy Walker Whitworth 1999 – Marty Haag 2010 – Harvey Nagler 2004 – Walter Ulloa 1998 – Betty Cole Dukert 2009 – Susan Grant 2003 – Susan Zirinsky

First Amendment Leadership Award 2014 – David Lougee Communications, Hearst-Argyle Television, 1999 – Bob Wright 2013 – Robert Decherd Inc., , Inc., Tribune 1998 – Roone Arledge 2012 – Broadcasting 1997 – Robert L. Johnson 2011 – David Barrett 2005 – Jim Keelor 1996 – 2010 – 2004 – Charles Grassley 1995 – Tom Johnson 2009 – Google Inc. 2004 – Patrick Leahy 1994 – James Quello 2008 – Tom Curley 2003 – Abrams 1993 – Frank Stanton 2007 – Roger Ailes 2002 – Katharine Graham 1992 – Allen Neuhath 2006 – Belo Corporation, Clear Channel, 2001 – Emmis Communications, Entercom 2000 – R.E. “Ted” Turner

Lifetime Achievement Award 2014 – Bill Plante 2012 –

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 19

Congratulations, Dave Lougee. Leader. Partner. Friend.

We applaud tonight’s distinguished honor and your commitment to news excellence at Gannett.

NBC News, NBC Affiliate Relations and Affiliate Marketing salute you as the recipient of the 2014 RTDNF First Amendment Leadership Award 2013-2014 ScholarshipSalutes and Fellowship its Winners

2013-2014 Scholarship Winners

CAROLE SIMPSON SCHOLARSHIP LOU AND CAROLE PRATO SPORTS REPORTING Imani Crenshaw SCHOLARSHIP Hampton University Kristen Wolfe Salisbury University ED BRADLEY SCHOLARSHIP Taylor Moore GEORGE FOREMAN TRIBUTE TO LYNDON B. University of South Dakota JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP Christopher Adams MIKE REYNOLDS SCHOLARSHIP University of at Austin Amanda Roley Washington State University PETE WILSON SCHOLARSHIP Talia Samelian PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP State University Jason Puckett Elon University ABE SCHECHTER GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP Joe Baur PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP University for Peace Shannan Ferry Hofstra University

2013-2014 Fellowship Winners

N.S. Bienstock Fellowship Patricia Guerra San Francisco

Michele Clark Fellowship Chantee Lans WPRI-TV/WNAC-TV (CBS/FOX)

22 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014 ScholarshipWinners

CAROLE SIMPSON SCHOLARSHIP

Imani J. Crenshaw is a sophomore and Broadcast Journalism Major at Hampton University. She is the host and face of The HU Underground, a reporter with GlobalGirl Media and a recipient of the 2013 National Association of Black Journalists Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism for her webisode series “Como Amar: How to Love.” Crenshaw attended El Camino College in Torrance California. She is a cheerleader, a Cheerleader Club Representative to the Inter Club Council, made the Dean’s List in the spring 2013, is a member of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society, and is an NABJ member. She is also a Project Success member, speaker, and scholarship recipient. She is a native of Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of West High School in Torrance, California.

Imani J. Crenshaw “Receiving the Carole Simpson Scholarship from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation means everything to me. Hampton University I would like to thank RTDNF and Carol Simpson. I’m so proud to have received such a prestigious award from such an amazing company. Carole Simpson is one of my role models, for the simple fact that she has completed so many firsts as not only a woman, but an African-American woman. She represents something so powerful and I cannot wait to continue my journey and embrace that power to become a great journalist as well.”

ED BRADLEY SCHOLARSHIP

Taylor Moore is a senior Contemporary Media and Journalism major at the University of South Dakota. He is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He serves as one of KYOT’s Coyote News anchors as well. Moore previously served as sports commentator and reporter for Coyote News. It was through his work as reporter for Coyote News that Moore developed a passion for storytelling. In his spare time Moore enjoys working with the University of South Dakota’s Union of African American Students as well as the Campus Activities Board at the University of South Dakota. Moore is looking forward to returning as an anchor for KYOT’s Coyote News in the spring.

“I am truly honored to receive the Ed Bradley scholarship. This scholarship has permitted me to finish my education at the University of South Dakota, and continue to strengthen my journalistic endeavors. To be an African American Taylor Moore male in journalism and to have such an example in Ed Bradley means a great deal to me. Due to his hard work and University of South Dakota efforts, he has made it possible for several other African to excel in this field as well. I am eternally grateful for receiving this scholarship and I truly hope that my future endeavors in journalism will honor his name.”

MIKE REYNOLDS SCHOLARSHIP

Amanda Roley is a senior at Washington State University studying Journalism and Media Production. Her interest in broadcast news began in her high school video productions class and grew ever since. Upon her admission to WSU, Amanda immediately got involved in the student run television station “Cable 8 Productions.” Her participation included working as an anchor, an Assistant Director for a cooking show, and was producer for the third season of, “Studio 41,” which is titled after the studio Edward R. Murrow worked in at CBS. Amanda completed a reporting internship at KHQ in Spokane last summer. She currently works as a student journalist for Murrow News 8 and also reports for Pullman Radio (KQQQ). For Pullman Radio, Amanda reports stories from her favorite beat covering weekly city council meetings for Pullman and Moscow along with other local events. She is expected to graduate from WSU in summer 2014. Amanda Roley “I am truly honored to have been selected to receive such a prestigious award. Being selected for this scholarship means more than money to help pay for school. It means all the work I have done to grow as a reporter in pursuit of my dream Washington State University is paying off. This scholarship confirms to me that I am heading in the right career path and that I do it well. For that I am very grateful. Thank you so much for choosing me for this amazing award!”

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 23 PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP

Jason Puckett is a senior, broadcast journalism major at Elon University. He interned at WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina during the summer of 2012, and furthered his experience and skills with a 10-week internship at CBS News’ “” this past summer. Jason is the Senior Reporter for Elon Local News, the university’s student newscast, where he anchored for two years and also served as assignment manager. At Elon, he has reported live from the 2012 Democratic National Convention, anchored a seven-hour live election show, and interviewed Senators, Congressional Representatives, and just about every resident of Elon. Jason’s interests include politics, people, and reporting stories. After graduation he plans to become a local TV reporter.

“Being chosen as a recipient of the President’s Scholarship is truly an amazing honor. Some of my best college experi- Jason Puckett ences have come about through my participation in RTDNA activities. This scholarship will allow me to continue my Elon University reporting and storytelling at Elon as I finish out my senior year and prepare to enter the workforce.”

PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP

Shannan Ferry is currently the Station Manager at WRHU-FM Radio Hofstra University and is a College Reporter for Fox News Channel. Some of her most recent accomplishments include winning the 2013 Fox News College Challenge, accepting a Gracie Award in the Most Outstanding Interview or Feature category, and being honored by the Press Club of . Shannan reported live from the floor of the 2012 Republican National Convention interviewing politicians, filing audio reports, and contributing to live coverage. She also reported on camera at the 2012 Presidential Debate for Hofstra University’s website, interviewing politicians such as Peter King, David Axelrod and Bobby Jindal among many others. Shannan previously interned with NY1 News in New York City where she helped reporters out in the field and in the newsroom. Shannan hopes to pursue a career in television or web reporting after graduation.

Shannon Ferry “I’m so honored to receive the Presidents Scholarship from the Radio Television News Directors Foundation. RTDNA/F Hofstra University is comprised of the biggest and best newsmakers in the business and having leaders in the industry recognize my hard work is extremely rewarding. Not only will this prestigious award help me financially, but it will also encourage me to continue pursuing my professional career in media. I’m so grateful for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to further developing my leadership and professional skills through the help of RTDNF.”

LOU AND CAROLE PRATO SPORTS REPORTING SCHOLARSHIP

Kristen Lynn Wolfe is a senior at Salisbury University, studying media production in the Fulton School of Arts. In her freshman year, she chose to focus on her major rather than play a sport. She applied for a job in the Sports Information Department and since then, started a bi-weekly show called Squawk Talk that she produces, hosts and edits. She also manages approximately 20 students who film and commentate the broadcasts for the live varsity game streams on suseagulls.com. She is the president of the National Broadcasting Society Chapter at Salisbury University and a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the communications honor society.

“It is an absolute honor to receive the Lou & Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship. When I was hired for the Sports Kristen Wolfe Information Department at Salisbury University there was only a small amount of digital media. I started the bi-weekly show called Squawk Talk on the athletic website and I am very excited to be recognized for the hard work I have put Salisbury University forth, for the past three years. I would like to thank the Prato family and the Radio Television Digital News Foundation again and look forward to continuing a future in sports reporting.”

24 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014 GEORGE FOREMAN TRIBUTE TO LYNDON B. JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP

Born and raised in Chippenham, England, Christopher Adams moved to Austin, Texas, in the summer of 2010. He’s currently a Broadcast Journalism senior at the University of Texas at Austin. There, he is the Assistant News Director of Texas Student Television, the only student-run FCC-licensed station in the country. He’s also the Executive Producer of KVR News, TSTV’s weekly live newscast. Christopher is an award-winning journalist, picking up accolades from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. During his time as Executive Producer, KVR News has been recognized as one of the best newscasts in the country by College Broadcasters, Inc. Christopher’s main passion is weather, and an internship with the meteorologists at KXAN-TV in Austin helped to fuel this passion further. He intends to continue his education by studying Broadcast Meteorology at Christopher Adams graduate level. University of Texas at Austin “I am truly honored and humbled to be the recipient of the George Foreman Tribute to Lyndon B. Johnson Scholarship, and I extend my utmost gratitude to the Radio Television Digital News Foundation for bestowing this honor on me. My passion lies with weather, and I plan to further my education by studying Broadcast Meteorology at graduate level. I believe meteorologists are heroes. They provide the public vital, life-saving information during outbreaks of severe weather, and my goal is to become one of those heroes. This scholarship from the RTDNF will undoubtedly help me on the path to my goal. I appreciate wholeheartedly this recognition of my hard work.”

PETE WILSON SCHOLARSHIP

Talia Samelian is a senior at San Francisco State University in the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts department. She moved to the bay area two years ago from her home state of Florida in order to pursue her dreams of becoming a newscaster. In 2012 she created an online blog, Talia Around Town, to share local news packages and interviews she had created. Later that year, Talia was hired as an assignment editor in the news department of KPIX (CBS 5) in San Francisco. She’s currently the president of her school’s “College Students in Broadcasting” club. Talia was recently awarded the Steve Davis Memorial Scholarship from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

“I wrote my first newspaper article when I was 14 years old. It was featured in my hometown’s local paper, The Sarasota Talia Samelian Herald Tribune. When I saw my own words printed onto those pages for everyone to see, it was a very exciting and San Francisco State Univ. defining moment for me. I realized then that I had the ability to not only influence but educate my peers. It was this idea that propelled me to choose a career in journalism. I wanted to use my own voice to help those who were unable to help themselves; whose voices had been silenced. It is priceless knowing that the RTDNA believes in the work that I am so passionate about. The Pete Wilson Scholarship is a moment in my journey to the top that I will never forget. Thank you Radio Television Digital News Foundation for this opportunity and for supporting me. I will continue to work tirelessly to see my goals come to fruition.”

ABE SCHECHTER GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

Joe Baur is a freelance writer, filmmaker and satirist with a diverse array of interests, including travel, adventure, craft beer, health, urban issues, culture and politics. He ranks his allegiances in the order of , the state of Ohio and the Rust Belt, and enjoys a fried egg on a variety of meats. Joe has a B.A. in Mass Communication with a focus on production from Miami University.

“Receiving the 2013 Abe Schechter Scholarship is an honor not only because I get to say my name in the same sentence as this pioneer in radio news, but because it allows me the opportunity to receive an international media education at a time when better understanding one another from an international perspective could not be more important. Because of this opportunity offered to me by the Radio Television Digital News Association and Mr. George Glazer of the First Joe Baur Amendment Banquet, I will be closer to my goal of making an impact in the world of ethical journalism. Thank you.” University for Peace

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 25 FellowshipWinners

N.S. BEINSTOCK FELLOWSHIP

Patricia Guerra is a California native who was raised in Mexico. She holds a BA in International Journalism and Media Studies from Tecnológico de Monterrey and attended the University of California, Berkeley as an undergraduate exchange student. Patricia worked at Univision in San Francisco where she covered the duties of assignment editor, writer, associate producer and on-air reporter. Patricia covered the Primary and General Presidential Election of 2012 with a focus on Latino issues. During that same year, Patricia and her colleagues received an Emmy Award in the category of “Best Large Market Evening Newscast” in the Northern California chapter. Patricia’s experience includes working at a public policy think tank with a focus on low-income and minority communities. Patricia is a 2013-2014 duPont Awards Research Assistant Fellow. Her work at Columbia includes coverage of public housing, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in immigrant communities and the asthma epidemic in

Patricia Guerra “Receiving this fellowship is both an honor and a great responsibility. It has long been a dream of mine to build a profes- Columbia Journalism School sional career in journalism, thanks to N.S. Bienstock I am now one step closer. It is very encouraging to know that lead- ing companies in the news industry are committed to increasing diversity in newsrooms across America.”

MICHELE CLARK FELLOWSHIP

Chanteé Lans is a morning reporter at WPRI-TV/WNAC-TV (CBS/FOX). She covers overnight breaking news across Rhode Island, , and Connecticut. Chanteé reported on international, national, and state level stories such as the Marathon Bombings, the trial and sentencing of Reputed Mob Boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger, the arrest of former New England Patriots Player Aaron Hernandez, the election of Pope Francis, the Blizzard of 2013, Boston Red Sox World Series Win, and Rhode Island’s legalization of same-sex marriage. She also worked at WFMY-TV, WAPT-TV, and CBS News. Chanteé is the president and co-founder of NABJ’s first tri-state chapter called the Southern New England Association of Black Journalists.

“I am grateful and honored to win a prestigious award in memory of a young black pioneering journalist like Michele Clark. In her 29 short years, Clark made strides in the journalism field while touching the hearts of many. I aspire to one day leave my mark while achieving her level of success.” Chantee Lans WPRI-TV/WNAC-TV (CBS/FOX)

26 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014 First AnendmentDinner Committee

Vincent Duffy, Chair

Chris Carl Loren Tobia WDEL-AM AccuWeather

Amy Tardif Jerry Walsh WGCU-FM Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc

Ed Esposito Michael Valentine Rubber City Radio Group Gannett Broadcasting

Mission The Radio Television Digital News Foundation (RTDNF) provides training programs, seminars, scholarship support and research in areas of critical concern to electronic news professionals and their audience.

As the educational arm of the Radio Television Digital News Association, RTDNF offers professional develop- ment opportunities for working and aspiring journalists and journalism educators. The Foundation’s primary objectives include:

• Promoting discussion of ethics and integrity in news coverage • Developing leadership skills among news professionals and sound management practices in news organizations • Encouraging diversity in news organizations and in news coverage • Assessing the impact of technological change on the news industry • Fostering exchanges of ideas and perspectives at the local, national and international levels • Supporting U.S. First Amendment rights, worldwide press freedom and the public’s right to know

First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG 27

Board of Directors

RTDNA Chairman RTDNF Chairman RTDNA Chair – Elect Chris Carl Vincent Duffy Amy Tardif WDEL-AM Michigan Radio WGCU-FM

RTDNF Secretary/Treasurer Executive Director RTDNA Treasurer Ed Esposito Mike Cavender Loren Tobia Rubber City Radio Group RTDNA/F AccuWeather

Kathy Walker Terence Shepherd KOA Radio WLRN-FM

Brandon Mercer Terry Scott KPIX-TV/KCBS Radio RTDNA Canada

Scott Libin Sean McGarvy Internet Broadcasting FOX News/DC

Carlton Houston Dan Shelley KFOR-TV Radio One, Inc.

Jam Sadar Jerry Walsh WLNS-TV Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc

Christy Moreno Harvey Nagler WBIR-TV CBS News

Randy Bell David Louie WMSI-FM WQJQ-FM KGO-TV WJDX-AM Janice S. Gin Andrew Vrees KRON-TV WCVB-TV Holly Gauntt Bill Roswell KOMO-TV KYW Newsradio Barbara Cochran, President Emeritus Mark Kraham University of Missouri WHAG-TV Col. Barney Oldfield, USAF (1909-2003) RTDNF Founder

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