Ryan Famuliner
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Ryan Famuliner
Third Place
Television Category: Television Broadcast II Competition
Famuliner, a senior radio-television journalism major from Blue Springs, Mo., will graduate in May. He submitted three KOMU stories to the competition. One, based on his original research, broke the news that Howard County, Mo., has the highest bankruptcy-filing rate in the United States. A second, his Target 8 investigative piece about the disorganization of the state's voter-registration database, found at least one Missourian with more than one voter registration. His third story, which aired the day after 16 inches of snow fell on Columbia, showed two men trying to dig their car out of a cul-de-sac to go pick up a paycheck.
Famuliner said he was extremely flattered to have the Hearst Awards recognize his work.
"Doing these stories day to day, you have to wonder if they're really any good," Famuliner said. "So, to have a panel of professionals saying something about how your work stands out means a lot."
Because of his third-place finish in the competition, Famuliner now is eligible to submit a second compilation of his television reporting to a semi-final round of judging. In the semi-finals, judges score submissions from the top-five finalists in each of the first two television journalism competitions. The top-five winners in the semi-finals then advance to the national championship, which will take place in June in San Francisco, Calif.
In addition to his work for KOMU, Famuliner has interned for
KCTV-5, the CBS affiliate in Kansas City, Mo. He continues to anchor a weekly business program on KBIA and used to anchor the morning newscasts and report for the station. Famuliner also is a weekend anchor for
The Missourinet radio network out of Jefferson City, Mo.
"The experience I've had here at the Journalism School has been so positive, and I have nothing but praise and thanks for the broadcast faculty," Famuliner said.
Matthew Jarzemsky
Fourth Place
Writing Category: Personality/Profile Writing Competition
Jarzemsky, a senior newspaper journalism and political science double major from Middleton, Wis., will graduate in May 2008 and plans to pursue a career at a daily newspaper. For the competition, he submitted a cover story titled "Legally Bound," which he wrote for NewSunday, the Columbia Missourian's Sunday edition. Jarzemsky's profile discussed the life of Max Lewis, a quadriplegic lawyer from Columbia, Mo., who relies on Medicaid for his health care coverage. As a result, Lewis must earn a poverty-level wage.
Jarzemsky has written freelance stories for the
Wisconsin State Journal and the
Capital Region Business Journal, both in Madison, Wis., and the
Middleton (Wis.) Times Tribune, a suburban weekly in his hometown. In the summer of 2006, he completed a general assignment internship at the
Kenosha (Wis.) News. For the Missourian, he has covered both the business and police and court beats. Jarzemsky also has been a staff writer for
The Maneater, a student-produced campus newspaper at the University. This semester, he is studying abroad in Pamplona, Spain.
"I'd like to say thanks for winning the award," Jarzemsky said. "I appreciate it because I've never cared so much about a story as I did about that one. I share the honor with Brandon Kruse, a talented photojournalist who was the one who actually found the story, and Max Lewis, who was very gracious while sharing his story with me."
Ryan Kruger
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Ryan Kruger
11th Place
Television Category: Television II Competition
Kruger, a senior radio-television journalism major from Blue Springs, Mo., will graduate in May. He also has interned at KCTV-5 and has worked at KOMU since April 2006.
Two of the KOMU stories he submitted to the competition were live shots of breaking-news events: one, a bus wreck in Boone County, Mo., involving students from the Jefferson City YMCA; the other, from Clinton, Mo., the night the Elks Lodge collapsed while a meeting was in progress. The collapse killed one man. The third story Kruger entered was a Target 8 investigation of a property fight between a property developer who built a house too close to another resident's property.
Kruger said it was an honor to represent the School in the Hearst Awards Competition.
"Just to be asked to compete was an honor because it shows that the work I do out here is being noticed and that perhaps I did choose the right profession," Kruger said. "But to actually place in the competition is absolutely unreal, and it's hard for me to believe that some people think I am one of the top student journalists in the country."
With his graduation just weeks ahead, Kruger said he thinks his Missouri education has prepared him well for his professional career.
"I work hard out here at KOMU, but I can't take much of the credit," Kruger said. "The only reason I have had any success is the great teaching we receive. It's something that I will take with me wherever I go."
Sean Powers
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Sean Powers
14th Place
Radio Category: Radio II Competition
Powers, a sophomore pre-journalism major from Homewood, Ill., will graduate in May 2009. He hopes to have a career in public radio. For the contest, Powers submitted a four-part KBIA series on alcohol use and an in-depth report on Amendment II, an initiative about stem-cell research that appeared on the November 2006 Missouri ballot.
Powers has worked as a reporter and announcer for KBIA and as a volunteer for
Chicago Public Radio. In addition, he has written for The Maneater and served as an engineer for
SISLTcast, the online radio station operated by the
School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. Powers also completed an internship at the
Field Museum in Chicago.
While winning a Hearst Award was a huge honor, Powers said, it was also a personal reminder of his true passion for journalism.
"Being able to tell a story that can potentially influence another person's life is a tremendous responsibility and honor," Powers said. "I could never imagine doing anything else with my life."
Although he has yet to enter the School of Journalism officially, Powers said he already has begun learning and practicing journalism outside the classroom.
"I am extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented and inspiring people," Powers said. "I would particularly like to thank KBIA News Director Sarah Ashworth for being the greatest mentor. Any aspiring journalist would be lucky to work with her."
