UA Journalism Student Wins Scripps Howard Award

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences student, Matthew Wilson, was named a winner of a Scripps Howard Foundation collegiate reporting competition.

As one of nine students, nationally, winning the Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition, Wilson, a Robertsdale native, will participate in a nine-day journalism study trip to Japan.

“We’re extremely proud of Matt,” said Dr. Wilson Lowrey, chair of the journalism department. “He’s an exceptional young writer with a wonderful ear for the language and a passion for reporting.

“I’m excited that he has won the Howard reporting award, one of the nation’s most prestigious journalism honors. But, I’m just as excited that he has this amazing opportunity to experience another culture.”

The competition, established in 1984 in cooperation with Indiana University Journalism, honors the memory of the journalist who led Scripps Howard Newspapers from 1922-1953 and United Press from 1912-1920.

This year marks the 11th year that the Scripps Howard Foundation has awarded the study tour to Japan to competition winners.

Emily Metzga, an associate professor in the Indiana University Media School, will lead the expenses-paid trip. Metzgar is an alumna of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, a Japanese government-sponsored public diplomacy effort, and she is completing a manuscript about the program and its growing influence on the U.S.-Japan relationship.

Travel begins May 12 and includes excursions primarily in the Kansai region cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Included in the trip is a visit to Hiroshima, the first city in world history to be devastated by the atomic bomb, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park, as well as Tokyo.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is experiencing significant growth in both enrollment and academic quality. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.