WASHINGTON-The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation has awarded eight cash fellowships to outstanding electronic journalists. Winners also receive a trip to the 2001 RTNDA International Conference & Exhibition, Sept. 12-15, in Nashville.
The 2001 RTNDF fellowship honorees are:
*Giovanna Drpic, anchor/reporter, WHNT-TV, Huntsville, AL, is winner of the $2,500 N. S. Bienstock Fellowship, established by Richard Leibner and Carole Cooper in 1999 to recognize a promising journalist of color.
*Kyle Grimes, producer, KCRA-TV, Los Angeles, is winner of the $1,000 Michael Burke News Management Fellowship, established by Fox News to recognize a talented journalist seeking a career in news management.
*Tiffani Helberg, reporter/photographer, WICD-TV, Champaign, IL, is winner of the $2,000 Sandra Freeman Geller and Alfred Geller Fellowship, to recognize and support the development of television news on-air talent.
*Jam Sardar, reporter, WILX-TV, Lansing, MI, is winner of the $1,000Michele Clark Fellowship, recognizing a promising journalist of color.
*Marty Ray Rush, broadcast producer, Headquarters Air Force News Service, San Antonio, is winner of the $1,000 Vada and Barney Oldfield National Security Reporting Fellowship, recognizing excellence in defense and national security reporting.
*Holly Gurwell, reporter, KVII-TV, Amarillo, TX, is winner of the $1,000 Sherlee Barish Fellowship, established in memory of Barish’s career.
*Graham Johnson, reporter in the Colchester, VT, bureau of WPTZ-TV, Plattsburgh, NY, is winner of the $1,000 Environmental and Science Reporting Fellowship, recognizing excellence in environmental reporting.
*Rachel Baer, producer, Twin Cities Public Television, St. Paul, MN, is winner of the $1,000 Jacque I. Minnotte Health Reporting Fellowship, recognizing excellence in health or medical reporting.
For more on RTNDF’s fellowships, visit http://www.rtnda.org/asfi/fellowships/fellow.shtml.
