Carnegie-Knight News21 Wins Second Consecutive Student Murrow Award

 Elizabeth Sims, an Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Fellow, films at Scott Mills Falls in Scott Mills, Oregon, for Carnegie-Knight News21’s investigation into drinking water. Photo by Agnel Philip/News21 Carnegie-Knight News21, the multi-university in-depth journalism collaborative based at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, won the Student Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Digital Reporting for a second consecutive year.This is the Cronkite School’s fourth Student Murrow Award, more than any school in the country.The 2018 winners will be recognized at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on Oct. 22 in New York.“This national recognition is more than an honor. It’s an important testament to the quality of the next generation of journalists at a time when public accountability is more important than ever,” said Carnegie-Knight News21 Executive Editor Jacquee Petchel.“Troubled Water,” a 2017 multimedia investigation inspired by the lead crisis in Flint, Michigan, and produced by the Carnegie-Knight News21 program, featured 29 student journalists from 18 universities.Student journalists traveled across the country to conduct hundreds of interviews, review thousands of documents, build databases and document the scope of water contamination nationwide. The team also produced a 30-minute documentary.Among its findings:As many as 63 million people were exposed to potentially unsafe water more than once in the past decade.American taxpayers have spent $21 billion in cleanup and oversight costs of properties damaged by waste.Manufacturing, mining and waste disposal companies were among the country’s worst pollutersThe most prolific water contamination problems persist in small towns, low-income communities and Native American tribal lands.Drinking water for millions of Americans was contaminated by nitrates and coliform bacteria found in fertilizers.The Carnegie-Knight News21 program is an initiative that brings top journalism students from across the country to the Cronkite School to report on an issue of national significance.In 2017, the Cronkite School was the only journalism program in the country to win multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, capturing the Student Murrow Award for Excellence in Video Newscast as well as for digital reporting with “Voting Wars,” a News21 exploration of voting rights in America.Previous Carnegie-Knight News21 projects have spotlighted issues ranging from food safety and gun rights and regulations to veterans’ issues and marijuana legalization. The student work is published at news21.com and by dozens of news organizations, including The Washington Post, USA Today, NBCnews.com and the Center for Public Integrity.”These projects could not be done without the generosity of our many News21 donors, which allows us to investigate critical issues that many newsrooms can no longer afford to do,” said Petchel.Established in 2015 by the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Student Murrow Awards celebrate overall excellence in student journalism at the collegiate and high school levels. Unlike the professional Edward R. Murrow Awards, which are presented to a news organization, the Student Murrows are awarded to individuals in one of five categories — audio newscast, audio reporting, video newscast, video reporting and digital reporting.The RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in professional journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the electronic news profession. The RTDNA is the world’s largest professional organization exclusively serving the electronic news profession. Members include local and network news executives, news directors, producers, reporters and digital news professionals as well as educators and students.Cronkite School/News21 FellowsFraser Allen Best, Arizona State University, Hearst Foundations FellowBryan Anderson, Elon UniversityMacee Beheler, University of Oklahoma, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation FellowBryn Caswell, University of AlabamaClaire Caulfield, Arizona State University, Louis A. “Chip” Weil FellowMarie Esquinca, Arizona State University, Ethics and Excellent in Journalism Foundation FellowJordan Houston, American University, Knight Foundation FellowAndrea Jaramillo, Arizona State University, Hearst FellowLauren Kaljur, University of British ColumbiaBrandon Kitchin, Texas Christian UniversityRachel Konieczny, St. Bonaventure UniversityJenna Miller, Arizona State University, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation FellowAmy Malloy, Dublin City University, Veronica Green Independent News & Media FellowElissa Nunez, George Washington UniversityFionnuala O’Leary, Dublin City University, Veronica Guerin Dublin City University FellowAgnel Phillip, Arizona State University, Don Bolles/Arizona Republic FellowWilliam Taylor Potter, Louisiana State UniversityAlexis Reese, University of North Texas, Dallas Morning News FellowCorinne Roels, Arizona State University, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation FellowMichael Santiago, Syracuse UniversityKarl Schneider, Kent State UniversityElizabeth Sims, University of Oklahoma, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation FellowBriana Smith, Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, Hofstra UniversityJasmine Spearing-Bowen, Arizona State University, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation FellowAdrienne St. Clair, Arizona State University, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation FellowNicole Tyau, Arizona State University, Hearst Foundations FellowJackie Wang, University of TexasChelsea Rae Ybanez, Arizona State University, Hearst Foundations FellowBliss Zechman, University of Tennessee, John and Patty Williams FellowPast Cronkite School/News21 Student Murrow Winners2017:  Excellence in Digital Reporting: Arizona State University/News21: “Voting Wars”2017:  Excellence in Video Newscast:  Windsor Smith and Madison Romine: Cronkite News: Feb. 17, 20162015:  Excellence in Video:  Erin Patrick O’Connor/News21: “Gun Wars”