UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 14, Page 3
December 10, 1992
In Chicago; Two student journalists get national recognition

     When student journalists Donna Murphy and Rich Jones got involved in
major social issues for the sake of a story, they were working toward the
next deadline. They didn't expect to receive national recognition for their
efforts, but receive it they did.
     The "College Journalist of the Year Competition," which is sponsored
by Associate Collegiate Press and U. (the national college newspaper),
acknowledges excellence in college journalism at institutions across the
country.
     At this year's competition in Chicago, former Review staff members
Murphy and Jones came home winners. Murphy was first runner-up in the
"College Journalist of the Year" category for her series on the homeless in
Wilmington.
     Jones received honorable mentions in the "Story of the Year " and
"College Journalist of the Year" categories for his three-part series on
the Los Angeles riots.
     Murphy, said she had hoped to win but was surprised when her name was
announced. "This is tangible evidence that I've done something right," she
said of her plaque.
     Jones viewed his success as a victory for The Review itself. The
former editor-in-chief said he relied on the emotional support of his
staff, adding that the award signifies that the University has "the kind of
program which encourages people to report."
     Although the two winning stories involved hands-on reporting regarding
social change, the journalists used very different styles. Murphy became
intrigued with the issue of food stamps after reading an article in the
Denver Post at last year's competition. Remembering her adviser Dennis
Jackson's motto, "Bring the story home," she began to do in-depth research
on such topics as government-subsidized housing and public assistance.
     She supplemented her research by donning a pair of ripped jeans and a
stained purple sweatshirt and spending nights interviewing homeless people
on the city streets.
     "Everyone thinks it can't happen to them," Murphy said, so her goal
was to educate the primarily upper-and middle-class University audience.
     One homeless individual Murphy encountered was Lisa, a 21-year-old
woman living with her baby in a shelter. While most students indulge in a
celebration with close friends on their 21st birthdays, Lisa spent hers
watching a television movie with other homeless women.
     Young mothers are just one segment of the homeless population. Murphy
said, noting she also met the mentally ill, people on welfare and war
veterans.
     "I wanted to remind people of other people's situations," she said.
     Jones made the decision to cover his story on instinct. He had been
working late on deadline at The Review one night when he saw the newscasts
of the California riots on television. Two days later, he was in South
Central Los Angeles covering the event.
     "My main goal was to bring the story back to people in Newark," he
said. "Riots are indicative of race relations happening on a much larger
scale."
     Describing the experience as a "surreal blur," he said he remembers
his shock at flying over Los Angeles and only being able to see smoke. The
scene Jones witnessed below was chaotic. There were devastated buildings
and police everywhere, he said. He also recalls seeing the National Guard
protecting businesses from fire and patrolling the area. Jones' most vivid
memory is the "smell of smoke in the air." Despite the circumstances, the
residents of the area were cooperative and he conducted his interviews
unmolested.
     Jones said he does not see any easy solutions for the problems that
sparked the riots he witnessed. Surprised that America wasn't beyond the
point of rioting, he said that there is "still a lot more work to be done
in race relations" than he originally believed.
     Both Murphy and Jones expressed a desire to increase people's
awareness of the world around them through journalism.
     As a Cecil County, Md., correspondent for the Wilmington News Journal,
Murphy often writes about the local government. "I want to keep people
informed," she said.
     Jones, now a University senior and part-time News Journal copy editor,
said he plans to use journalism to "make a difference" in the world.
     "I want to tell the stories that are not really told," he said.
                                        -Casye Launer