January 31, 2001

WKU Student Honored In Hearst Writing Competition

Bowling Green, Ky. - A Western Kentucky University student has been honored in the 41st annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation's Journalism Awards Program.

Matt Batcheldor, a December graduate from Bardstown, finished eighth in the in-depth writing competition. Batcheldor, a reporter for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, and Western's School of Journalism and Broadcasting will receive matching $500 awards.

After three of six writing competitions, Western is in 10th place. The University of North Carolina leads the Intercollegiate Writing Competition followed by Indiana University, University of Nebraska, University of Missouri and Kent State University.

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program recognizes excellence in writing, photography and broadcasting. After the first of two broadcasting contests this year, Western is in first place.

In last year's Hearst competition, Western won the overall intercollegiate title for the first time in school history. Western has won the photojournalism competition for 11 consecutive years.

For more information, contact the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at (270) 745-4143. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.