Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University's School of Journalism and Broadcasting has won the overall title in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program for the third time since 2000.

Often called "The Pulitzers of College Journalism," the Hearst program conducts yearlong competitions in print journalism, photojournalism and broadcast news.

In the past seven years Western has finished in the top four nationally in the Hearst program's Overall Intercollegiate Competition -- third in 1999, first in 2000, first in 2001, second in 2002, third in 2003, fourth in 2004 and first in 2005.

"We're very pleased to be ranked as the No. 1 journalism program in America again in 2005," said Dr. Pam Johnson, director of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. "It really shows our students and faculty have rallied to continue to provide a very strong program. We're extremely proud of our students.

"We would also like to thank the administration at Western for supporting our program. We couldn't be successful without their support," she said.

In the overall competition, Western was followed by Arizona State, Nebraska, Missouri, North Carolina, Northwestern, Penn State, Florida, Kent State and Syracuse.

"To have an independent authority name one of our prominent academic programs as the best in American higher education is indeed a mark of distinction for WKU and for the Commonwealth," President Gary Ransdell said.

Awards will be presented May 27 in San Francisco.

Earlier this year, Western won the Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition for the 15th time in 17 years and had six students qualify for the Hearst national semifinals.

The WKU students -- Melanie Blanding, a junior from Roanoke, Va.; Jim Winn, Wiqan Ang, and Erik Jacobs, all Bowling Green seniors; David Degner, a junior from Augusta, Ga.; and Dana Marie Rieber, a Shepherdsville senior -- are among 12 submitting photos for the semifinal round of judging before six finalists are selected May 23 for the national finals in San Francisco.

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program, funded and administered by The William Randolph Hearst Foundation, operates under the auspices of the accredited schools of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication. More than 100 accredited undergraduate schools of journalism in the United States are eligible to participate in the program, which awards more than $400,000 in scholarships and grants annually.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Pam Johnson at (270) 745-4143.