Twenty-Fourth
Annual Celebration
First Amendment
Awards Dinner
Radio Television Digital News Foundation
Congratulations
to the 2014 rtdnf first amendment honorees
The Associated Press
Lester Holt
NBC News
Dave Lougee
Gannett Broadcasting
Robin Sproul
ABC News
Your Friends at RTDNA and RTDNF
Chris Carl
RTDNA Chairman
Vince Duffy
RTDNF Chairman
Amy Tardif
RTDNA Chair-Elect
Loren Tobia
RTDNA Treasurer
Ed Esposito
RTDNF Treasurer
Mike Cavender
RTDNA/F Executive Director
Barbara Cochran
RTDNA President Emeritus Kevin Benz
Immediate Past RTDNF Chairman
2
First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014
David Louie
Janice S. Gin
Harvey Nagler
Dan Shelley
Kathy Walker
Christy Moreno
Scott Libin
Terence Shepherd
Brandon Mercer
Carlton Houston
Jam Sardar
Randy Bell
Andrew Vrees
Bill Roswell
Mark Kraham
Terry Scott
Jerry Walsh
Sean McGarvy
Holly Gauntt
Bill Plante
CBS News
Radio Television Digital News Foundation
Program
WELCOME
INTRODUCTION
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
RTDNA/F Executive Director
RTDNF Chair
FOX News
Mike Cavender
Vince Duffy
Chris Wallace
Awards Presentation
FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD
The Associated Press
Accepted by: Gary Pruitt, President and CEO, The Associated Press
Presenter: Tom Curley, Retired, former President & CEO, The Associated Press
FIRST AMENDMENT SERVICE AWARD
Robin Sproul
Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, ABC News
Presenter: Martha Raddatz, Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, ABC News
LEONARD ZEIDENBERG FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD
Lester Holt
Principal Anchor, “Dateline”, Anchor, “NBC Nightly News”
Weekend Edition Co-Anchor, “Today” Weekend Edition
Presenter: David Corvo, Senior Executive Producer Primetime, NBC News
First Amendment Leadership Award
Dave Lougee
President, Gannett Broadcasting
Presenter: Rob Mennie, Vice President & Senior News Executive at Gannett Broadcasting
RTDNF Lifetime Achievement Award
Bill Plante
White House Correspondent, CBS News
Presenter: Susan Zirinsky, Senior Executive Producer, CBS News
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
3
Radio Television Digital News Foundation
Expresses sincere thanks to our generous sponsors:
4
First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014
Sponsors
DIAMOND
Gannett Co, Inc.
PLATINUM
Cox Reps
Hearst Television
GOLD
The Associated Press
ABC News
CNN Newsource
National Association of Broadcasters
SILVER
American Petroleum Institute
CBS News Radio
CBS News
CEA
CNN
Investment Company Institute
NBC News
National Association of Broadcasters
Wiley Rein LLP
FRIENDS OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT
ABC News Radio
ABC NewsOne
Steve Jones and Al Prieto
John and Barbara Cochran
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Trust Bank of America Corporation
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
5
dave loUgee, 2014 rtdnf first a mendment leadership awar d honor ee
Unbr idled pa ssion, Un wav er ing dedic ation a le a der com mit ted to the pow er of loc a l news a nd the bet ter ment of a mer ic a .
congr at Ul ations, dave.
First Amendment Leadership Award
RTDNF presents this award annually to a media executive, business or government leader who has upheld the
highest standards of journalism and made a significant contribution to the protection of First Amendment
freedoms.
2014 Honoree Dave Lougee
Dave Lougee was named president of the Broadcasting Division for Gannett Co., Inc. in
July, 2007. The company operates 23 television stations in the U.S. Lougee serves on several
industry boards. He is currently Vice Chair of the NBC Affiliates Board, and a member of the
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board of Directors. He is also a member of the
BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Board of Directors, and is immediate past Chair of the Television
Bureau of Advertising (TVB) Board of Directors.
Prior to returning to Gannett, Lougee served as executive vice president/media operations for
Belo, where he was in charge of the company’s 19 TV stations and four cable news operations
outside of Dallas. In 2005, he was named a senior vice president of Belo. He joined Belo in
1998 as news director at KING-TV in Seattle/Tacoma, and became president and general manager of Belo’s TV and cable
operations in Seattle/Tacoma in 2000. From 1996 to 1998, Lougee was vice president/news at WRC-TV, the NBC owned
and operated station in Washington DC. From 1990 to 1996, Lougee was vice president/news director at KUSA-TV in
Denver, a Gannett station. He began his broadcasting career at KMGH-TV in Denver in 1981, and worked at KCNC-TV
in Denver Lougee is a graduate of the University of Colorado and attended the Stanford Executive Program at the Stanford
Graduate School of Business in 2004.
Dave and his wife Danni live in Great Falls, Virginia with their son Nash.
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
7
Congratulations
Lester Holt
2014
Leonard Zeidenberg
First Amendment Award
Winner
Your Friends & Colleagues
At NBC News
Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award
Named for the late Broadcasting & Cable senior correspondent, this award is presented annually to a radio or television journalist
or news executive whose work, through high standard and significant achievements, embodies the spirit of the First Amendment
and its free-press principles.
2014 Honoree Lester Holt
Lester Holt was named Principal Anchor of “Dateline” in September 2011. Holt serves as the
weekend anchor for the flagship broadcast “NBC Nightly News,” and is also the co-anchor of the
weekend edition of “Today.” In addition, Holt serves as fill-in anchor and correspondent for “NBC
Nightly News with Brian Williams” and the weekday “Today” program. He also contributes to MSNBC,
NBC’s 24-hour cable news network.
Holt joined the NBC News family in 2000 and has reported from many of the world’s hot spots. In
2003 he reported from the Kuwait/Iraqi border as US forces prepared to launch their invasion of Iraq.
In 2006, he reported from the front lines in Lebanon on the war between Israel and Hezbollah and
from London on the terror threat to U.S. bound-airliners from the UK. In early 2010, Holt traveled to
Haiti where he reported on the immediate aftermath and response to the devastating earthquake. In
early 2011, Holt reported from the streets of Cairo on the latest political and civil unrest in Egypt. In
March 2011, Holt travelled overseas to cover the earthquake and nuclear crisis in Japan. Other major international stories he has
covered include the mysterious 2009 crash of an Air France jetliner over the South Atlantic. Holt was also among the early wave
of reporters to cover the oil leak disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. He was in the same region in 2005 when both hurricanes Katrina
and Rita came ashore.
Over the last year, Holt has covered a wide range of stories for “Dateline.” In August 2011 – telling the story of the larger struggle
in the American economy to lower unemployment – Holt reported from Millen, Georgia, a small industrial town so devastated
by the Great Recession that its unemployment numbers were more than twice the national average. In January of this year, Holt
conducted an exclusive interview with Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson, and the following month, he anchored a
special “Dateline” tribute to legendary singer, actress and producer Whitney Houston, who had died suddenly the day before. In
March 2012, Holt reported from Sanford, Florida on the latest in the Trayvon Martin case and in June 2012 – as part of “Dateline’s”
Emmy award-winning series, “America Now” – Holt reported on suburban poverty in America, sharing the shocking and personal
stories of families confronting poverty for the very first time.
Before becoming co-anchor of “Weekend Today,” Holt anchored “Lester Holt Live,” a daily news show on MSNBC in which he
covered breaking news and provided news updates and analysis. Holt has also served as the lead anchor for daytime news and
breaking news coverage on MSNBC. He has served as a primary anchor for MSNBC’s coverage of the biggest news events of the last
several years, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and the war in Afghanistan, and he was the lead daytime anchor for MSNBC’s
coverage of Decision 2000. Holt also served as anchor of “Countdown: Iraq,” a nightly news telecast concentrating on the latest
developments surrounding the war with Iraq, from October 2002 through March 2003.
The award-winning broadcast journalist came to MSNBC from WBBM-TV in Chicago, where he spent 14 years. His duties at
WBBM-TV included anchoring the evening news. Holt not only worked at the anchor desk in Chicago, but he also reported
extensively from trouble spots around the world including Iraq, Northern Ireland, Somalia, El Salvador and Haiti. He has
contributed to the CBS News broadcast “48 Hours,” earning a 1990 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award for his work on “48 Hours:
No Place Like Home.” In 2010, Holt was part of the “Today” anchor team that won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding
Morning Program.
Previously, Holt worked as a reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City from 1981-82. In 1982 he transferred to sister station KCBSTV (then KNXT) in Los Angeles as a reporter and weekend anchor and returned to WCBS-TV a year later as a reporter and
weekend anchor.
Holt studied government at California State University in Sacramento. He resides in New York City with his wife.
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
9
First Amendment Service Award
This award honors news professionals in local or network news who work in an off-air, management capacity. Through largely
behind-the-scenes work, winners of this award are in a position to influence their news products and demonstrate standards of
excellence that are the underpinnings of journalistic integrity and credibility.
2014 Honoree Robin Sproul
Robin Sproul has been vice president and Washington bureau chief for ABC News since March
1993. She is responsible for the editorial supervision and management of the network’s largest
bureau, oversees news coverage of all Washington beats and stories, and serves as the network’s
liaison to the federal government on news policy matters. She served as director and vice president
of Washington news coverage from 1992-1993.
Ms. Sproul joined ABC News in 1981 as Washington bureau chief for ABC News Radio, a position
she held until 1992. During her years as radio bureau chief, she produced live coverage of national
political conventions, as well as election night analysis for national elections. She was executive
producer of presidential radio addresses, news conferences and inaugurations. In addition Ms.
Sproul served as producer of U.S. radio coverage of military operations, including missions in the Persian Gulf, Panama
and Libya. Ms. Sproul began her career as news assignment manager at WMAL-Radio in Washington, DC in 1976.
During her career Ms. Sproul has earned numerous broadcasting honors. She was part of the ABC News team to win an
Emmy for coverage of the inauguration of Barack Obama. She was also part of the ABC team to win the George Foster
Peabody, duPont, Emmy and Sigma Delta Chi Awards for coverage of the events of September 11th, 2001. In addition, she
won the George Foster Peabody Award in 1987 for her work as executive producer of ABC Radio coverage of the U.S. Navy
escort mission in the Persian Gulf. She has also received the Ohio State Award and the Associated Press Outstanding News
Operation
In 2011, Ms. Sproul was a Sulzberger fellow at Columbia University. In 2007, she was a fellow in residence at Harvard Kennedy
School’s Joan Shorenstein Center, writing a research paper on exit polling. She is currently a member of the Gridiron Club,
serving as treasurer, and also writing and producing musical skits for the annual Gridiron show.
A former member of the advisory board of the Newseum and the Board of Trustees of the Radio-Television News Directors
Foundation, Ms. Sproul also served on the board of the National Press Foundation from 1996 until 2004. From 1998-2000
she was vice chairman of the NPF board, and from 2000-02 she chaired the board. From 2002-2004, she was on the executive
committee. Ms. Sproul is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, where she had a double major in bacteriology and English.
She and her husband live in Bethesda, Maryland. They have two daughters.
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
11
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press,
and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
—Thomas Jefferson, 1786
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RTDNF FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD WINNERS.
CC_rtdnf-ad_1-17-14.indd 11
1/17/14 2:16 PM
“Where the press is free and every man
able to read, all is safe.” – Thomas Jefferson
NAB salutes Gannett Broadcasting
President and NAB Board Member
Dave Lougee.
We honor this year’s RTDNF All-Star
cast of First Amendment freedom
advocates, which includes NBC’s
Lester Holt, ABC’s Robin Sproul, the
Associated Press and CBS’s Bill Plante.
NAB Congratulates
Dave Lougee
First Amendment Award
RTDNF recognizes exceptional successes made by an individual or organization that has played a significant role in dissemination
of news and information.
2014 Honoree The Associated Press
The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a
steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP
is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative
owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded
focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate
journalism.
AP’s commitment to independent, comprehensive journalism has deep roots. Founded in 1846,
AP has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high-quality, informed
reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings.
Today, AP employs the latest technology to collect and distribute content. It is in the process of overhauling its video
and photography content: transitioning to high-definition, expanding its coverage and building a new, flexible, powerful
infrastructure. AP has the industry’s most sophisticated digital photo network; a 24-hour continuously updated online,
multimedia news service; a state-of-the-art television news service; and one of the largest radio networks in the U.S. Its
commercial digital photo archive is one of the world’s largest collections of historical and contemporary imagery. AP Mobile,
the AP’s award-winning news app, has been downloaded over 9 million times since its launch in 2008, and AP has a strong
social media presence, building new connections between AP and its members, customers and consumers.
Since the Pulitzer Prize was established, in 1917, AP has received 51 Pulitzers, including 31 photo Pulitzers.
AP, which is headquartered in New York, operates in more than 280 locations worldwide, including every statehouse in the
U.S. Two-thirds of its staffers are journalists.
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
13
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award honors journalists in the electronic media who have distinguished themselves throughout their careers with consistently
outstanding work. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who routinely demonstrates the highest standards of
excellence and ethics in reporting and producing the news.
2014 Honoree Bill Plante
Bill Plante has been a CBS News White House correspondent during the administrations of Ronald
Reagan (beginning in 1981), Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During the administration of
the first President Bush, he was CBS News’ State Department correspondent (1989-92). Plante’s reports are seen
regularly on “CBS This Morning,” where he is senior White House correspondent, and the “CBS Evening News
with Scott Pelley.”
Plante has been based in CBS News’ Washington bureau since December 1976. He has covered every
Presidential campaign since 1968. Before his first White House assignment, he covered general and off-year
elections, including the national political conventions. In 1968, he reported on the campaigns of Hubert Humphrey
and Richard Nixon. During the 1972 campaign, Plante’s assignments included covering candidates George
McGovern and Sargent Shriver. In the summer of 1976, he covered Jimmy Carter and then, in the fall, Walter Mondale’s vice presidential
campaign. Plante was a floor reporter at the 1988 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
During the Reagan presidency, he covered the President’s activities and major overseas trips, including the historic summit meeting in
Moscow with Mikhail Gorbachev. Plante was part of the CBS News team that received a 1986 Emmy Award for coverage of the ReaganGorbachev summit at Reykjavik, Iceland. He also covered Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign and was part of the CBS News team that won
an Emmy Award for its coverage.
At the State Department, he covered Secretary of State James Baker’s trips to the Middle East, both before and after the Gulf War; the
changing U.S.-Soviet relationship during that period; and the 1991 Middle East peace talks, among many others. He served as anchor of the
“CBS Sunday Night News” (1988-95).
Plante’s reporting has not been restricted to politics, however. He covered the fall of Skylab and Pope John Paul II’s visit to the United States,
both in 1979. Earlier that year, following the Shah’s departure from Iran, Plante reported on the revolution in that country and was one of two
American journalists to cover a revolutionary trial in Teheran. He was the reporter on a 1977 five-part series examining America’s criminal
justice system for the “CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.”
Plante served as a correspondent in the Chicago bureau (1966-76) after he joined CBS News in June 1964 as a New York-based reporter/
assignment editor. During that time, he served two of his four tours of duty in Vietnam, reporting on the bombing strikes over North Vietnam,
the Vietnamization and pacification programs in the south and the fall of the governments in Vietnam and Cambodia. Plante also covered
the civil rights movement in Mississippi and Alabama, including Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic march from Selma to Montgomery.
Plante’s recent White House coverage includes the first trip by a U.S. President to Myanmar (Burma) by President Obama, in addition to his
trips to Indonesia and Korea. Additionally, he reported on the recent fiscal cliff negotiations, the sex scandal involving Secret Service agents
assigned to protect President Obama while attending a summit in Cartagena, Colombia, and the 40th anniversary of Watergate. Plante also
provided the first-ever look inside the exclusive Washington, D.C. hideaway that serves as a hotel for former presidents and interviewed
astronaut John Glenn on the 50th anniversary of NASA’s launch of Friendship 7.
In addition to his White House coverage, Plante recently returned to Selma, Ala. in March 2012 to cover a commemoration of Dr. Martin
Luther King’s historic march. He also interviewed former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn on the 50th anniversary of the nation’s first
orbital flight.
He has received many major broadcast journalism awards. In addition to Emmy Awards for his coverage of the death of Princess Diana, the
Reagan-Gorbachev summit and Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign, he won an Emmy for his investigative report on the U.S.-Soviet wheat
deal broadcast on the “CBS Evening News” (1972). Plante’s international work was recognized with a 1971 Overseas Press Club Award for his
reports on the India-Pakistan War, and a second in 1975 for Best Radio Spot News Reporting for his coverage of the fall of the South Vietnam
and Cambodian governments and evacuation of American personnel.
He was born in Chicago. Plante was graduated from Loyola University in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in humanities, and he studied
political science at Columbia University (1963-64). He and his wife, Robin Smith, an award-winning independent documentary producer,
live in Washington, D.C. Plante has six sons.
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
15
COX REPS & COX MEDIA GROUP
WARMLY CONGRATULATE
DAVID LOUGEE
OF GANNETT BROADCASTING
on receiving the
2014 RTDNF
FIRST AMENDMENT LEADERSHIP AWARD
We’re at the heart of it...just like you
With 44 domestic and international editorial
operations, and more than 4,000 CNN employees
worldwide, CNN Newsource is the industry’s most
powerful newsgathering resource. We can help you
win in your local markets, across all platforms.
Behind every Newsource product stand the best
news people in the business. Our integrity and
commitment to our craft are unparalleled.
We are news people, and in many
cases, local news people – like you.
CNN Newsource is a proud sponsor of RTDNF.
Two organizations committed to excellence in journalism.
To learn more about CNN Newsource, visit our website at
cnn.com/newsource, or call us at 404.827.4642
First Amendment Award
Past Honorees
2014 – The Associated Press
2013 – Twitter
2012 – Jim Bohannon
2010 – Barbara Cochran & Marcellus Alexander
2009 – John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
2008 – Richard Wiley
Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award
2014 – Lester Holt
2013 – Candy Crowley
2012 – Martha Raddatz
2011 – Wolf Blitzer
2010 – Brian Williams
2009 – Cokie Roberts
2008 – Bob Schieffer
2007 – Bob Woodruff and Kimberly Dozier
2006 – Gwen Ifill
2005 – Ed Bradley
2004 – Andrea Mitchell
2003 – Judy Woodruff
2002 – Sam Donaldson
2001 – Jim Lehrer
2000 – Diane Sawyer
1999 – Christiane Amanpour
1998 – Mike Wallace
1997 – Jane Pauley
1996 – Carole Simpson
1995 – Walter Cronkite
1994 – David Brinkley
1993 - John Chancellor
1992 – James Snyder
2008 – Paula Madison
2007 – Philip S. Balboni
2006 – William Wheatley
2005 – Wendy Walker Whitworth
2004 – Walter Ulloa
2003 – Susan Zirinsky
2002 – Fred Young
2001 – Gary Wordlaw
2000 – Lee Giles
1999 – Marty Haag
1998 – Betty Cole Dukert
First Amendment Service Award
2014 – Robin Sproul
2013 – Lloyd Siegel
2012 – Marci Burdick
2011 – Susana Schuler
2010 – Harvey Nagler
2009 – Susan Grant
First Amendment Leadership Award
2014 – David Lougee
2013 – Robert Decherd
2012 – Steve Capus
2011 – David Barrett
2010 – David Westin
2009 – Google Inc.
2008 – Tom Curley
2007 – Roger Ailes
2006 – Belo Corporation, Clear Channel,
Emmis Communications, Entercom
Communications, Hearst-Argyle Television,
Inc., Raycom Media, Inc., Tribune
Broadcasting
2005 – Jim Keelor
2004 – Charles Grassley
2004 – Patrick Leahy
2003 – Floyd Abrams
2002 – Katharine Graham
2001 – Don Hewitt
2000 – R.E. “Ted” Turner
1999 – Bob Wright
1998 – Roone Arledge
1997 – Robert L. Johnson
1996 – Howard Stringer
1995 – Tom Johnson
1994 – James Quello
1993 – Frank Stanton
1992 – Allen Neuhath
Lifetime Achievement Award
2014 – Bill Plante
2012 – Andy Rooney
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
19
Congratulations,
Dave Lougee.
Leader. Partner. Friend.
We applaud tonight’s distinguished honor and your
commitment to news excellence at Gannett.
NBC News, NBC Affiliate
Relations and Affiliate Marketing
salute you as the recipient
of the 2014 RTDNF First
Amendment Leadership Award
Salutes its
2013-2014 Scholarship and Fellowship Winners
2013-2014 Scholarship Winners
CAROLE SIMPSON SCHOLARSHIP
Imani Crenshaw
Hampton University
ED BRADLEY SCHOLARSHIP
Taylor Moore
University of South Dakota
MIKE REYNOLDS SCHOLARSHIP
Amanda Roley
Washington State University
PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP
Jason Puckett
Elon University
PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP
Shannan Ferry
Hofstra University
2013-2014 Fellowship Winners
N.S. Bienstock Fellowship
Patricia Guerra
Univision San Francisco
Michele Clark Fellowship
Chantee Lans
WPRI-TV/WNAC-TV (CBS/FOX)
22 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014
LOU AND CAROLE PRATO SPORTS REPORTING
SCHOLARSHIP
Kristen Wolfe
Salisbury University
GEORGE FOREMAN TRIBUTE TO LYNDON B.
JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP
Christopher Adams
University of Texas at Austin
PETE WILSON SCHOLARSHIP
Talia Samelian
San Francisco State University
ABE SCHECHTER GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
Joe Baur
University for Peace
Scholarship
Winners
CAROLE SIMPSON SCHOLARSHIP
Imani J. Crenshaw is a sophomore and Broadcast Journalism Major at Hampton University. She is the host
and face of The HU Underground, a reporter with GlobalGirl Media and a recipient of the 2013 National
Association of Black Journalists Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism for
her webisode series “Como Amar: How to Love.” Crenshaw attended El Camino College in Torrance
California. She is a cheerleader, a Cheerleader Club Representative to the Inter Club Council, made the
Dean’s List in the spring 2013, is a member of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society, and is an NABJ
member. She is also a Project Success member, speaker, and scholarship recipient. She is a native of Los
Angeles, California, and a graduate of West High School in Torrance, California.
Imani J. Crenshaw
Hampton University
“Receiving the Carole Simpson Scholarship from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation means everything to me.
I would like to thank RTDNF and Carol Simpson. I’m so proud to have received such a prestigious award from such an
amazing company. Carole Simpson is one of my role models, for the simple fact that she has completed so many firsts
as not only a woman, but an African-American woman. She represents something so powerful and I cannot wait to
continue my journey and embrace that power to become a great journalist as well.”
ED BRADLEY SCHOLARSHIP
Taylor Moore is a senior Contemporary Media and Journalism major at the University of South Dakota. He is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He serves as one of KYOT’s Coyote News anchors as well.
Moore previously served as sports commentator and reporter for Coyote News. It was through his work
as reporter for Coyote News that Moore developed a passion for storytelling. In his spare time Moore
enjoys working with the University of South Dakota’s Union of African American Students as well as
the Campus Activities Board at the University of South Dakota. Moore is looking forward to returning
as an anchor for KYOT’s Coyote News in the spring.
Taylor Moore
University of South Dakota
“I am truly honored to receive the Ed Bradley scholarship. This scholarship has permitted me to finish my education
at the University of South Dakota, and continue to strengthen my journalistic endeavors. To be an African American
male in journalism and to have such an example in Ed Bradley means a great deal to me. Due to his hard work and
efforts, he has made it possible for several other African Americans to excel in this field as well. I am eternally grateful
for receiving this scholarship and I truly hope that my future endeavors in journalism will honor his name.”
MIKE REYNOLDS SCHOLARSHIP
Amanda Roley is a senior at Washington State University studying Journalism and Media Production.
Her interest in broadcast news began in her high school video productions class and grew ever since. Upon
her admission to WSU, Amanda immediately got involved in the student run television station “Cable 8
Productions.” Her participation included working as an anchor, an Assistant Director for a cooking show,
and was producer for the third season of, “Studio 41,” which is titled after the studio Edward R. Murrow
worked in at CBS. Amanda completed a reporting internship at KHQ in Spokane last summer. She
currently works as a student journalist for Murrow News 8 and also reports for Pullman Radio (KQQQ).
For Pullman Radio, Amanda reports stories from her favorite beat covering weekly city council meetings for
Pullman and Moscow along with other local events. She is expected to graduate from WSU in summer 2014.
Amanda Roley
Washington State University
“I am truly honored to have been selected to receive such a prestigious award. Being selected for this scholarship means
more than money to help pay for school. It means all the work I have done to grow as a reporter in pursuit of my dream
is paying off. This scholarship confirms to me that I am heading in the right career path and that I do it well. For that I
am very grateful. Thank you so much for choosing me for this amazing award!”
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
23
PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP
Jason Puckett is a senior, broadcast journalism major at Elon University. He interned at WSOC-TV
in Charlotte, North Carolina during the summer of 2012, and furthered his experience and skills with
a 10-week internship at CBS News’ “60 Minutes” this past summer. Jason is the Senior Reporter for
Elon Local News, the university’s student newscast, where he anchored for two years and also served
as assignment manager. At Elon, he has reported live from the 2012 Democratic National Convention,
anchored a seven-hour live election show, and interviewed Senators, Congressional Representatives,
and just about every resident of Elon. Jason’s interests include politics, people, and reporting stories. After graduation he plans to become a local TV reporter.
Jason Puckett
Elon University
“Being chosen as a recipient of the President’s Scholarship is truly an amazing honor. Some of my best college experiences have come about through my participation in RTDNA activities. This scholarship will allow me to continue my
reporting and storytelling at Elon as I finish out my senior year and prepare to enter the workforce.”
PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP
Shannon Ferry
Hofstra University
Shannan Ferry is currently the Station Manager at WRHU-FM Radio Hofstra University and is a
College Reporter for Fox News Channel. Some of her most recent accomplishments include winning
the 2013 Fox News College Challenge, accepting a Gracie Award in the Most Outstanding Interview
or Feature category, and being honored by the Press Club of Long Island. Shannan reported live from
the floor of the 2012 Republican National Convention interviewing politicians, filing audio reports,
and contributing to live coverage. She also reported on camera at the 2012 Presidential Debate for
Hofstra University’s website, interviewing politicians such as Peter King, David Axelrod and Bobby
Jindal among many others. Shannan previously interned with NY1 News in New York City where she
helped reporters out in the field and in the newsroom. Shannan hopes to pursue a career in television
or web reporting after graduation.
“I’m so honored to receive the Presidents Scholarship from the Radio Television News Directors Foundation. RTDNA/F
is comprised of the biggest and best newsmakers in the business and having leaders in the industry recognize my hard
work is extremely rewarding. Not only will this prestigious award help me financially, but it will also encourage me
to continue pursuing my professional career in media. I’m so grateful for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to
further developing my leadership and professional skills through the help of RTDNF.”
LOU AND CAROLE PRATO SPORTS REPORTING SCHOLARSHIP
Kristen Lynn Wolfe is a senior at Salisbury University, studying media production in the Fulton School
of Arts. In her freshman year, she chose to focus on her major rather than play a sport. She applied for
a job in the Sports Information Department and since then, started a bi-weekly show called Squawk
Talk that she produces, hosts and edits. She also manages approximately 20 students who film and
commentate the broadcasts for the live varsity game streams on suseagulls.com. She is the president of
the National Broadcasting Society Chapter at Salisbury University and a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the
communications honor society.
Kristen Wolfe
Salisbury University
“It is an absolute honor to receive the Lou & Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship. When I was hired for the Sports
Information Department at Salisbury University there was only a small amount of digital media. I started the bi-weekly
show called Squawk Talk on the athletic website and I am very excited to be recognized for the hard work I have put
forth, for the past three years. I would like to thank the Prato family and the Radio Television Digital News Foundation
again and look forward to continuing a future in sports reporting.”
24 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014
GEORGE FOREMAN TRIBUTE TO LYNDON B. JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP
Christopher Adams
University of Texas at Austin
Born and raised in Chippenham, England, Christopher Adams moved to Austin, Texas, in the summer
of 2010. He’s currently a Broadcast Journalism senior at the University of Texas at Austin. There, he is
the Assistant News Director of Texas Student Television, the only student-run FCC-licensed station in
the country. He’s also the Executive Producer of KVR News, TSTV’s weekly live newscast. Christopher
is an award-winning journalist, picking up accolades from the Society of Professional Journalists and
the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. During his time as Executive Producer, KVR News has
been recognized as one of the best newscasts in the country by College Broadcasters, Inc. Christopher’s
main passion is weather, and an internship with the meteorologists at KXAN-TV in Austin helped to
fuel this passion further. He intends to continue his education by studying Broadcast Meteorology at
graduate level.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be the recipient of the George Foreman Tribute to Lyndon B. Johnson Scholarship,
and I extend my utmost gratitude to the Radio Television Digital News Foundation for bestowing this honor on me.
My passion lies with weather, and I plan to further my education by studying Broadcast Meteorology at graduate level.
I believe meteorologists are heroes. They provide the public vital, life-saving information during outbreaks of severe
weather, and my goal is to become one of those heroes. This scholarship from the RTDNF will undoubtedly help me on
the path to my goal. I appreciate wholeheartedly this recognition of my hard work.”
PETE WILSON SCHOLARSHIP
Talia Samelian is a senior at San Francisco State University in the Broadcast and Electronic
Communication Arts department. She moved to the bay area two years ago from her home state of
Florida in order to pursue her dreams of becoming a newscaster. In 2012 she created an online blog,
Talia Around Town, to share local news packages and interviews she had created. Later that year,
Talia was hired as an assignment editor in the news department of KPIX (CBS 5) in San Francisco.
She’s currently the president of her school’s “College Students in Broadcasting” club. Talia was recently
awarded the Steve Davis Memorial Scholarship from the National Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences.
Talia Samelian
San Francisco State Univ.
“I wrote my first newspaper article when I was 14 years old. It was featured in my hometown’s local paper, The Sarasota
Herald Tribune. When I saw my own words printed onto those pages for everyone to see, it was a very exciting and
defining moment for me. I realized then that I had the ability to not only influence but educate my peers. It was this
idea that propelled me to choose a career in journalism. I wanted to use my own voice to help those who were unable
to help themselves; whose voices had been silenced. It is priceless knowing that the RTDNA believes in the work that
I am so passionate about. The Pete Wilson Scholarship is a moment in my journey to the top that I will never forget.
Thank you Radio Television Digital News Foundation for this opportunity and for supporting me. I will continue to
work tirelessly to see my goals come to fruition.”
ABE SCHECHTER GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
Joe Baur is a freelance writer, filmmaker and satirist with a diverse array of interests, including travel,
adventure, craft beer, health, urban issues, culture and politics. He ranks his allegiances in the order of
Cleveland, the state of Ohio and the Rust Belt, and enjoys a fried egg on a variety of meats. Joe has a B.A.
in Mass Communication with a focus on production from Miami University.
Joe Baur
“Receiving the 2013 Abe Schechter Scholarship is an honor not only because I get to say my name in the same sentence
as this pioneer in radio news, but because it allows me the opportunity to receive an international media education at a
time when better understanding one another from an international perspective could not be more important. Because
of this opportunity offered to me by the Radio Television Digital News Association and Mr. George Glazer of the First
Amendment Banquet, I will be closer to my goal of making an impact in the world of ethical journalism. Thank you.”
University for Peace
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
25
Fellowship
Winners
N.S. BEINSTOCK FELLOWSHIP
Patricia Guerra is a California native who was raised in Mexico. She holds a BA in International
Journalism and Media Studies from Tecnológico de Monterrey and attended the University of California,
Berkeley as an undergraduate exchange student. Patricia worked at Univision in San Francisco where she
covered the duties of assignment editor, writer, associate producer and on-air reporter. Patricia covered
the Primary and General Presidential Election of 2012 with a focus on Latino issues. During that
same year, Patricia and her colleagues received an Emmy Award in the category of “Best Large Market
Evening Newscast” in the Northern California chapter. Patricia’s experience includes working at a public
policy think tank with a focus on low-income and minority communities. Patricia is a 2013-2014 duPont
Awards Research Assistant Fellow. Her work at Columbia includes coverage of public housing, the
implementation of the Affordable Care Act in immigrant communities and the asthma epidemic in
Harlem
Patricia Guerra
Columbia Journalism School
“Receiving this fellowship is both an honor and a great responsibility. It has long been a dream of mine to build a professional career in journalism, thanks to N.S. Bienstock I am now one step closer. It is very encouraging to know that leading companies in the news industry are committed to increasing diversity in newsrooms across America.”
MICHELE CLARK FELLOWSHIP
Chanteé Lans is a morning reporter at WPRI-TV/WNAC-TV (CBS/FOX). She covers overnight
breaking news across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Chanteé reported on international,
national, and state level stories such as the Boston Marathon Bombings, the trial and sentencing of
Reputed Mob Boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger, the arrest of former New England Patriots Player Aaron
Hernandez, the election of Pope Francis, the Blizzard of 2013, Boston Red Sox World Series Win, and
Rhode Island’s legalization of same-sex marriage. She also worked at WFMY-TV, WAPT-TV, and CBS
News. Chanteé is the president and co-founder of NABJ’s first tri-state chapter called the Southern New
England Association of Black Journalists.
Chantee Lans
“I am grateful and honored to win a prestigious award in memory of a young black pioneering journalist like Michele
Clark. In her 29 short years, Clark made strides in the journalism field while touching the hearts of many. I aspire to
one day leave my mark while achieving her level of success.”
WPRI-TV/WNAC-TV
(CBS/FOX)
26 First Amendment Awards Dinner | March 12, 2014
First Anendment
Dinner Committee
Vincent Duffy, Chair
Michigan Radio
Chris Carl
WDEL-AM
Loren Tobia
AccuWeather
Amy Tardif
WGCU-FM
Jerry Walsh
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc
Ed Esposito
Rubber City Radio Group
Michael Valentine
Gannett Broadcasting
Mission
The Radio Television Digital News Foundation (RTDNF) provides training programs, seminars, scholarship
support and research in areas of critical concern to electronic news professionals and their audience.
As the educational arm of the Radio Television Digital News Association, RTDNF offers professional development opportunities for working and aspiring journalists and journalism educators. The Foundation’s primary
objectives include:
• Promoting discussion of ethics and integrity in news coverage
• Developing leadership skills among news professionals and sound management practices in news
organizations
• Encouraging diversity in news organizations and in news coverage
• Assessing the impact of technological change on the news industry
• Fostering exchanges of ideas and perspectives at the local, national and international levels
• Supporting U.S. First Amendment rights, worldwide press freedom and the public’s right to know
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
27
Board of Directors
RTDNA Chairman
Chris Carl
WDEL-AM
RTDNF Chairman
Vincent Duffy
Michigan Radio
RTDNA Chair – Elect
Amy Tardif
WGCU-FM
RTDNF Secretary/Treasurer
Ed Esposito
Rubber City Radio Group
Executive Director
Mike Cavender
RTDNA/F
RTDNA Treasurer
Loren Tobia
AccuWeather
Kathy Walker
KOA Radio
Terence Shepherd
WLRN-FM
Brandon Mercer
KPIX-TV/KCBS Radio
Terry Scott
RTDNA Canada
Scott Libin
Internet Broadcasting
Sean McGarvy
FOX News/DC
Carlton Houston
KFOR-TV
Dan Shelley
Radio One, Inc.
Jam Sadar
WLNS-TV
Jerry Walsh
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc
Christy Moreno
WBIR-TV
Harvey Nagler
CBS News
Randy Bell
WMSI-FM WQJQ-FM
WJDX-AM
David Louie
KGO-TV
Andrew Vrees
WCVB-TV
Bill Roswell
KYW Newsradio
Mark Kraham
WHAG-TV
Janice S. Gin
KRON-TV
Holly Gauntt
KOMO-TV
Barbara Cochran, President Emeritus
University of Missouri
Col. Barney Oldfield, USAF (1909-2003)
RTDNF Founder
First Amendment Awards Dinner | RTDNA.ORG
29
FIND US ON