And the $$$ comes rolling in and other stuff

John Hudson, Journalism freshman, is the inaugural winner of the Walter S. and Syrena M. Howell Essay Contest. His essay on flaws in the media’s coverage of the 2006 Michigan gubernatorial race was voted best by three J-School faculty members: Kim Piper-Aiken, Dave Poulson and Geri Zeldes. He wins a $1,000 prize and a $3,000 scholarship. The essay contest is funded by a bequest from the estate of the late Grant Howell, longtime editor of The Daily Tribune in Royal Oak, Michigan. Howell devoted his career to fairness and objectivity in new coverage by his staff. He became increasingly concerned about bias and spin slipping into media coverage in recent years. The essay contest, named after his parents, was his effort to keep attention focused on this growing problem. The contest was open to all students in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

Senior Marin MacDonald just won the prestigious Harold E. Fellow Memorial Scholarship from the Broadcast Education Association and the National Association of Broadcasters. Mairin is a Focal Point veteran joining in her freshman year. This year she is the Focal Point film critic and will receive her award at the NAB convention in Las Vegas in the spring.
The J-School announced the first of the scholarship winners for the 2007-8 academic year. Awards totaled more than $30,000. More winners will be announced in the near future.

The 10th issue of EJ Magazine just hit the cyber news stands at www.ejmagazine.com. The print version arrives early next week. This issue's special section is "Green Lifestyles," which has seven articles, each focusing on a different aspect of how we live -- our cars, homes, kids, pets, food, fun, and vacation. Editor Katie Coleman, a J-School master’s student in the environmental option is EJ’s editor. The Magazine is published by the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism,

Despite the first major snow and ice of the season, the J-School’s Michigan Interscholastic Press Association hosted an InDesign workshop for high school students on Friday. Nearly 100 braved the slushy roads to attend. Cheryl Pell, MIPA Executive Director, did a great job, as always.