RTNDF Awards Scholarships

TORONTO, July 6 /CNW/ - The Radio Television News Directors Foundation
has presented five outstanding Broadcast Journalism students more than $12,000
in scholarships. The scholarships were presented recently at RTNDA Canada
regional meetings across the country. Students applying for the scholarships
had to submit a sample of their work in one of five categories. This year,
more than 40 applications were received from across the country.
Stefanie Masotti of Fanshawe College in London, Ontario won two
scholarships; the $2,000 Marketwire scholarship for the top first year
student, and the $2,500 RTNDA George Clark Scholarship for the overall winning
entry. Masotti's entry was entitled "Merging Media". Her eight minute feature
explored the various options consumers now use to obtain news and information
including the internet and smart phones, and how it potentially affects
conventional media, including radio, television and newspaper. The judges
commended Masotti's feature calling it "polished, well written, well
produced".
The winner of the $2,000 BNN/Jim O'Connell Scholarship for a student who
is interested in pursuing a career in business journalism is Fanshawe College
student Russ Courtney. Courtney chose to tackle a very current topic, the
recession; what triggered it, and how it affects all of us. His feature
included interviews with business students, business and municipal leaders,
and non-profit organizations. The judges praised the entry for its strong
writing, good delivery and use of sound.
The $2,000 RTNDF Scholarship for second, third year and graduate students
was awarded to Josh Cooper of Fanshawe College. For his entry, Cooper chose to
re-visit a familiar story, those who continue to deny the Holocaust of the
Second World War. Josh gave the Holocaust a human face by interviewing an
87-year-old man, Wolf Schweitzer of London, who lived in six concentration
camps including Auschwitz. The judges said the feature was extremely well
written, good use of music to set the tone, and a great topic for public
discussion.
Valerie Malla of the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby
won the $2,000 Eric Murray/The Canadian Press Scholarship for Aboriginal
persons and members of a visible minority. Malla's entry, entitled "The
Funeral" was a radio feature where a French Immersion High School Teacher
chose to end his career by holding a funeral. It included interviews with the
teacher and his students. The judges called the entry a "moving story", and
"good use of interview subjects to tell the story". The judges also said it
was a well edited feature, and made good use of background music to make the
story more compelling.
Christine Mazur of Red River College in Winnipeg won the $2,000
CBC/Barbara Frum Scholarship for Interviewing. Mazur's winning entry was a
radio interview with Toronto Immigration lawyer and author Ronald Poulton, who
worked for the United Nations in the 1990's. Mazur spoke to Poulton about his
new book "Pale Blue Hope" which chronicles his experience as a legal advisor
in Tajikistan. The judges praised Mazur's work for her ambition, preparation
for the interview, good pace and presence with her guest, and for offering
supportive responses and great questions.

The RTNDF was established by the RTNDA in 1978 to offer financial
assistance to students in Canada. Each year, six scholarships will be awarded
to Canadian students. To date, the RTNDF has awarded scholarships valued at
more than $230,000.