Topic: College of Communication Information and Media
March 22, 2007
Janet Kelley, staff writer for the Lancaster (Pa.) New Era newspaper won Ball State's 2007 Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Writing Award for her story, "Horror and Heroism."
Kelley chronicled the events surrounding the shooting of 10 Amish girls in a one-room schoolhouse on Oct. 2, 2006, in Nickel Mines, Pa. The story has been praised by law enforcement officials and the Amish community for its accuracy, credibility and sensitivity.
One competition judge applauded the work as a story that "captivates the reader from start to finish, thanks to the author's meticulous research, eye for detail, judicious quote selection and compelling narrative." Another judge called it an example of community journalism at its finest.
Kelley will receive a plaque and $1,500 at the journalism department's annual awards luncheon at 11:30 a.m. April 3 at the Pittenger Student Center, Cardinal Hall. It will be presented on behalf of the Pulliam family, sponsors of the annual award. The lunch presentation is by invitation-only.
However, the public is welcome to attend Kelley's speech, "Crisis in Reporting and the Art of Persuasion," at 7:30 p.m. April 3 at the Student Center, Cardinal Hall. The speech is presented as part of the journalism department's professional-in-residence series.
Kelley began her career in 1976 as a general assignment reporter for the Pennsylvania Mirror after graduating from Penn State University. She joined the Lancaster New Era in 1979 and has covered crime and court beats for the past 28 years.
She has won numerous awards from the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Society of Newspaper Editors for her stories about crime and law.
Three former winners of the Pulliam writing competition have later won Pulitzer Prizes.
By Jennifer Strempka