COLLEGE PARK -- The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation announced the winners of the 46th Annual Gracie Awards on Wednesday, and four entries from the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism were among them.
Students Sidni Espinosa ’20, Amelia Jarecke ’22 and Kelsey Mannix ’20 won individual awards as television student honorees, while Capital News Service’s ViewFinder program, led by Senior Lecturer Bethany Swain, was among the digital media student honorees.
The Gracies recognize exemplary programming created by, for and about women in radio, television, cable and interactive media. Honorees are selected in national, local and student markets, including both commercial and noncommercial outlets. Student award winners will be recognized virtually.
Espinosa won the student Hard News Feature award for her piece, “Healthcare’s New Home: A Barbershop Story,” on the efforts of Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, Director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity, to close the health gap.
Jarecke won the student Documentary award for her ViewFinder mini-documentary, “The Flyover State.” The film follows Jarecke and her friends on their trip to see over a half-million sandhill cranes descend on a river in central Nebraska during the birds' migration north. It was filmed entirely on phones. She filmed, edited and produced the music for the film.
Mannix won the student Soft News Feature award for her CNS TV segment, “Local artist memorializes lives lost to COVID-19,” on Bethesda-based artist Suzanne Firstenberg putting flags in front of RFK Stadium to remember those who died from COVID-19.
The ViewFinder team won the student Original Online Programming award for its Spring 2020 virtual screening. The program showcased work produced for Season 12 during the team's COVID-impacted semester, with commentary from the student journalists involved, including Espinosa, Seth Gleaner '20, Carly Haynes '20, Lancelot Lin '21, Maris Medina '20 and Susannah Outhier '20.
The Gracie Awards is the largest fundraiser of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (formerly known as The Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television), which supports and promotes educational programs, and scholarships to benefit the media, the public and allied fields.
In addition to giving $20,000 a year away in scholarships to deserving female students, the Foundation also produces the nationally acclaimed recognition program – the Gracie Awards which honors exemplary programming created by, for and about women.