COLLEGE PARK — Jennifer Gilbert St. John, a member of the Board of Visitors at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, has donated $30,000 to the school to establish the Jennifer St. John Broadcast News Fund in Journalism.
The current-use fund will provide support to enhance Merrill College’s Capital News Service (CNS) broadcast bureau with critical equipment upgrades. CNS is the college’s nonprofit, student-powered news organization with bureaus in Washington, D.C., Annapolis and College Park. It features a twice-weekly live newscast, which airs on UMTV and YouTube during each semester.
A portion of St. John’s gift is designated toward the Board of Visitors’ $40,000 Giving Day challenge, which will unlock March 4 once 100 people have donated to Merrill College at go.umd.edu/GivingDay during the university’s annual 24-hour fundraising event.
“I had the opportunity to visit the CNS bureau in College Park last fall. I was energized by the enthusiasm and proficiency of the students,” St. John said. “They are receiving excellent training at Merrill for a career in journalism. I wanted to help make sure that they have the tools they need to be successful. I am proud to help support the broadcast news program, and I hope others will be inspired to join me in helping to prepare our students for jobs in the real world.”
St. John is a former television news journalist whose career spanned three decades and earned her multiple awards, including seven Capital Emmy Awards and numerous honors from The Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists. She is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the broadcast industry for 25 years or more.
St. John spent most of her career as a news anchor at FOX45 in Baltimore, Maryland. Before coming to Baltimore, she worked at WGAL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She has worked extensively with various organizations and charities, partnering with her husband, Edward St. John, to support the efforts of the Edward St. John Foundation.
“Thank you to Jennifer Gilbert St. John for her generosity to elevate the Merrill College experience for our students,” Dean Rafael Lorente said. “Supporting our students and making sure they are trained to be successful after graduation is supremely important. Upgrades to our broadcast bureau will ensure students are working with the best equipment while they’re here and leave with the modern skills that will translate to professional broadcast operations.”
For more information, contact:
Josh Land, Communications Manager
joshland@umd.edu