Journalists familiar with South Korea and China and Japan set themselves far ahead of their peers, according to School of Journalism Dean Bradley Hamm.

And that’s the idea behind choosing modern Asia as the destination for nine winners of the Roy W. Howard Reporting Competition. The trip offers a 14-day, all expense paid trip to Seoul, Tokyo and Kyoto this June to meet with the region’s leading journalists and visit prominent media outlets, according to the Scripps Howard Foundation, which sponsors the competition.

But applicants should get busy: The deadline for entries is March 31 and the foundation will announce the winners April 16. The trip is June 9-22.

Hamm, who has researched the region and visits often, led the competition’s inaugural trip to Asia last summer. He thinks journalists who don’t familiarize themselves with the region are missing out.

“Very few people who go abroad go to Asia, yet Japan has the largest newspapers in the world,” Hamm said. His connections and knowledge of the area allowed for high-quality meetings and events to fill the time abroad last summer.

The competition, founded in 1984, originally offered nationwide winners a trip to Bloomington. Last year, the foundation added the trip to include an international element, said Sue Porter, vice president of programs at Scripps Howard Foundation.

One of last year’s winners, School of Journalism sophomore Audrie Garrison, noted the efficiency of last year’s trip.

“Dean Hamm knew a lot of street smarts,” Garrison said. “I can’t imagine having been able to get around the country on my own, definitely not for a long time.”

Despite the culture shock, Garrison noticed the similarities of newsrooms across countries rather than the differences.

“When we walked through the newsrooms, it really looked like any American newspaper I’ve been in,” Garrison said.

While IU had a winner last year in Garrison, the same is not guaranteed for this year, even with Dean Hamm’s participation. The contest is open to full-time undergraduate journalism students, both reporters and photographers, who are returning to college in fall 2007 as undergraduates, Porter said. The only preference given is to the children of Scripps Howard employees.

The addition of the trip may have influenced the greater number of entries last year, but Porter says anyone’s chances are good.

“We feel like there is a lot of potential,” Porter said. “We’re surprised more people don’t take advantage of it.”

Those interested in applying should submit tearsheets or photocopies of four to six bylined articles published in any school or mainstream publication between March 15, 2006 and March 15, 2007.

Both stories and photo essays will be accepted, but the mundane in both categories will likely be overlooked, Porter said.

“We’re looking for a little more enterprise, or feature writing, something that showcases their ability,” Porter said. Photographers must include a written explanation with photo submissions to explain their intent and meaning.

“Put yourself in the judges’ seat,” Porter said. “That’s always a good way to prepare for entries. This is your way of selling yourself.”

Applicants must include a current resume, letter of recommendation and an essay on what winning the international journalism study experience would mean to them.

As for the essay, Porter emphasizes originality and confidence. “Don’t be intimidated by the prompt. Just express yourself.”

The School of Journalism also has other ties to newspaperman Roy W. Howard. The school houses his archives and administers the Roy W. Howard Professorship currently held by professor David Weaver.


To find out more:

Check out the Scripps Howard Foundation Web site.

Download the entry from (PDF format)

Read about last year’s trip.

Read about Audrie Garrison, School of Journalism sophomore and one of last year’s winners.