U of I sophomore Webb earns Top 10 award in National Hearst News Competition

MOSCOW — University of Idaho broadcast journalism student John Webb, from Wallace, placed ninth in a prestigious TV news competition that included the nation’s top journalism schools. Webb, a sophomore in the School of Journalism and Mass Media, was named among the top 10 finalists in the annual Hearst TV News Competition for his stories on the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns on schools and businesses in North Idaho’s Silver Valley.

The winners were chosen from 77 entries submitted from 48 schools. Entries from Arizona State University, the University of Florida and the University of Missouri took the top five slots. Webb’s entry placed higher than other competitors from Arizona State University; Michigan State University; University of Missouri; Syracuse University; University of Texas, Austin; Kent State University; Pennsylvania State University; Murray State University; and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Webb is the second JAMM student to be recognized by Hearst in a year. Riley Haun took first place in the explanatory reporting category for an article written last summer. Haun, of Homedale, topped a field of 121 entries to win the Explanatory Reporting Award from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

Webb currently works for Pullman Radio and North Idaho News. He’s also interning at KHQ-TV in Spokane.