Howard University News Service
Howard University News Service
On Nov. 17, 2001, Howard University’s Department of Journalism launched its online news and information source under the name BlackCollegeView.com, now known as the Howard University News Service (hunewsservice.com). The news service is the anchor project for the department’s Converged Media Lab, created through a student, faculty and industry partnership that includes the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
In the C-Lab, multimedia content is created and disseminated for local, national and global audiences. Correspondents for the Howard University News Service report on education, health, business, government and politics, religion, arts and entertainment, sports and other topics. Coverage focuses mainly on neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., and Prince George’s County, Md.
In 2011, hunewsservice.com was named best independent website by the Society of Professional Journalists, Region 2. Its food desert series won first place regionally and was a national finalist in SPJ’s Mark of Excellence Awards.
The news service has also been praised for its coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the 2012 and 2008 presidential elections and the 2013 and 2009 inaugurations. The converged media team for the elections produced more than 80 print articles, hundreds of photos, a dozen blogs and 20 video and audio packages. Reporters who returned to their hometowns to vote, including New York, Chicago, Detroit and Wilmington, added a national dimension and provided real-time coverage of President-Elect Barack Obama’s victory speech, filing via cell phones and using Twitter. In some cases, the student journalists filed ahead of national news organizations. One of the lead reporters was named Student Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
Converged teams have also covered the 50th anniversaries of Brown v. the Board of Education and the sit-in movement in Greensboro, N.C. “From Black Power to Black Sunday: Student Activism in the Nation’s Capital” was one of 14 student packages included in the “Eyes on the Prize” Black College New Media Project, underwritten by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
News service content has been used by The Washington Post, the Washington Examiner, CNN iReport, BlackAmericaWeb.com, Human Nature magazine, Heart & Soul magazine, Trentonian.com and many of the 200 NNPA newspapers, including the Baltimore and Washington Afro-American, the Washington Informer, the Los Angeles Sentinel and the Chicago Defender.
Through the Howard University News Service, novice and more experienced student journalists alike gain unparalleled experience in covering the U.S. Supreme Court, Congress, D.C. Council, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions as well as grassroots groups and individuals. They apply traditional news values and diversity to coverage in print, audio, still photography, video and social media to distribute content quickly, accurately, fairly and ethically in English as well as other languages.
Reputable news organizations can republish content with the appropriate credit(s) for the Howard University News Service and its correspondents. We also welcome news tips, suggestions for projects and requests for coverage. Please contact us at HUNewsService@gmail.com.
Spring 2014 Reporting Staff:
Ward 1: Janena Shelton
Ward 2: Caylon Thomas
Ward 3: Rufaro Gulstone
Ward 4: LaTreta Metts-Owens
Ward 5: Sarai Johnson
Ward 6: Rachel Cumberbatch
Ward 7: Ashley Travers
Ward 8:
Prince George’s County, Md.: Kristin Corry, LeMara Perry
Northern Virginia: Sondai Costley
Administration:
Keith Harriston, Executive Editor
Lecturer, Department of Media, Journalism and Film
Yanick Rice Lamb, Adviser
Associate Professor
Interim Deputy Chair, Department of Media, Journalism and Film
ylamb@howard.edu
Ingrid Sturgis
Assistant Professor, New Media
isturgis@howard.edu
Advertising Inquiries:
To advertise, please contact:
Sheryl Oliver
Assistant Professor
Advertising Sequence Coordinator
soliver@howard.edu
Howard University News Service
School of Communications
Converged Media Lab
525 Bryant St. N.W., C-229
Washington, DC 20059
Phone: (202) 806-4426
Fax: (202) 806-9227
HUNewsService@gmail.com
