CWU Broadcast Journalism Grad Wins Big At National Conference

April 14, 2008

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University broadcast journalism graduate Ryan Fudacz recently won a first-place award for a news feature he produced last year on local jail inmates.

Fudacz, 23, tied for the award in the Video News Segment from the National Broadcasting Society's Student Electronic Media Competition in March. He created the segment, titled "Jail Life," in November of 2007. The other winner was a student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Fudacz, now a Seattle resident, is a 2003 Thorp High School graduate. He completed his CWU degree in 2007.

"It was a weird experience," Fudacz says. "I put myself into the story and went through the booking process. They stripped me of my belt and shoes and gave me the orange jump suit and told me to sit in a cell."

The story was created at the Kittitas County Jail, where Fudacz also filmed an inmate.

"(The inmate) told me it was actually very helpful for him, and it allowed him to reflect on what he had done - third degree assault."

Robert Fordan, Fudacz's communication professor and mentor, says the award not only reflects Ryan's commitment to excellence, but it's reflective of a strong academic program at Central's department of communication.

"This marks the second year in a row our students have won national grand prize honors for their work," adds Fordan. "Ryan's production work and reporting have gotten stronger and more professional each quarter he has been involved in the broadcast journalism program. I believe Ryan is now poised to truly make his mark in the broadcasting industry."

Since graduating, Fudacz has been working as a cameraman for the Seattle Mariners, where he shoots primarily in-house crowd shots and video of the players during the games.

"Before I entered into the major, I had no idea how to run a camera or edit. I'd never touched the stuff in my life," he explains. "I loved the experience there at Central, and especially professor Fordan, who helped me out quite a bit."

Contact: Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations & Marketing, olint@cwu.edu, 509-963-1416

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of place bound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.