Murrow Network Student Paper Takes Top Honors At “The Newsies!”

Edward R. Murrow High School’s newspaper, The Murrow Network, has been bringing scores of readers news that matters from that school’s community since 1974. Now, after 38 years in existence, the Network can officially boast that it is the “Best High School Newspaper in New York City,” according to NYC High School Journalism Collaborative and members of New York City’s press corps — an honor that would likely make the famed broadcasting journalist after whom the school (1600 Avenue L) was named pretty proud.

The Network — whose most recent stories include a feature on how the Murrow community came together for the benefit of Hurricane Sandy victims, as well as a moving remembrance of Sandy victim and Murrow alum Jessie Streich-Kest by English teacher John Faciano — earned the top honors for its “school coverage and excellent stories” during the Newsies!, an annual high school journalism conference at Baruch College, the collaborative’s sponsor.

Reporters from the Network earned individual honors as well:

Murrow senior Adelina Zhang took first place in Community News for her story on the stabbing that occurred on Ave. M last year. Graduate Sasha Williams also won first place in the National/World News category for her coverage on how the school was creating backpack care packages to give students in Indiana whose town was destroyed by a tornado. Finally Murrow graduate Zalika Cuffy-Scott finished in second place in the School News category. She wrote a story on how the cafeteria was charging for its food, which was a change from the previous year.

Reporting in and around the vicinity of your high school is as hyper-local as it gets. In these days of corporate takeovers and rampant sensationalism in the news media, we applaud The Murrow Network for keeping it real.