University Honors Program Alumnus Part of Pulitzer Prize-Winning Team

April 19, 2013

Georgia Southern University Honors Program alumnus Charles Minshew (‘11) can add a Pulitzer Prize to his list of accomplishments. Minshew is on the team of the Denver Post reporters recognized by the Pulitzer Prize jury for their coverage of the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shootings on July 20, 2012.

The Denver Post team won in the category of “Breaking News Reporting.” Particularly noted was the way the Denver Post “[used] journalistic tools, from Twitter and Facebook to video and written reports, both to capture a breaking story and provide context.”

Minshew’s work at the Denver Post was as a Dow Jones News Fund summer intern, a competitive opportunity for graduate students in journalism. His contribution to the award-winning coverage of the Aurora shootings included his work as web producer to update the story online, using social media and interactive tools and developing the online timeline that provided context and updates as the story unfolded. The whole package of work considered by the Pulitzer Prize jury can be found here: http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2013-Breaking-News-Reporting.

Minshew, currently enrolled in the master’s program at the Missouri School of Journalism, said about the experience working on the story, “We spent every day making sure that our community was well informed about the theater shooting. That summer showed me what teamwork was all about. Everyone gave it their all.”

“His dedication to his craft and willingness to take risks and experiment with new storytelling techniques and delivery methods is unequaled and something I very much admire,” said professor Amy Simmons, Minshew’s mentor at Missouri. “I look forward to watching him continue to grow as a journalist and see where his promising career takes him.”

Earlier this year,  Minshew  was one of the media members covering the second inauguration of President Barack Obama. He was chosen from a competitive, nationwide pool of journalism graduate students to participate in PBS NewsHour’s  “Vote 2012: College Tour Inauguration Multimedia Short Course.” While a student at Georgia Southern, the political science major attended President Obama’s first inauguration in 2009. Later that year, he participated in Georgia Southern’s Eagles in D.C. program and worked in Congressman John Barrow’s office.

While in graduate school, Minshew has focused on convergence journalism, publishing stories across many platforms. He is the multimedia editor for Vox Magazine as well as a teaching assistant for classes on multimedia technique. He has worked as a reporter for KBIA 91.3 in Columbia, Mo., and published a chapter in the e-book, Unfit to Read through the Columbia Missourian newspaper.

“Georgia Southern prepared me for things like this. It gave me confidence and knowledge to reach for things that may not have been available otherwise,” Minshew told The George-Anne, Georgia Southern’s student newspaper. During his years at Georgia Southern, Minshew was Editor-in-Chief of The  George-Anne as well as editor of The Reflector and the first writer of Honors@Georgia Southern.

“As a student in the University Honors Program, I was taught and challenged to go out into the world, ask questions, and to always strive to learn something new,” explained Minshew. “I believe my time at Georgia Southern perfectly prepared me for these opportunities.”

The University Honors Program at Georgia Southern provides a small college atmosphere in the context of a large comprehensive university. The program is designed to foster the development of a critical sense of inquiry, a spirit of creativity, a global perspective and an ethic of civic responsibility. The program also advises students from across the university in their pursuit of national and international competitive scholarships.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 125 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement.  Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.