Philip Merrill College of Journalism - University of Maryland

MARYLAND VOTERS: Before you go to the polls today, check out our Local News Network General Assembly primary voter guide to learn where your candidates stand on the issues most important to you!

LNN sent questionnaires to all 235 General Assembly candidates who face a competitive primary, and 141 responded. Student journalists also did background checks on all the candidates.

Candidate responses were published in an online database organized by primary race. CHECK IT OUT: https://voterguide26.netlify.app/

JOIN US July 17 at noon for "Improving engagement with new models and AI-formatted content" — the next webinar in the monthly series, “The Business of Journalism in the Age of AI,” from Merrill College and 's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

The session will feature Merrill College faculty member Ronald Yaros (director of the Digital Engagement Lab) and Reid Williams (co-founder of The Local Journalism Foundation).

REGISTER TODAY at go.umd.edu/BizofJournalismJuly

Merrill College was WELL-represented at this year's IRE Conference at National Harbor in Maryland.

Our faculty, students and alums hosted over 17 sessions, teaching conference attendees skills in data, research, coding and more!

We hope everyone learned a lot and made lasting connections. See you next year!

MPR News featured alum Maria Reeve, our 2026 commencement speaker and a Merrill Hall of Famer, as part of this feature! Reeve is executive director of culture and careers at The Minnesota Star Tribune.

The segment is moderated by MPR News host Angela Davis, a fellow Merrill Hall of Famer and a member of our Board of Visitors.

Give it a listen:

Three commencement speakers share the advice they gave the Class of 2026 MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three Minnesotans who delivered commencement speeches last month about the messages they hope the Class of 2026 will carry into the future.

The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association recently announced the winners of its annual awards and our Maryland Capital News Service students had an exceptional showing, sweeping all seven honors in the college TV competition!

CNS won for Outstanding College Newscast and four students were recognized by CAPBA. Eddy Calkins '26 won three awards — finishing first and second in the Outstanding General News category and placing second in the Outstanding Feature category.

Ben Wolf '26 (Outstanding Feature) and Zion Williams '26 (Outstanding Sports Reporting) both placed first in their respective categories while Andrew McBride '26 (Outstanding Sports Reporting) placed second. Congratulations to all!

FULL LIST OF WINNERS: https://capba.net/2025-capba-winners-1

Don't mind us just thinking about the 2025-26 school year.☺️ 💭

The Merrill College community was very busy — whether it was classes, internships, events or field trips! So take a trip down memory lane with us!

Congratulations to student Ashley Burkett! So proud!

Congratulations to Ashley Burkett of the University of Maryland, the 2026 Betty Endicott Scholarship recipient! 🎉

Ashley’s work as an anchor, reporter, videographer, and journalism student reflects the bright future of broadcast and media in our region.

She will be honored at the 68th Capital Emmy Awards on Saturday, June 20.

Learn more: https://www.capitalemmys.tv/post/2026-betty-endicott-scholarship-recipient-is-ashley-burkett

The Maryland primary election is in ONE WEEK and early voting is underway. Learn where your Maryland General Assembly candidates stand on the issues important to you in our Local News Network General Assembly voter guide!

LNN sent questionnaires to all 235 General Assembly candidates who face a competitive primary, and 141 responded. Student journalists also did background checks on all the candidates.

Candidate responses were published in an online database organized by primary race. CHECK IT OUT: https://voterguide26.netlify.app/

🎓️🎓️ PHOTO DUMP TIME!! 🎓️🎓️

That's right! Merrill College is releasing our Commencement 2026 photos for you to look through and download. 👀 One last congratulations to our newest grads! 👏

Find the gallery here: go.umd.edu/MerrillCommencement26