SPJ Madison to raise money for David Maraniss Scholarship

MADISON — The Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will raise money for the David Maraniss and Elliott Maraniss Scholarship at its annual holiday party and raffle in December. The group is now seeking prizes from media companies, local businesses and journalists.

The scholarship is awarded to UW-Madison graduate students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a focus on minority applicants.

“In a modern culture flooded with misinformation and disinformation, it is more important than ever to develop a new generation of journalists who are both fluent in ever-changing technologies and committed to and trained in journalism that emphasizes real old-school reporting and the search for truth. That is what my father, Elliott Maraniss, believed in, that is how he trained me, and that is what the Maraniss scholarship is all about,” said David Maraniss. “The fact this this scholarship, aimed to help women and minority students, includes a wonderful summer internship at the Capital Times, doubles its effectiveness. I’m incredibly grateful that SPJ Madison is helping us strengthen this effort.”

Pulitzer Prize winner David Maraniss is a Madison native and Washington Post editor who has written biographies of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Vince Lombardi and who told the story of the Dow Chemical protests at UW during the Vietnam War, among other works. His father, Elliott Maraniss, was the longtime editor of the Capital Times in Madison.

The SPJ Madison holiday party and raffle, held in conjunction with the Capitol press corps, will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 from 6-9 p.m. at the Argus Bar in Madison. Those interested in contributing raffle prizes can contact Mark Pitsch at mpitsch (at) madison (dot) com.

In previous years, SPJ Madison raised money for Simpson Street Free Press and the Tom Mulhern Scholarship for Sports Journalism at UW-Madison.

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