She'd even managed to be invited to sit at Oprah Winfrey's table at lunch. It was an opportunity earned through hard work in a sigular public service program at the University of Georgia. Every October, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA chooses students to prescreen entries for the Peabody Awards. About 25-35 entries receive awards each year, from more than 1,100 nominees. The 1996-1997 awards will mark the 56th year of the Peabody program.
Students become judges through a competitive process.
In order to be judges, students must be enrolled in the Grady College. They submit applications, list courses they have taken and write a brief essay on why they would like to be a student judge. The Peabody Awards committee reviews these applications and generally chooses juniors, seniors, and graduate students with superior writing experience. The majority of applicants survive the first cut. Next, students attend a screening and write short critiques of three broadcast programs.