Journalism students earn additional top 10 placements in national Hearst competition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 19, 2025) — After top 10 finishes in the Photojournalism News and Features Competition of the 2024-25 Hearst Journalism Awards Program earlier this year, University of Kentucky journalism students and recent graduates Abbey Cutrer and Matthew Mueller have been named top 10 winners in the Hearst’s Picture Story/Series Competition category.

Cutrer, the Kentucky Kernel’s outgoing editor-in-chief, placed fourth in the competition, earning her a $1,000 award as well as a spot to compete in the Hearst National Photojournalism Championship in San Francisco this June.

Mueller, a senior in the School of Journalism and Media, was awarded 10th place in the Picture Story competition.

Cutrer and Mueller’s submitted portfolios included photos from Kernel and KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion magazine story assignments as well as their work from the Picture Kentucky Photojournalism Workshop, a four-day immersive visual storytelling course produced by the Kernel with support from the College of Communication and Information and the School of Journalism and Media.

David Stephenson, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Media and photo advisor for Kernel Media, expressed his excitement for Cutrer and Mueller and noted that the placements are the culmination of all the hard work the two seniors have done throughout their undergraduate studies.

“I’m really proud of both Abbey and Matthew, but honestly, I’m not surprised,” Stephenson said. “And I think that says a lot about how good they are and how consistent they are. They’ve been working toward this, building toward it, and I couldn’t be happier for them. I have no doubt that both of these photographers are going to be top notch professionals in their trade for a long time if they want to be.”

The student points accumulated from Cutrer and Mueller’s Hearst placements also rank UK as second in the United States for collegiate photojournalism.

“[That ranking] is crazy to think of because we don’t even have a dedicated photojournalism program here,” Stephenson said. “The fact that we have good enough photographers and infrastructure to allow students to succeed at that level is pretty cool. I told a friend when I got the results, ‘We’re on the map.’”

Stephenson said he hopes the national exposure will show others, including current and prospective journalism students, what is capable within the School of Journalism and Media.

“It can help further the programs we are already offering, like the Picture Kentucky Workshop and the recent GameOnUK sports journalism workshop,” he said. “[These] are major factors in recruiting and training our students and giving them experiences that lead to national awards, internships and jobs.”

Mueller, who will begin a six-month internship with the Omaha World-Herald this summer, thanked Stephenson for his continued help and said he was honored to receive top 10 placements in both of the Hearst program’s photojournalism competitions this year.

“It’s really cool to be able to represent the Kernel in the way it is,” Mueller said. “It’s also great to receive this recognition in the company of a fellow photographer within the Kernel.”

Likewise, Cutrer said that none of her success would be possible without Stephenson’s coaching as well as opportunities like the Picture Kentucky Workshop.

“I’m proud of David for everything he’s done for photojournalism at UK,” she said. “Matthew and I would not have these awards without David and being able to sit in his office looking at pictures for hours and having actual, critical feedback.”

Cutrer’s Hearst placement comes along with two other national awards to round out her senior year: second place in the White House News Photographers Association’s Student Still Photographer of the Year contest and the Liane Enkelis Scholarship for Women in Photojournalism given to emerging photojournalists by the National Press Photographers Foundation.

This summer Cutrer will begin a photo internship with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She said the awards serve as great motivation to continue on her current career path.

“Now that I’ve received this acknowledgment from leaders and greats in photojournalism, I am even more excited to continue documenting history and especially in a new city,” Cutrer said. “It has helped give me a little push to shoot photos every day and bring my camera with me everywhere I go.”

At the Hearst National Photojournalism Championship in San Francisco next month, Cutrer and other contestants will have three days to find a subject and create an original photo story based on a provided prompt. The championship was previously attended by Jack Weaver, a 2023 Gatton College of Business and Economics graduate and former managing editor of the Kernel.

More information about the 2024-25 Hearst Journalism Awards Program can be found at www.hearstawards.org/.