Four broadcast students in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are among the recipients of this year's Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.

The award was presented to 2007 CoJMC graduates Justin Peterson, Chris Welch, Megan Carrick and Rachel Anderson for their student documentary Breaking Down Barriers. J school Associate Professor Barney McCoy joined adjunct faculty and NET production staffers Michael Farrell and Joel Geyer to advise on the documentary.

Breaking Down Barriers examined educational challenges facing Latino immigrants in America and Turkish immigrants in Germany. The journalism students worked as producers, videographers, writers and editors on the yearlong project. The documentary aired on public television in Nebraska in 2007.

The UNL recipients of this year's Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award are 2007 CoJMC Broadcast graduates Rachel Anderson Megan Carrick, Justin Peterson and Chris Welch. Photo: Barney McCoy, NewsNetNebraska

It was part of a depth reporting class in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Production assistance for Breaking Down Barriers was provided by NET, Nebraska Educational Telecommunications.

The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award honors the outstanding reporting of the lives and strife of disadvantaged people throughout the world. Known as the "Poor People's Pulitzers" within the press arena, these recipients of these awards have brought to light issues that include child abuse and juvenile crime as well as discriminatory banking practices and prejudice against AIDS victims.

Also attending the RFK Journalism awards ceremony from left to right were awardee Justin Peterson, First Amendment Center Founder, John Seigenthaler, Sr., CoJMC Associate Profesor Barney McCoy, Mrs. Ethel Kennedy, CoJMC Dean Will Norton, Jr. and 2008 CoJMC graduate Laine Norton. Photo: Enver Burak Can, NewsNetNebraska

Established in December of 1968 by a group of reporters covering Robert Kennedy's presidential election, the awards are judged by more than 50 journalists each year.

Breaking Down Barriers also won first place in Documentary/Special in the student market TV category at the March Northwest Broadcast News Association "Midwest Journalism Conference" in Minneapolis.

The documentary also was a Region 2 finalist for the Student Academy Awards. And it won an Award of Excellence in the 2007 Student Documentary Competition sponsored by the Broadcast Education Association. Awards of Excellence are presented to entries that earn 90 points or more from a total of 100 possible points; Breaking Down Barriers had a final score of 93.25 points.