CNN Student News Executive Producer Receives DeWitt Carter Reddick Award

Donna Krache, executive producer for CNN Student News and Turner Learning, is the recipient of the 2007 DeWitt Carter Reddick Award presented by the University of Texas at Austin, College of Communication. The award is considered one of the highest honors recognizing outstanding people in the field of communication.

Krache will accept the award on Friday, March 23, at the College of Communication’s Honors Day, for which she will also serve as the keynote speaker.

“We found Donna’s work with CNN Student News wonderfully compelling and essential not only for students but for their parents and teachers,” said Roderick R. Hart, dean of the College of Communication. “The world needs more people with her talent, passion, vision and sense of civic mission.”

Krache began her career with Turner Learning’s CNN Newsroom, the predecessor to CNN Student News, in 1991 as an educational consultant and curriculum writer. She contributed to the teacher’s guide for the movie Gettysburg and to the award-winning “Sept. 11, 2001: A Turning Point in History – The First 30 Days” video and education guide. Prior to joining CNN, she taught U.S. history, world history, government, business and comparative economics to middle and high school students.

Krache also heads the team that developed and implements “Leadership Unplugged: A CNN Experience,” a partnership between CNN and 21st Century Leaders, a non-profit with a mission to expand the number and diversity of future leaders,. The program serves Georgia high school students who work for a week in the summer alongside professionals from CNN and Turner Broadcasting System on a program to develop leadership skills through global awareness, media literacy and communication.

Krache holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in education from the University of New Orleans.

“Through Donna’s dedication and the hard work of her staff, CNN Student News and Turner Learning have become important teaching tools for thousands of educators, parents and students across the nation.” said Susan Grant, executive vice president of CNN News Services. “We are thrilled that the University of Texas at Austin is recognizing Donna for her commitment, passion and great work. She truly deserves the accolades of this prestigious award. All of us at CNN congratulate her on this wonderful honor.”

DeWitt Carter Reddick was the first dean of the College of Communication at the University of Texas. He also was director of the School of Journalism from 1959 to 1965, teaching thousands of journalism students, including Walter Cronkite, Karen Elliott House, Lady Bird Johnson and Ben Sargent from 1927 until his retirement in 1975. Established in 1974, the DeWitt Carter Reddick Award recognizes excellence in the field of communication. Past Reddick Award recipients include: Walter Cronkite, Molly Ivins, Bill Moyers, William S. Paley, William J. Raspberry, Helen Thomas, Ted Turner and Bill Wittliff, among others.

CNN Student News, CNN's cost-and-commercial-free educational program for middle and high schools is the cornerstone of Turner Learning and uses the vast resources of the CNN Worldwide to create news and information content specifically for the classroom. CNN Student News airs on Headline News, Monday - Friday throughout the school year at 3:12 a.m. (ET). The show is also streamed for the Web at www.CNN.com/Education. CNN Student News, along with CNN Student News, along with CNN Classroom Edition, which includes commercial free programming from CNN: Special Investigations Unit and CNN Presents which is CNN's contribution to Cable in the Classroom.

Turner Learning, Inc. is part of CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS). Turner Learning is dedicated to being the leading source of news and information for the classroom, creating educational outreach programs across the many divisions of TBS. By creating the highest-quality, most innovative programming, products and services; leveraging Turner assets; and creating instructional solutions valued by teachers, Turner Learning seeks to inspire youth to understand the world in which they live, and become better-informed global citizens. For more information on Turner Learning offerings, educators may visit our Web site at http://www.CNN.com/Education.