CNS | Philip Merrill College of Journalism

Capital News Service
Operated by the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland , Capital News Service provides students with real-life reporting experiences -- covering a beat, developing sources, generating story ideas and writing on deadline -- all in close consultation with an instructor/editor.

Capital News Service operates two print bureaus: one in Annapolis and one in Washington, D.C. Its clients include 14 daily newspapers and wire services, more than 60 weekly and monthly newspapers and newsletters, a news-radio station, a statewide public television network and several online services. It also operates a broadcast bureau that produces a nightly newscast that goes to more than 400,000 households in Baltimore and suburban Washington, and an online newsmagazine, Maryland Newsline, that does original news and feature reporting and also showcases work from the print and broadcast operations.

The print bureaus transmit about 300 stories each semester for publication. Each student typically produces 25 to 30 stories that are usually picked up by several clients, giving students as many as 90 clips for the semester. CNS news, feature and investigative stories often appear on A1 of client papers, and have appeared in The Washington Post, The (Baltimore) Sun and The Washington Times. Select stories are sent to the McClatchy-Tribune News Service for distribution, and have appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, among other papers. The program has led directly to top internships and reporting jobs for most CNS alumni.

Selected Merrill College of Journalism undergraduates and graduate students in the public affairs reporting sequence receive 12 credits in their bureau semester. The program is divided into three sections:

Bureau
Students receive six credits for acting as full-time (35 to 40 hours a week) reporters from Tuesday through Friday, covering either Annapolis or Washington for Capital News Service.

Press Seminar
Participants also are enrolled in an upper-level journalism seminar on Mondays with Knight Chair Haynes Johnson, one of the college's Pulitzer Prize winning faculty members. The class explores various topics in public affairs reporting, often with guest lecturers.

Public Affairs Seminar or Advanced Writing Course
Students can receive their final three credits from a School of Public Policy class designed specifically for the bureau program or by taking an advanced writing or reporting course with the College's award-winning faculty.

Becoming a CNS Reporter

The bureau program is open to all journalism majors. We are looking for highly motivated juniors and seniors who are planning a career in journalism and have clips to submit for evaluation. We have in the past considered exceptional sophomores.

To apply, drop off your six best published clips, a resume and a brief cover letter (with bureau preference, if desired) to Assistant Dean Steve Crane, Room 1117, Journalism Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7111. Bureau reporters for the spring 2008 semester have already been selected. The deadline to apply for the fall 2008 semester is March 28. Only University of Maryland journalism majors are eligible to apply.

For more information, see Mr. Crane or make an appointment to visit either the Washington bureau (202-628-1677, ask for Bureau Director Adrianne Flynn) or the Annapolis bureau (410-626-1008, ask for Bureau Director Rafael Lorente).