Richard Icen Fourth Estate Award

The Richard Icen Fourth Estate Award is a journalism scholarship for full-time students at Eastern Illinois University who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to journalistic excellence and the principles of a free press. Recipients must be majoring in Journalism, in good academic standing, and have completed at least 90 semester hours. The award recognizes students who go beyond routine coverage and show dedication to maintaining and promoting the role of a free press. Nominees must be selected by the Journalism faculty and must submit clips or tapes of news stories demonstrating journalistic commitment, a summary of activities promoting free press ideals, and an essay defining their philosophy of a free press and how it relates to their career goals. The award is renewable if recipients continue to meet the criteria and is made payable in both Fall and Spring semesters.