KC McGinnis, of University of Iowa, is the winner of the Kit C. King Scholarship, which is exclusively for photojournalists who are pursuing an advanced degree.
Among McGinnis’ accomplishments are:
- First place, NPPA Monthly Clip Contest (Feature/Multiple Picture), December 2014, Region 5
- Photographer and photo editor, The Daily Iowan, 2009-2010
As an assistant photo editor at the independent newspaper for the University of Iowa community, I coordinated and edited daily assignments for a team of 10 student photographers. This included extensive photo toning, cutlining and preparing for web. I focused on integrating multimedia content into the staff workflow; I piloted the Spotlight series, a daily multimedia feature profiling local personalities, and produced the photo staff’s first video features once the paper acquired HDSLR cameras. - University of Iowa Honors program summer orientation guide, Summer 2009.
- Organized and directed multiple overseas exchange trips for an international student organization.
- Earned my bachelors degree in Journalism and Art & Art History, with Honors, May 2010.
- Learned video techniques as a multimedia intern with The Daily News Egypt, in Cairo, Winter 2012.
- As an independent photographer, began adding videojournalism to my portfolio, with my first video clip published in The New York Times in March 2014.
- Served as a multimedia specialist with the Dubuque Telegraph Herald in Dubuque, Iowa, in 2014, before being offered a scholarship at the University of Iowa to earn my Master’s in Journalism.
- Awarded an assistantship with the University of Iowa Center for Global & Regional Environmental Research, as a multimedia specialist and department blogger.
- Currently earning my Master of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Iowa, specializing in web-based videojournalism.
About his career McGinnis wrote, “The purpose of my education is to become a well-rounded visual journalist specializing in videojournalism. While the current hardships facing photojournalists are well documented, the pool of opportunities is growing for web-based videojournalists with strong visual sensibilities. I would like to either join a news media company that has an expanding multimedia department, help a company develop a new videojournalism program, or work independently while pursuing higher education. I would eventually like to teach web-based videojournalism, and a master’s degree will give me the theoretical grounding to work from.”
Portfolio
Click on pictures to see stories.
Photography, writing, and music by KC McGinnis.
Titles by The New York Times.
Additional audio by Greg Mazunik.
Story pitch and initial reporting by KC McGinnis.
Iowa photography by KC McGinnis.
Illinois reporting and photography by Brent McDonald.
Photography, writing and production by KC McGinnis.
Photography, writing and reporting by KC McGinnis.
Additional reporting by Stacey Becker.