Friday, May 14, 2021
Stephen Neukam ’21 pursues career in political journalism at University of Maryland
by Rachel Stengel '14, '20
Stephen Neukam ’21 is headed to his top choice for graduate school with a full-tuition scholarship.
Nuekam found out he earned a spot at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland in the middle of the spring semester, but the news is just starting to sink in as his time at Rider comes to a close.
“I was knee deep in other school work so it was a quick respite to celebrate,” he says. “But, I’m super excited. I kept thinking about the support system at Rider that got me to this point — my peers at the [student] newspaper who pushed me to be better, my professors and the administrators at Rider. I really owe a lot to those around me. I’m very humbled.”
The journalism and political science double major will earn his master’s in journalism with hopes to pursue a career in political journalism.
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland is consistently ranked among the world's top journalism schools. Alumni and faculty members are proud winners of a number of Pulitzer Prizes, Peabody Awards and Emmy Awards. The college has produced a number of notable alumni including TV anchor and correspondent Connie Chung and SportCenter’s Scott Van Pelt. The school is also home to the student-run news organization, Capital News Service, which provides award-winning coverage about Maryland and Washington, D.C.
I want to do something important that serves a real role for my community.
“The University of Maryland is one of top journalism schools in the country and being right outside of Washington, D.C., there are so many connections to the political market,” Neukam says.
A sports fan at heart, Neukam originally intended to focus on sports journalism as a freshman, but an introductory political science course quickly shifted his focus. After checking out a dense political science book about Nelson Mandela from Moore Library, Neukam says he was hooked.
“There’s a lot of cynicism about politics and then you read about someone like Mandela, you realize there are stories about how politics has become a vehicle for change,” he says. “The same goes for journalism. When you look back at historical events like Watergate, you realize that important events wouldn’t have been held to the light if it wasn't for journalism. I want to do something important that serves a real role for my community.”
Neukam has been a member of the University’s student newspaper, The Rider News, since his freshman year. He first wrote for the sports section, rising to editor his sophomore year before becoming executive editor for his junior and senior years. Under his leadership, the paper won 13 awards for the 2020-21 academic year with Neukam earning four of them. He also recently completed an internship with Nonprofit Sector News, a nationwide outlet focused on U.S. nonprofits.
Now, taking the next step in his professional career, Neukam credits the paper’s adviser and his personal mentor for encouraging him to deepen his journalistic skills at the University of Maryland this fall.
“I found exactly who I wanted to be at Rider,” he says. “I think that’s what I’ll remember about the University. It will give you everything you put into it. If you want to be the best at what you want to do, you can become that if you're willing to put in the effort.”