Temple Update earns first Student Edward R. Murrow ‘Excellence in Video Newscast’ honor

Joe Schreiber is the general manager of Temple University’s TUTV and an adjunct professor with Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication. (Photo credit: Ryan Brandenberg)

They have the soul of journalists, and those are the values we want them to take with them when they leave Temple and try to change the world.”

Joe Schreiber

You know a journalism program is thriving when its students return to teach — or when they wear its honors like a badge. Recently, Temple University’s student broadcast journalists took home impressive hardware for the Nov. 13, 2025, broadcast of “Temple Update.”

The “Updaters” are celebrating their first Student Edward R. Murrow Award, winning the Excellence in Video Newscast category, the first such honor in the j-school’s history. The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) presents Murrow Awards to individual journalists or teams working in both professional and student-run newsrooms.

Their winning broadcast delivered the most pressing news of the day for an audience across and beyond Temple University’s Philadelphia campus. The live show was co-anchored by student journalists Kevin Gruen and Sydney Humes.

“You’re looking at a live picture of the White House, where the deal to end the shutdown was signed by the president just hours ago. But the aftershocks of this historically long shutdown are continuing. Hello, and welcome. You’re watching ‘Temple Update.’ I’m Kevin Gruen,” the show opens.

“And I’m Sydney Humes. Major developments in both Washington and Harrisburg.”

Charly Schultz (left), supervising producer, and Connor Magee, producer, are seen here at the “Temple Update” anchor desk during the final live broadcast of the spring 2026 semester — fondly referred to as the team’s “senior show.” (Photo credit: Hailie Mejia)

The news team reported on delays in funding the supplemental nutrition assistance program and more. Reporter Lauren Haley reported live from the Philadelphia International Airport, where the ongoing impact of the federal government shutdown continued.

“As of this morning,” she said, “there have been 39 cancellations, but there have been over 10,000 worldwide just since last week. I spoke with travelers who were disturbed by those cancellations and disruptions.”

The team — including Aidan Cairns reporting on sports, and Mariam Elias-Danjuma reporting on weather — adeptly navigated 25 minutes of live news reporting, pivoting from their planned stories to accommodate breaking news that the shutdown was finally over.

Anchor Kevin Gruen (left) and Lead Live Reporter Lauren Haley Morris are seen here during the final spring-semester broadcast for “Temple Update.” (Photo credit: Hailie Mejia)

The award-winning reporting garnered national recognition for Temple University and its journalism program. In interviews with Editor & Publisher, leaders in the department describe TU students as “gritty” — not to be confused with the enigmatic Philadelphia Flyers mascot of the same name — but determined, tenacious and effective.

“What’s neat about this recognition is that it isn’t some award for technical expertise,” said Joe Schreiber, general manager of TUTV. “A Murrow is about journalistic integrity and storytelling. That’s what we’re trying to breed in our students. They have the soul of journalists, and those are the values we want them to take with them when they leave Temple and try to change the world. We’re really proud of that.”

Fun fact: Temple’s live-news program has roots in Arizona. Professor Betsy Leebron brought the concept to Temple after teaching and leading a similar program at Arizona State University in the early 1980s. In Philadelphia, the program survived on a shoestring budget early on, but over the years, Leebron and others helped grow the program.

Originally called “Temple on the Move,” the show was rebranded “Temple Update” in 1988, when it changed to a student-run news show modeled after a professional newscast. 

As a student, Kristina Hammerschmidt produced the first live broadcast of “Temple Update.” Now, she’s an assistant professor at Temple University’s Lew Klein College of Media and Communication and the co-executive producer of “Temple Update.” (Photo credit: Julia Pilkus)

One of the key staffers behind the success of “Temple Update” is Kristina Hammerschmidt, co-executive producer for the show. An alumna of the program, she is now an assistant professor at TU’s Lew Klein College of Media and Communication.

When she was a student in 2011, Hammerschmidt produced the first live edition of “Temple Update.” She recalled spending the night in the studio during that first broadcast, to make sure everything went smoothly. Now, she leads the program, guiding students through the challenges of live TV.

For Hammerschmidt, the program had professional benefits beyond graduation. Former fellow “Updaters” who’d worked on the show in the 1990s provided references when she applied for jobs. Now, her own students are landing anchor and producer roles straight out of school.

“The people that I met at ‘Temple Update’ in 2010 are still my best friends to this day,” she said. “There are Updaters in this market in Philadelphia in every station here, and I can send an email and be like, ‘Hey, I have a student here who would love to do a tour,’ and they’re like, ‘Yes, absolutely, bring them in.’ It’s a sense of community here.”

Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in local newsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called The Lawless Files.