Contributed report

Richmond Suburban Newspapers is pleased to announce that Powhatan Today Staff Writer Michael Copley has been awarded a fellowship to attend the Maynard Institute’s Multi Media Editing Program in Reno, Nevada.

Copley, one of just 12 journalists in the country to be selected for the fellowship, will spend June 1 through July 10 honing his skills under the guidance of some of the top editors and writers in the field.

“I think it’s a great opportunity, and I just feel very fortunate to be able to take advantage of it,” said Copley.

Powhatan Today has serving the Powhatan, Va. community for over 20 years and is one of four weeklies that make up Media General’s Richmond Suburban Newspaper group.

“This is truly a unique and timely opportunity for RSN as our newsrooms continue to move toward multi-media connections to the communities we serve,” said RSN Publisher Joy Monopoli. “I know Michael will take full advantage of the program and be ready to share new ideas and practices with our staff.”

Copley, who graduated from Hampden-Sydney in 2007, has been a staff writer for the Powhatan Today Newspaper since May of 2008.

He had been with the paper just a few weeks — and was the paper’s only staff writer — when the murder of a popular local student thrust the community into the spotlight and forced Copley to quickly learn the ins and outs of crime reporting.

His coverage of that case and the three subsequent slayings that would rock the county in the coming months earned praise from both his supervisors and the Powhatan community.

“From day one, Michael has always been very willing to dive in and learn as much as he could,” said Powhatan Today Editor Roslyn Ryan. “I know those early days were a real challenge but he never seemed to get discouraged and he never backed down. I think that tenacity will serve him very well during his time at the Maynard Institute and I am very excited about the skills he’ll bring back to our newsroom. It’s a wonderful thing for him, but also for our readers.”