The Eric Miller Education Debt Relief grant is for Wisconsin television professionals who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to excellence in producing, video photojournalism, video editing, and/or the use of visual technology for journalistic storytelling.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be currently employed at a Wisconsin broadcast radio, television or related media company in a photojournalism, producing, or editing role
- Must have completed a minimum of one year employment with a Wisconsin broadcast radio, television, or related media company
- Company must be a dues paying member of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association
- Must submit a letter of support from the current employer signed by the local manager
- Must provide proof of attendance at a university, college, technical school or broadcast school by supplying a copy of transcripts or degree certificate
- Must provide proof of current loan balance (documentation will remain confidential)
- Must provide a short summary of your career so far in media
Eric Miller died in 2016 at the age of 32. His life was short, but list of accomplishments endless.
Upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Eric was a videographer, editor and producer for Rockwell Automation, a photojournalist/editor for WHNS-TV in South Carolina, a producer and editor for Voice of America.
Then came the plum assignment befitting Eric’s extraordinary talent: photojournalist and editor for Al Jazeera English network’s flagship daily program Riz Kahn, and its premier weekly program, Riz Kahn’s One on One.
Eric traveled the world with Riz, one of the world’s most distinguished journalists, hauling cameras and sound equipment, producing, filming, and directing interviews with world leaders, kings, princes and princesses, actors, and sports stars. He idolized Stephen Hawking and Steven Spielberg and got to interview them both. His sister idolized Antonio Banderas, so Eric had him sing happy birthday to her on tape. His steady and courageous video as shots were being fired at the breakout of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai were seen around the world; and when interviewed on one of the Milwaukee television stations about it, he thanked UWM for his great journalism education.
Eric was an unapologetic champion of the cold hard fact. He was uncompromising about the truth and believed it is vitally important for our country, and our world, that inconvenient truths be spoken loudly. From covering economic forums in Switzerland to the terror attacks in Mumbai, Eric worked to craft careful journalistic narratives that would transport us and give us a worldly view of truth. A man who was deeply dissatisfied with the injustices he saw in the world and personally hurt when humanity failed to live up to his expectations, he believed in speaking truth to power.
As a student and as an alum, Eric was UWM PantherVision’s biggest supporter and cheerleader. PantherVision was a student-produced that garnered more than 200 journalistic awards in its 20 years. In 2014, PantherVision made history by becoming the only collegiate news organization to win a professional national Edward R. Murrow Award. Eric would be proud that the newscast’s name lives along with his.
The Eric Miller PantherVision Scholarship was established in 2018 with the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2025, the scholarship was transferred to the WBA Foundation and converted to a debt relief grant for working broadcasters.