ACP News & Notes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / Aug. 24, 2011
Contact: Logan Aimone, executive director, (612) 625-7359

MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 9, 2011) — The Board of Directors of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), of which the Associated Collegiate Press is a division, announces two new members whose terms begin Oct. 1. They are Peter Bobkowski of the University of Kansas and Seth C. Lewis of the University of Minnesota. Lewis is one of three representatives from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication outlined in NSPA’s charter.

The two new directors will replace directors Jane Kirtley of the University of Minnesota and Kathy Roberts Forde of the University of South Carolina, who have each served the maximum three two-year terms.

Peter Bobkowski is an assistant professor in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. He advised student publications, including the Pacemaker Award-winning Aquin yearbook, at St. Thomas High School in Houston from 1999 to 2006. His research focuses on media uses and effects among adolescents and emerging adults. He is currently collaborating with the Center for Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University on a national survey of public schools and their student media offerings. He has served as secretary and newsletter editor for AEJMC’s Scholastic Journalism Division and critiqued student publications for a number of state and national organizations. He holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Alberta, an M.A. in Mass Communication Studies from the University of Houston and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Seth C. Lewis is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. His research on news, technology and innovation examines how the professional boundaries of journalism are changing in the digital environment. His work has been published in a number of academic journals, and he co-edited the book “The Future of News: An Agenda of Perspectives.” He is affiliated with the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. His current research includes a study of computational journalism and emerging connections between journalists and programmers. Previously, he was a journalist for a number of news organizations, including The Miami Herald, and he was a Fulbright Scholar to Spain. He holds a B.A. in Communications from Brigham Young University, an MBA from Barry University, and a Ph.D. in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.

About NSPA
The National Scholastic Press Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization headquartered and incorporated in Minnesota. Memberships for middle school, junior high school and high school student media are organized under the Minnesota High School Press Association division of NSPA. Memberships for college, university and professional and technical school student media are organized under the Associated Collegiate Press division of NSPA. Memberships are open to all student media at public and private schools at an annual membership fee.

Each division of NSPA provides journalism education training programs, publishes journalism education materials, provides media critique and recognition programs for members, provides information on developments in journalism and student media and provides a forum for members to communicate with others and share their work. NSPA and its divisions cooperate with other student media associations and other non-student groups and businesses that share its mission to educate and recognize the work of student journalists, to improve the quality of student media and to foster careers in media.

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In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the terrorism attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Associated Collegiate Press is making available a PDF file of its book, “9-11: The College Press Responds.” The book was published in Spring 2002 and includes a wide range of examples of how college newspapers covered the story.

A very limited number of printed copies of this book from the original press run are available for $15 at the studentpress.org online store.

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ACP is pleased to announce the last of the finalists in the 2011 “Roll-Out Week.”

The Magazine Pacemaker awards recognize general excellence in collegiate magazines and are divided into two categories: Feature and Literary magazines. This year, the Feature magazines were judged by The Atlantic, and the Literary magazines were judged by professional journalists at Quintessence Publishing Co.

Entries were judged based on the following criteria:

• Content
  Was there evidence of diversity in content and approach? Was the content innovative and contemporary?
• Quality of writing and editing
  Was there evidence that the authors were well-read, creative, original and aware of the audience? Was the writing almost or completely free of grammatical and spelling errors?
• Photography, art and graphics
  Did the photos have strong centers of interest, sharp focus and proper contrast? Was a variety of artwork and graphics represented?
• Layout and design
  Did the design accentuate rather than dominate the content? If color was used, did it appropriately enhance the layout? Was overall design unity evident?
• Overall concept or theme
  Was the theme clear and carried throughout the publication? Was the concept fresh and engaging?

View the list of finalists here

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The ACP Newspaper Pacemaker contest, co-sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, has awarded general excellence in collegiate newspapers for 84 years. This year’s entries were judged by professional journalists in the Washington, D.C., area.

Entries were judged based on the following criteria:

• Coverage and content
  Were all aspects of student life covered (academics/sports/clubs/local news, etc.)? Was the use of wire/syndicated copy limited (especially on pg. 1)? Was there evidence of sound news judgment?
• Quality of writing and reporting
  Was the writing concise and the reporting thorough? Was writing free of opinion (with the exception of editorials or columns)? Was the copy edited for consistent style?
• Leadership on the opinion page
  Did staff editorials, cartoons and letters supplement personal columns? Did the staff demonstrate sensitivity to controversial topics? Was the content of the editorial page consequential?
• Evidence of in-depth reporting
  Did major stories show evidence of multiple sources? Are series or depth pieces prominent in entered issues?
• Layout and design
  Was the look of the paper clean and contemporary? Was a consistent modular page makeup used throughout the publication? Did designers establish a clear visual hierarchy for readers?
• Photography, art and graphics
  Did visuals enhance the verbal content and draw the reader in? Did visuals improve the reader’s understanding of the accompanying story? Were photos properly credited? Was the quality of photos and art technically excellent?

View the list of finalists here

Winners will be announced for the first time at the 90th Annual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Orlando on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011.

Comments from all judging teams will be published on the ACP website after winners have been announced in Orlando.

Please contact Kathy Huting, ACP Contest and Critique Coordinator, with questions at contests@studentpress.org

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ACP is pleased to announce the finalists in two more of the 2011 Individual Awards.

New for 2011: For the first time, ACP is honoring up to 10 entries in each of the Individual Awards. With the exception of Reporter of the Year, the top five entries in each category will be announced as finalists now, and be announced as first through fifth place winners later at the fall convention. Up to five honorable mentions have additionally been awarded in each category. The honorable mentions are not ranked. First through fifth places will receive plaques and honorable mentions will receive award certificates.

The Reporter of the Year contest recognizes individuals for outstanding writing and editorial leadership. The four-year category is co-sponsored by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and the two-year category was judged by an award winning reporter from the Quad City Times. Entries consisted of three single news or feature stories published in a college newspaper during the competition year. Winners receive cash prizes when announced at the fall convention.

Factors judges considered when selecting the finalists:

• Significance and news worthiness of the stories
• Quality and depth of reporting, quality of quotes
• Quality of writing, editing/AP style usage

View the list of finalists here

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The Advertising Awards entries were accepted in the categories of: Display Ad, House Ad, Ad Campaign, Advertising/Editorial Supplement and Brochure/Rate Card. The categories combined yielded a total of 263 entries. The contest was judged by a team of advertising professionals at DDB Advertising in Chicago, Ill.

Advertising entries were judged based on the following criteria:

• Contemporary appeal
• Effective use of photos, art, graphics, typography and color (if applicable)
• Suitability for respective audiences

View the list of finalists here

First through fifth places and honorable mentions will be announced for the at the 90th Annual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Orlando on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011.

Comments from all judging teams will be published on the ACP website after winners have been announced in Orlando.

Please contact Kathy Huting, ACP Contest and Critique Coordinator, with questions at contests@studentpress.org

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ACP is pleased to announce two more categories of the 2011 Individual Awards.

New for 2011: For the first time, ACP is honoring up to 10 entries in each of the Individual Awards. With the exception of Reporter of the Year, the top five entries in each category will be announced as finalists now, and be announced as first through fifth place winners later at the fall convention. Up to five honorable mentions have additionally been awarded in each category. The honorable mentions are not ranked. First through fifth places will receive plaques and honorable mentions will receive award certificates.

The Story of the Year contest is sponsored by the New York chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Deadline Club. Entries in the Story of the Year contest consist of a single story in one of the following categories: News, Feature, Sports, Editorial and Diversity. The entries totaled 569.

Judges selected finalists based on the following criteria:

• Value, importance or worth of story
• Quality of reporting and quotes
• Quality of writing and editing
• Credibility and leadership

View the list of finalists here

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The Multimedia Story of the Year contest, also sponsored by the Deadline Club, was offered to ACP members in 2011 for the second consecutive year. Entries were accepted in the categories of Multimedia News, Multimedia Feature, Multimedia Sports and Photo Slideshow. All entries were accepted online. The Photo Slideshow category replaced what was previously the Picture Story category of the Photo Excellence Awards. The 2011 Multimedia Story of the Year contest yielded 261 entries, which represents an increase of nine percent from 2010.

The entries were judged based on innovation in the use of multimedia, including audio, video, slide shows and graphics, technical quality of multimedia elements, respect of copyright laws, quality of reporting and quotes, quality of writing and reader/viewer impact.

View the finalists here

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The Design of the Year awards are sponsored by Adobe Systems and were accepted through online submission for the fourth consecutive year. Entries were accepted in the following categories: Newsmagazine/Special Section Cover, Illustration, Infographic, Newspaper Page One, Newspaper Page/Spread and Yearbook/Magazine Page/Spread. The contest yielded a total of 473 entries. The first place winner in each category will receive software complimentary of Adobe.

Judges selected finalists based on the following criteria:

• Effective use of photos, color, art, graphics and typography
• Established visual hierarchy
• News judgment for Newspaper Page One
• Contemporary appeal
• Suitability for respective audience

View the finalists here

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First through fifth places and honorable mentions will be announced at the 90th Annual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Orlando on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011.

Comments from all judging teams will be published on the ACP website after winners have been announced in Orlando.

Please contact Kathy Huting, ACP Contest and Critique Coordinator, with questions at contests@studentpress.org

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The Associated Collegiate Press is pleased to announce the finalists in the first two Individual Awards of the 2011 ACP “Roll-Out Week.” Each day this week, ACP will announce the finalists for one or more of the 2011 Individual Awards and Pacemaker contests.

New for 2011: For the first time, ACP is honoring up to 10 entries in each of the Individual Awards. With the exception of Reporter of the Year, the top five entries in each category will be announced as finalists now, and be announced as first through fifth place winners later at the fall convention. Up to five honorable mentions have additionally been awarded in each category. The honorable mentions are not ranked. First through fifth places will receive plaques and honorable mentions will receive award certificates.

The 2011 Cartooning and Photo Excellence Awards were accepted through online submission for the third consecutive year. The Photo Excellence contest is co-sponsored by the National Press Photographers Association and honors student photographers in five categories: General News, Spot News, Feature, Sports and Environmental Portrait. Entries are judged based on technical quality, artistic value and journalistic content. There were a total of 750 entries this year.

View the list of finalists

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212 total entries were submitted in the Cartooning Awards, co-sponsored by Universal Uclick. The entry total represents an increase of seven percent from 2010. Entries were accepted in two categories: Editorial Cartoon and Cartoon Panel/Strip.

Cartoon entries were judged based on:

• Reader impact
• Community importance
• Artistic quality
• Originality, clarity of message

View the list of finalists

First through fifth places and honorable mentions will be announced at the 90th Annual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Orlando on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011.

Comments from all judging teams will be published on the ACP website after winners have been announced in Orlando.

Please contact Kathy Huting, ACP Contest and Critique Coordinator, with questions at contests@studentpress.org

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ACP has an opening for a program coordinator for contests and critiques. The contest and critique coordinator oversees national contests and critique services for the National Scholastic Press Association and Associated Collegiate Press. NSPA and ACP set the standards for excellence in student media. Scholastic and collegiate student media (online, newspapers, yearbooks, magazines and broadcasts) are submitted for juried contests or for evaluations, and the person in this position coordinates these programs. This is a highly visible position among our members as well as contest panels and judges.

Duties include acting as liaison between outside judges and the office, matching submitted work with the appropriate evaluator, ensuring quality control and transparency in the judging process, publicizing contest and critique programs, and answering questions via email or phone. Customer service is a significant component of this job. The coordinator also provides support to the executive director on various programs as assigned. Paid travel to four out-of-state conventions per year as well as attending local events is required. Travel includes weekends. This is a non-exempt position of 40 hours per week.

This position requires a detail-oriented person with the skills to take initiative and work independently, as well as part of a team; the ability to prioritize work assignments; the capability to multi-task and to perform related tasks outside the job description. Depending on the individual’s background and work flow, additional tasks may be related to publicity, revising or developing resource materials, assisting with recruiting speakers for conventions and marketing the programs to existing, lapsed and potential members.

Click here to download a PDF of the complete position description with information on how to apply.

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Contact Kathy Huting, ACP contest and critique coordinator, at kathy@studentpress.org

View the list of finalists

49 finalists have been selected in the 2011 ACP Online Pacemaker contest out of a record total of 251 entries. A team of professional judges from the Center for Investigative Reporting selected the finalists in the following categories: newspapers with 5,000 or fewer student enrollment; newspapers with 5,001-10,000 enrollment; newspapers with 10,001-20,000 enrollment; newspapers with 20,000 or greater enrollment; online-only publications; sites through ACP member magazines, yearbooks or broadcast programs. Sites corresponding with newspapers were broken into four categories for the first time this year, which correlate with the ACP membership structure. In past years, these sites were divided into just two categories for fewer and greater than 10,000 enrollment.

The entries were judged holistically based on excellence in content/coverage, breaking news, site design, interactivity, rich media and writing/editing.

Online Pacemaker winners will be announced for the first time at the ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 29, 2011. Comments from the judging team are listed below and will be updated after the winners are announced.

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The publications that were chosen as finalists consistently provided an initial user experience that was engaging but not overwhelming. From art accompanying every story to careful curation and design of front-page content, the top tier did a notable job of avoiding the “wall of text” that plagues many websites.

Further, their attention to detail allowed one to focus on content rather than presentation. While many had problems that ranged from simple typographical errors and incorrectly sized images to downright broken code, the best were able to avoid unnecessarily (and unintentionally) distracting the user.

Online Pacemaker honorees additionally demonstrated an innate understanding of Internet tools and culture, notably through the use of staff blogs and the now-requisite social media profiles. These encourage dialogue beyond that provided by traditional tools and reporting, thus demonstrating a willingness to move forward.

We love the rise of the “data” section — a place to put public documents, campus crime maps and searchable salaries. We also love the emphasis on design and organization. And it’s great to see how publications are making user interaction easier by promoting social media feeds, asking for news tips and prominently displaying where to submit a letter to the editor.

That said, some of the common problems we saw include the following:

• Not enough good, deep, issues-based online packages. We did see some great examples, and a few schools displayed their special coverage prominently in their navigation, but we would have loved to have seen more.

 

• Boring, general headlines. Pack action verbs and keywords into your headlines, even if it means you have to rewrite them from print to online.
• Too much emphasis on stories that could have been written by anyone. Take ownership of the local campus angle. Even CD reviews can be enriched by asking others on campus what they think of the CD. Use Facebook, Twitter, or host listening parties on campus. Anything like that.
• Not enough thought put into navigation and clear labeling. If you have a robust video section, don’t hide it under the word “multimedia.” If you have a list of blogs, make it obvious what topics the blogs cover.
• This may just be a pet peeve, but the PDF versions of the dead-tree edition are too prominent. Emphasize how the web is different from print, not the same. Make it available on the site, for sure, but don’t place it front and center. It’s a bad user experience.

But overall, we were deeply impressed by the strides student publications have made online over the years.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Kathy Huting, ACP contest and critique coordinator, kathy@studentpress.org

2010 ACP Yearbook Pacemaker Finalists Announced

View finalists list and covers gallery

The 2010 ACP Yearbook Pacemaker contest, which deadlined on Jan. 18, 2011, yielded a total of 54 entries. A team of judges comprised of experienced journalism professionals and educators traveled to Minneapolis in early February to select the finalists.

Judges commented that the books chosen as finalists had unique and school year-specific themes, sophisticated and consistent design, thought-provoking and well-researched copy, balanced and thorough coverage, beautiful photography and effective reader services.

Entries were divided into two proportionate categories based on total page count. Judges completed an initial elimination round and considered a number of factors as disqualifiers, such as illegal photo usage or lack of body copy.

After the elimination round, judges spent a day and a half selecting the 11 finalists.

The Pacemaker winners will be announced for the first time at the Fall ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Orlando, Oct. 26-31.

A handout with comments from the judging team will be published before the fall convention at studentpress.org/acp.

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So you’re all signed up for the ACP Best of the Midwest College Newspaper Convention in Minneapolis. We wanted to give you a few reminders to ensure a smooth convention. Check out the convention program draft: it tells you where and when to show up, what to being and what to expect.

FRIDAY WORKSHOPS
We still have spots available in “Futurize the News” with Tim Harrower (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $50) and in ACP’s newsroom management short course (12:45-4:30 p.m., $49) If you have not signed up and want to, contact Jackie in our office at (612) 625-1857 or jackie@studentpress.org and she will add that to your registration. You can also sign up on site, but we’d like to have your materials ready in advance.

The ethics workshop with Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Ison begins at 3 p.m. There is no additional charge for this session. All attendees not in the newsroom management workshop are welcome to attend.

OPENING SESSION AND RECEPTION
The opening keynote session will feature Jay Weiner, a veteran sports writer and now a political reporter. The session begins at 4:45 p.m. A light reception at 5:45 p.m. will help you meet other attendees and make plans for a fun Friday night.

FOR A CHANCE AT AN AWARD
Enter our Best of Show and Best of the Midwest contests. Bring your newspapers to the convention. We also have contests for websites and interactive online media. Sign up for all Best of Show contests by 10 a.m. Saturday. Best of Show is free to ACP members, but others pay $25 per entry. Each attendee may submit one entry per category in the Best of the Midwest individual contests.

CRITIQUES
Our convention attendee surveys told us one of the most valued aspects of the convention was a face-to-face critique of the newspaper during the convention. We’ve an amazing lineup of veteran professionals and advisers to look over your edition and give feedback and suggestions that can be put to work starting Monday. All of the 25-minute critique sessions are by appointment only, and there is no additional fee. The appointment list is available at the registration desk and first-come, first-served. We’ll do our best to accommodate every paper represented at the convention, but scheduling may not allow all requests. Be sure to bring one or two editions for the critiquer to review.

EXCHANGE TABLE
We’ll have tables set up for you to leave samples of your paper and to grab a few others to take home. Pack a small supply of newspapers for the tables, but remember it’s a small convention so you only need a couple dozen!

NO REFUNDS BUT SUBS ALLOWED
If you get close to the convention and realize someone cannot attend, be sure to get a substitute. ACP does not allow refunds for the convention registration, but we do allow substitutions.

PLEASE PAY ON TIME
Most attendees have already paid. Help us avoid a lot of invoices and reminders by sending in your payment or bringing a check to the convention. It really does help!

PLAN TO HAVE A GOOD TIME IN MINNEAPOLIS
We want you to enjoy your experience here. If there’s anything we can do to assist with that, please let us know.

QUESTIONS?
Give us a call at (612) 625-8335 or send us an e-mail and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.

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