1. THE PACEMAKER
Recognizing excellence in student media since 1927.
ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS
Logan Aimone, Executive Director
This presentation is available at: slideshare.net/loganaimone
Permission is granted for educational use.
3. INTRODUCTION
The Pacemaker is the highest honor
in collegiate journalism. For decades, it has
recognized trend-setters and go-getters, effort
and enterprise, achievement and talent.
4. INTRODUCTION
The Pacemaker is the highest honor
in collegiate journalism. For decades, it has
recognized trend-setters and go-getters, effort
and enterprise, achievement and talent.
Today, the Pacemaker continues to recognize
the best student journalism in the nation.
6. KEEP IN MIND…
The images seen in this presentation are
Newspaper and Magazine Pacemaker Finalists from the
2010-11 academic year plus 2010 yearbooks.
7. KEEP IN MIND…
The images seen in this presentation are
Newspaper and Magazine Pacemaker Finalists from the
2010-11 academic year plus 2010 yearbooks.
Winners will be announced for the first time
at Saturday’s awards ceremony.
8. KEEP IN MIND…
The images seen in this presentation are
Newspaper and Magazine Pacemaker Finalists from the
2010-11 academic year plus 2010 yearbooks.
Winners will be announced for the first time
at Saturday’s awards ceremony.
Inclusion of a publication in this presentation does not
indicate status as a winner. Do not read anything into
whether an example was included here.
10. WHO’S JUDGING?
Pacemaker judges are professionals working in media as
well as a range of experts familiar with student media.
11. WHO’S JUDGING?
Pacemaker judges are professionals working in media as
well as a range of experts familiar with student media.
Judges for the 20011 ACP Pacemakers included working
professionals, veteran college media advisers, and teams
from Quintessence Publishing and The Atlantic.
13. WHO’S JUDGING?
Judging is by team. We ask the media organization to
compile a group with representation from various
departments (writer, editor, designer, photographer, etc.).
14. WHO’S JUDGING?
Judging is by team. We ask the media organization to
compile a group with representation from various
departments (writer, editor, designer, photographer, etc.).
Entries are judged holistically. There is not a rubric with
points attached to certain criteria.
15. WHO’S JUDGING?
Judging is by team. We ask the media organization to
compile a group with representation from various
departments (writer, editor, designer, photographer, etc.).
Entries are judged holistically. There is not a rubric with
points attached to certain criteria.
Judging is by nature somewhat subjective based on
established standards of scholastic journalism.
17. HOW DO THEY JUDGE?
• Thenumber of Pacemaker finalists and winners is
proportional to the number of entries.
18. HOW DO THEY JUDGE?
• Thenumber of Pacemaker finalists and winners is
proportional to the number of entries.
• The number is not fixed each year, but about half of the
finalists will be named winners.
19. HOW DO THEY JUDGE?
• Thenumber of Pacemaker finalists and winners is
proportional to the number of entries.
• The number is not fixed each year, but about half of the
finalists will be named winners.
• This is a contest, not a critique.
20. HOW DO THEY JUDGE?
• Thenumber of Pacemaker finalists and winners is
proportional to the number of entries.
• The number is not fixed each year, but about half of the
finalists will be named winners.
• This is a contest, not a critique.
• ACP asks judges to provide general feedback on the finalists.
Some teams are more thorough. Comments will be shared on
our website as part of the winners gallery and in our book,
The Pacemaker.
23. WHAT DO THEY JUDGE?
• Content
• Quality of writing and editing
24. WHAT DO THEY JUDGE?
• Content
• Quality of writing and editing
• Presentation: Layout and design
25. WHAT DO THEY JUDGE?
• Content
• Quality of writing and editing
• Presentation: Layout and design
• Photography, art and graphics
26. WHAT DO THEY JUDGE?
• Content
• Quality of writing and editing
• Presentation: Layout and design
• Photography, art and graphics
• Reporting: Type and depth (newspaper)
27. WHAT DO THEY JUDGE?
• Content
• Quality of writing and editing
• Presentation: Layout and design
• Photography, art and graphics
• Reporting: Type and depth (newspaper)
• Editorial Leadership (newspaper)
28. WHAT DO THEY JUDGE?
• Content
• Quality of writing and editing
• Presentation: Layout and design
• Photography, art and graphics
• Reporting: Type and depth (newspaper)
• Editorial Leadership (newspaper)
• Overall concept or theme (yearbook, magazine)
30. CONTENT & COVERAGE
• The publication should accurately reflect all aspects of student
life, from academics to sports, arts to community news.
31. CONTENT & COVERAGE
• The publication should accurately reflect all aspects of student
life, from academics to sports, arts to community news.
• Newspapers should localize national or regional stories for
their own campus communities. Wire or reprinted copy is
discouraged.
32. CONTENT & COVERAGE
The front page offers a range
of big stories: a presidential
visit, firing of the football
coach, a gubernatorial debate
and two local stories. Being
featured on Page One still
means prominence.
Minnesota Daily
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minn.
33. CONTENT & COVERAGE
With less real estate on the
cover, only one story can be
featured, so it better be
important. Here, it’s about
whether students should be
able to carry concealed
weapons on campus.
The Et Cetera
Eastfield College
Mesquite, Texas
34. CONTENT & COVERAGE
It’s all local here: student
government elections, the
university library’s budget, and
the availability of basketball
tickets. Graphics and small art
assist with telling the story in
alternate forms.
The Daily Tar Heel
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, N.C.
35. CONTENT & COVERAGE
An off-campus party that sent
students to the hospital and
brought national attention to
use of the drink Four Loko
also gained substantial
coverage in the campus paper.
The Observer
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Wash.
36. CONTENT & COVERAGE
The magazine used a theme
of “impossible” on which to
base coverage. The magazine
is a supplement to the daily
newspaper.
Inside
Indiana University
Bloomington, Ind.
37. CONTENT & COVERAGE
The Dream Act, border
protection and gay bullying —
three timely and relevant
issues tackled by this Texas
magazine.
Panorama
University of Texas Pan American
Edinburg, Texas
40. WRITING & REPORTING
• Writing should be crisp. Reporting must be thorough.
• Copy should be clean and edited for consistent style.
41. WRITING & REPORTING
• Writing should be crisp. Reporting must be thorough.
• Copy should be clean and edited for consistent style.
• Look at ACP Story of the Year winners for examples of
excellence:
http://www.studentpress.org/acp/winners/story11.html
43. PRESENTATION:
LAYOUT & DESIGN
• The publication should have a clean and contemporary look.
44. PRESENTATION:
LAYOUT & DESIGN
• The publication should have a clean and contemporary look.
• Visual hierarchy is established.
45. PRESENTATION
This is a textbook example of
modular layout and following
traditional rules: Bold headline
in the upper right, dominant
package with secondary
elements, smaller headlines
down the page. It’s a
traditional layout that still feels
contemporary through use of
the left rail and type choices.
Golden Gate Xpress
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, Calif.
46. PRESENTATION
The centerpiece feature
stands out because of the
extra white space as a buffer.
The strong vertical photo is
given appropriate play.
Meanwhile, the day’s news
stories are still apparent along
the left rail.
The Daily News
Ball State University
Muncie, Ind.
47. PRESENTATION
Another traditional layout
with strong attention to
modular design. Art is played
large to balance the amount
of text.
The GW Hatchet
George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
48. PRESENTATION
A huge centerpiece feature
attracts the reader’s eye, and
several points of entry are
available to the reader.
Secondary stories are along
the left rail. Ragged-right body
type is unconventional but
provides needed white space.
The Sentinel
North Idaho College
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
49. PRESENTATION
A sports section front is
anchored by the knocked-out
photo that pokes into the
right column. Quick-read
elements such as the score
box, fast facts and kicker aid
the reader.
The Heights
Boston University
Boston, Mass.
50. PRESENTATION
This page benefits from use of
contemporary type faces for
headlines. It shows a Web
influence with the three
stories along the right
column. A strong dominant
photo anchors the page,
particularly above the fold.
Iowa State Daily
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
52. PHOTOGRAPHY,
ART & GRAPHICS
• Visuals enhance the verbal content and draw in the reader.
53. PHOTOGRAPHY,
ART & GRAPHICS
• Visuals enhance the verbal content and draw in the reader.
• Quality of photos and art is technically excellent.
54. PHOTO, ART & GRAPHICS
Certain topics require
illustrative art. Here, the
concept of the American
Dream being just out of reach
is conveyed through a
drawing.
The Clarion
Madison Area Technical College
Madison, Wis.
55. PHOTO, ART & GRAPHICS
Some creative Photoshop
techniques help make a quick
visual connection between
UCLA and rival USC on this
special section front.
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Calif.
56. PHOTO, ART & GRAPHICS
Integrating the flag into the
cover art is done well here, as
is the listing of three teasers.
F Newsmagazine
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Ill.
57. PHOTO, ART & GRAPHICS
Color is used well to provide
visual cues and in the
infographic, which also
provides a visual centerpiece
for the page.
The Nevada Sagebrush
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, Nev.
58. PHOTO, ART & GRAPHICS
Strong action photos
dominate the page, and they
are played large enough to
have impact. They also have
high technical quality.
The Advocate
Contra Costa College
San Pablo, Calif.
59. PHOTO, ART & GRAPHICS
The cover of this literary
magazine gives a nod to the
verbose advertising of
yesteryear. The typography
supports the concept.
Colonnades
Elon University
Elon, N.C.
61. REPORTING:
TYPE & DEPTH
• Major stories should show evidence of multiple sources.
62. REPORTING:
TYPE & DEPTH
• Major stories should show evidence of multiple sources.
• Series or in-depth pieces should be prominent.
63. REPORTING
Two stories on this page
provide analysis and context
for readers: availability of on-
campus rooms and the impact
of student loan debt. A third
story about other Christian-
school campuses discussing
homosexuality broadens the
perspective from simple
reporting of events.
The Chimes
Biola University
La Mirada, Calif.
64. REPORTING
The front page is
dominated by a package
on medical amnesty,
while local stories about
smoking and financial aid
round out the page.
The Daily Orange
Syracuse University
Syracuse, N.Y.
65. REPORTING
This page shows one of many
stories about the
administration’s actions (one
reason the staff earned the
College Press Freedom
Award). Its watchdog efforts
toward the elected and
student governments
demonstrate the best of
collegiate student journalism.
The Sun
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, Calif.
66. Daily Bruin
University of California,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Calif.
REPORTING
Rather than jus reporting on budget cuts, this
spread highlights solutions with a clever graphic.
68. EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP
• Opinion pages should be alive with a variety of content: staff
editorials, cartoons, letters and personal columns.
69. EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP
• Opinion pages should be alive with a variety of content: staff
editorials, cartoons, letters and personal columns.
• Content should be consequential.
70. EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP
Opinion pages don’t have to
be boring! A strong piece of
editorial art plus four columns
of equal length on four hot
topics combine for a dynamic
page. An in-your-face headline
helps, too.
Indiana Daily Student
Indiana University
Bloomington, Ind.
102. SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE
• Work on the content. Dig around your campus and
community for real stories. Don’t overplay or sensationalize.
Cover all aspects and all groups.
103. SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE
• Work on the content. Dig around your campus and
community for real stories. Don’t overplay or sensationalize.
Cover all aspects and all groups.
• Pay attention to photography and graphics.
These two areas help your publication stand out from others.
Think of the best way to tell a story for readers to read and
understand.
105. SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE
• Details make the difference. Typography, white space,
style — these are what set Pacemakers apart.
106. SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE
• Details make the difference. Typography, white space,
style — these are what set Pacemakers apart.
• Have a strong editorial voice. Make the editorial
pages a lively forum on substantive topics.
107. SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE
• Details make the difference. Typography, white space,
style — these are what set Pacemakers apart.
• Have a strong editorial voice. Make the editorial
pages a lively forum on substantive topics.
• Make every story polished. Write tight. Readers will
read long if it’s good. Put columnists on a word count diet.
109. WHAT’S NEXT?
The 2011 Pacemaker and individual contest winners
will be announced Saturday afternoon.
110. WHAT’S NEXT?
The 2011 Pacemaker and individual contest winners
will be announced Saturday afternoon.
Enter your student media in the 2012 contests.
Watch your email and our website for deadlines
and entry forms.
