ACP Pacemaker honors innovation

Student media operation rewarded for forward thinking

Nov. 2, 2024

NEW ORLEANS — Honoring the nation’s best, the Associated College Press named a forward-thinking student media operation as the winner of its prestigious Innovation Pacemaker during an awards ceremony at the the Fall National College Media Convention, in New Orleans.

“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” executive director Laura Widmer said. “ACP is honored to recognize the best of the best.”

The prestigious Pacemaker recognizes overall excellence and distinguishes the top student media produced during a particular school year. The award started shortly after the association was founded in 1921 and is often regarded as the most-competitive, most-honored award in collegiate journalism.

The Innovation Pacemaker is designed to encourage out-of-the-box thinking and reward student media for the courage to take chances to improve service to their customers, readers and communities.

In September, six student media programs were named Pacemaker finalists. From those six finalists, the judges said one application packet stood out from the others.

“Collegiate student media is rapidly changing and those programs that don’t generate new revenue streams and innovative ways to deliver content to their readers will struggle to survive,” associate director Gary Lundgren said. “Print is now just one component — there is far more to a successful student media program than publishing the campus newspaper.”

Leadership, coverage, content delivery, marketing, business, community, press freedom and partnerships are among the areas where innovation is encouraged.

Fall 2024 Pacemakers
presented Nov. 2, 2024

Broadcast
Innovation
Magazine
Multiplatform
Newspaper/Newsmagazine

2024 Individual Awards
presented Nov. 2, 2024

Story of the Year
Reporter of the Year
Multimedia Story of the Year
Design of the Year
Photo of the Year
Cartoon of the Year
Broadcast Story of the Year

New Orleans Best of Show
presented Nov. 2, 2024

Individual Recognition
Staff Recognition