New ACP Business Pacemaker finalists named

New award recognizes excellence on the financial side

Oct. 9, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS — Three collegiate media programs have been honored by the Associated College Press in the inaugural year of its Student Media Business Pacemaker competition.

Pacemaker finalists will be recognized and the Pacemaker winners announced virtually at 6 p.m. Eastern Thursday, Oct. 22, during the Fall National College Media Convention.

The new Student Media Business Pacemaker is presented in partnership with the College Media Business and Advertising Managers.

“This new Pacemaker award recognizes outstanding student media business and operations teams that work hard to ensure student journalism is supported financially so that it may thrive,” associate director Gary Lundgren said

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.

Over the decades, Pacemakers have been awarded to online, newspaper, magazine and yearbook. Three additional Pacemaker competitions were added in 2020. In addition to the new business recognition, competitions were also added for broadcast and innovation.

The Business Pacemaker applications were presented as a case study for the applying organization. Application packets were compiled and produced by students, with professional staff serving as advisers. Each media group provided examples of work, plus required documentation.

Strategic focus, people, sales and marketing and financial results were the key areas of focus.

Finalists are alphabetical by state.

2020 Pacemaker finalists

Broadcast • Business • Innovation
Magazine • Newspaper • Online • 2019 Yearbook

2020 Individual Award Finalists

Advertisement • Cartoon • Design
Multimedia • Reporter • Photo • Story
Best Use of Social Media • COVID-19 Coverage

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Mustang Media Group
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
Student Leaders: Rachel Marquardt, Steven Nguyen, Alyssa O’ Halloran
Adviser: Jon Schlitt

The Daily Tar Heel
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Student Leaders: Molly Looman, Tyler Pollack, Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Emily Siegmund
Advisers: Paige Ladisic, Erica Beshears Perel

USU Student Media
Utah State University
Logan, Utah
Student Leaders: Staff
Adviser: Nathan Laursen