{"id":29558,"date":"2026-10-30T21:26:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T02:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/?p=29558"},"modified":"2026-11-07T14:28:50","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T20:28:50","slug":"2026-newspaper-newsmagazine-pacemakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/2026\/10\/30\/2026-newspaper-newsmagazine-pacemakers\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Newspaper\/Newsmagazine Pacemakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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ACP names top student news publications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Prestigious competition recognizes 18 Pacemakers as the \u201cbest of the best\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov. 7, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KANSAS CITY, MO \u2014 Honoring the nation\u2019s best, the Associated College Press named 18 student news publications as winners of its prestigious Pacemaker during an awards ceremony at the Fall National College Media Convention<\/a> in Kansas City, Missouri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Pacemaker is the association\u2019s preeminent award,\u201d executive director Laura Widmer said. \u201cACP is honored to recognize the best of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August, 34 newspapers\/newsmagazines were named Pacemaker finalists<\/a>. The finalists represented 17 states and the Philippines. California and Texas set the pace with six finalists each followed by North Carolina with three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three print issues produced during the 2025-26 school year were submitted for consideration. Two teams of three judges studied every entry, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. At least two of the three judges agreed on whether a newspaper was eliminated or would be named a finalist or winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newspapers\/newsmagazines from four-year schools competed against schools with similar enrollment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newspapers\/newsmagazines from two-year schools, of all enrollments, competed in a separate category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is exciting to see how these colleges and universities are refining their print products in today\u2019s college media ecosystem,\u201d associate director Gary Lundgren said. \u201cIt is definitely a transitional time for the college student newspaper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to demonstrating excellence in key areas including coverage, writing, editing, design and photography, the winning newspapers took risks and served as a strong voice for the student audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this competition, only the print product was judged. Online sites compete in a separate Pacemaker competition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fall 2026 awards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fall 2026 Pacemakers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broadcast
<\/a>Innovation
<\/a>Magazine<\/a>
Multiplatform
<\/a>Newspaper\/Newsmagazine<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 Individual Awards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Story of the Year
<\/a>Reporter of the Year
<\/a>Multimedia Story of the Year
<\/a>Design of the Year
<\/a>Photo of the Year
<\/a>Cartoon of the Year
<\/a>Broadcast Story of the Year<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best of Show<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual Recognition
<\/a>Staff Recognition<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2026 Newspaper\/Newsmagazine Pacemakers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

listed by state<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mustang News
<\/strong>California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Editor-in-chief: Archana Pisupati
Advisers: Kim Bisheff, Pat Howe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Union
<\/strong>El Camino College (CA)
Editor-in-chief: Nikki Yunker
Adviser: Stefanie Frith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Daily Northwestern
<\/strong>Northwestern University (IL)
Editors-in-chief: Emily Lichty, Anavi Prakash
Adviser: Stacia Campbell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Indiana Daily Student
<\/strong>Indiana University
Editors-in-chief: Mia Hilkowitz, Andrew Miller
Adviser: Ruth Witmer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Daily Iowan
<\/strong>University of Iowa
Editor-in-chief: Roxy Ekberg
Adviser: Jason Brummond<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Sunflower
<\/strong>Wichita State University (KS)
Editor-in-chief: Taliyah Winn
Adviser: Amy DeVault<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kentucky Kernel
<\/strong>University of Kentucky
Editor-in-chief: Giana Gallo
Advisers: Ryan Craig, Bryce McNeil, David Stephenson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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College Heights Herald
<\/strong>Western Kentucky University
Editor-in-chief: Jake McMahon
Advisers: Chuck Clark, Carrie Pratt<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Tulane Hullabaloo
<\/strong>Tulane University (LA)
Editor-in-chief: Ian Faul
Adviser: Tel Bailliet<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Michigan Daily
<\/strong>University of Michigan
Editors-in-chief: Zachary Ajluni, Mary Corey, Edith Pendell, Zhane Yamin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Daily Orange
<\/strong>Syracuse University (NY)
Editor-in-chief: Kendall Luther<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Pendulum
<\/strong>Elon University (NC)
Editor-in-chief: Sarah Moore
Adviser: Kelly Furnas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Daily Tar Heel
<\/strong>University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Editor-in-chief: Alli Pardue
Adviser: Will Lingo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Foghorn News
<\/strong>Del Mar College (TX)
Editor-in-chief: Layla Fonseca
Adviser: Robert Muilenburg<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rice Thresher
<\/strong>Rice University (TX)
Editors-in-chief: Sarah Knowlton, Kathleen Ortiz
Adviser: Chris Evans<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Collegian
<\/strong>Tarrant County College (TX)
Editor-in-chief: Ash Petrie
Advisers: Lori Dann, Stacy Luecker, Chris Whitley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Varsitarian
<\/strong>University of Santo Tomas (Philippines)
Editor-in-chief: Chalssea Echegoyen
Advisers: Felipe Salvosa II, Joselito Zulueta<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ACP names top student news publications Prestigious competition recognizes 18 Pacemakers as the \u201cbest of the best\u201d Nov. 7, 2026 KANSAS CITY, MO \u2014 Honoring the nation\u2019s best, the Associated College Press named 18 student news publications as winners of its prestigious Pacemaker during an awards ceremony at the Fall National College Media Convention in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29558"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29558"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29902,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29558\/revisions\/29902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/acp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}