Three more categories of Pacemaker finalists have been announced. Online, Digital Yearbook and Literary Magazine Pacemakers join the Yearbook Pacemaker Finalist results announced earlier. The above links all contain digital images of the finalist publications.
Winners from these contests will be announced for the first time at the Spring JEA/NSPA Spring National Convention in Phoenix in April.
Judges’ comments for all three categories will be posted following the convention.
The NSPA Online Pacemaker contest saw an increase from 50 entries in 2008 to 70 this year. The entries were judged by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 15 publications were selected as the 2009 Online Pacemaker finalists. websites were judged based on excellence in content, site design, ease of navigation, writing/editing and multimedia content. The judges commented that the top sites displayed clean, contemporary design and effective use of multimedia elements, along with other factors mentioned above.
The 2008 Literary Magazine Pacemaker contest was judged by the staff of The Virginia Quarterly Review. 12 finalists were selected out of the 58 total entries. Judging was based on: Content; quality of writing and editing; photography, art and graphics; layout and design; overall concept or theme. Judges noted that the top entries were particularly innovative with design, exhibited stunning photographs and artwork and produced particularly sophisticated content.
The 2008 Digital Yearbook Pacemaker was judged by Jerry Broeckert, a University of Minnesota instructor practiced in multimedia. Out of 28 total entries, eight finalists were selected. Broeckert commented that the top publications displayed solid storytelling efforts through reporting and used more than just music under photos, video and interviews. Those that placed also enhanced the total package by use of different media and by showing the audience much more than just what was inside the yearbook. A stand-alone DVD category was introduced this year, however, no finalists were selected.