The ACP Pacemaker Fall 2012

SETTING THE PACE
What the winners look like

ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS
Logan Aimone, Executive Director
Recognizing excellence in student media since 1927.

This presentation is available at: slideshare.net/loganaimone
Permission is granted for educational use.

Thursday, November 15, 12

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.


KEEP IN MIND…
The images seen in this presentation are
Newspaper and Magazine Pacemaker Finalists from the
2011-12 academic year plus 2011 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.


WHO’S JUDGING?
Pacemaker judges are professionals working in media as
well as a range of experts familiar with student media.

Judges for the 2012 ACP Pacemakers included working
professionals, veteran college media advisers and teams
from The Sacramento Bee, The Atlantic
and Graywolf Press.


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 journalism.


HOW DO THEY JUDGE?
• The number 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.


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)

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.


CONTENT & COVERAGE
Solid news stories about
improper police actions, a
tuition increase and academic
news comprise this page/

Daily Pennsylvanian
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pa.

CONTENT & COVERAGE
This coverage localizes
national stories, connecting
readers to the larger picture.
Hard news ﬁlls out the front
page.

The Occidental Weekly
Occidental College
Los Angeles, Calif.

CONTENT & COVERAGE
A blend of hard news and
features makes this page.
Relevant topics about the cost
of college are presented
clearly and with prominence.

Golden Gate Xpress
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, Calif.

CONTENT & COVERAGE
Stories here mix hard news
about events with trend
pieces on married
undergraduates and
community kitchens.

The Chicago Maroon
University of Chicago
Chicago, Ill.

CONTENT & COVERAGE
Relationships — they’re front
of mind for most students.
Here, they’re compiled into
specil coverage. Stories
include how hobbies affect
the relationship, hooking up
and being a “player.”

Inside
Indiana University
Bloomington, Ind.

Ibis
University of
Miami,
Coral Gables, Fla.

CONTENT & COVERAGE
Yearbooks highlight concerns of the day and use
excellent stories, photos and graphics to do so.

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/story12.html


PRESENTATION:
LAYOUT & DESIGN
• The publication should have a clean and contemporary look.

• Visual hierarchy is established.


PRESENTATION
Classic modular layout is used
here to present stories with a
hierarchy. Bolder headline in
center leads the eye.

The Nevada Sagebrush
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, Nev.

PRESENTATION
A contemporary look is
achieved with the yellow
boxes, bold type, tight leading
and extra white space.

Excalibur
York University
Toronto, Ont.

PRESENTATION
Another classic modular
format is straightforward,
simple and easy to navigate.

The News-Register
North Lake College
Irving, Texas

PRESENTATION
A strong feature package
anchors the page, while
harder news stories surround
it. A clean design helps the
page look contemporary
without gimmicks.

The Auburn Plainsman
Auburn University
Auburn, Ala.

Agromeck
North Carolina
State University
Raleigh, N.C.

CONTENT & COVERAGE
This spread about state fair food could be in any
type of print media. And, it serves the reader.

PHOTOGRAPHY,
ART & GRAPHICS
• Visuals enhance the verbal content and draw in the reader.

• Quality of photos and art is technically excellent.


PHOTO, ART & GRAPHICS
The headline’s use of Twitter
references and the bold
illustration make the page
attractive without relying on
photography or only
typography.

The Heights Herald
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Ky.

A strong illustrative
“billboard” photo illustration
above the fold grabs the
reader. The use of gray and
red adds to the tone of the
story.

The Ithacan
Ithaca College
Ithaca, N.Y.

The whole page is an
illustration of the cover. It’s a
ﬁne line when using
illustration, because too much
whimsy implies less
seriousness.

Nexus
Camosun College
Victoria, B.C.

Alluding to a blockbuster
movie, this cover is actually an
infographic and attractive.

The Et Cetera
Eastﬁeld College
Mesquite, Texas

A dominant photo can have
impact, especially when it is
taken from an unusual angle
and cropped well.

Union
El Camino College
Torrance, Calif.

When focusing on an issue
rather than a person, an
illustration helps maintain
focus. In this case, the topic of
transgender life is explored.

North by Northwestern
Northwestern University
Evanston, Ill.

Sooner
University of
Oklahoma
Norman, Okla.

CONTENT & COVERAGE
Fantastic photos are the hallmark of what makes a
great yearbook.

REPORTING:
TYPE & DEPTH
• Major stories should show evidence of multiple sources.

• Series or in-depth pieces should be prominent.


REPORTING
A mega-story like the
Sandusky abuse accusations
doesn’t happen often. The
Collegian staff uses Page One
to present a menu of the
coverage — because it all was
huge news.

The Daily Collegian
Pennsylvania State University
State College, Pa.

REPORTING
Hard-hitting investigative
news is the tradition at this
college, and it appears on
Page One regularly. Here,
unethical behavior and
controversial administrative
decisions are center stage.

The Sun
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, Calif.

REPORTING
Page One is dedicated to
exploring the Kony 2012
media campaign and
American attitudes toward
Uganda and other African
nations. The staff takes the
opportunity to contextualize
the story for the South
Dakota campus.

The Volante
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, S.D.

EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP
• Opinion pages should be alive with a variety of content: staff
editorials, cartoons, letters and personal columns.

• Content should be consequential.


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, 2011
Indiana University
Bloomington, Ind.

CONCEPT / THEME
• Concept uniﬁes coverage and content.

• Theme is relevant to current year or issue and provides
structure for storytelling.


SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER
• Does your publication provide a sense of place?

• When reading the publication, does the reader learn about
the campus, the culture, the students and faculty?

• Or, does the coverage feel generic?


• Does the work feel contemporary?

• The publication ought to look like it was produced this year.

• Don’t start over each year, but the type and graphics need
to evolve.

• Look to trend-setting magazines, advertisements and other
current printed materials for inspiration.


• Do the stories matter?

• Place the stories in context for the reader.

• Set the agenda through investigations and enterprise pieces.

• Localize regional, national and international stories. Focus on
the campus.


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.


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.


WHAT’S NEXT?
The 2012 Pacemaker and individual contest winners
will be announced Saturday afternoon.

Enter your student media in the 2013 contests.
Watch your email and our website for deadlines
and entry forms.


QUESTIONS?

Thanks!

E-mail: logan@studentpress.org
Online: slideshare.net/loganaimone


The ACP Pacemaker Fall 2012

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