Ƶ Independent wins collegiate journalism’s preeminent award
"This award is a huge testament to how hard this staff works on a daily basis," says Xandra McMahon, a Ƶ senior and the Editor-in-Chief of ƵI. "For years we've been pushing our creative limits, and this win validates all that hard work."
Established in 1923, Pacemakers are collegiate journalism’s preeminent award. Entries are judged by teams of professionals based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership, design, photography and graphics. For the 2016 award, judges remarked on the quality of ƵI’s navigation, music reporting and grades database.
ƵI was a finalist for the award in 2015, but this is the first time the student news site has won the full award. Gil Asakawa, the student media advisor for ƵI, says the site’s staff has been working continuously to improve the quality of their publication. “This award is a national acknowledgment that the students of the ƵI are doing great work that they can be proud of,” he said."The staff was ecstatic to hear the news, especially the editors who have been at the ƵI for over three years now," says McMahon. "To finally be able to see that plaque go up on our newsroom wall was really something special."