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The Review, the University’s independent, student-run newspaper, has achieved a “hat trick,” winning three prestigious national awards–the Associated Collegiate Press’ (ACP) annual Pacemaker Award in the newspaper, magazine and online categories.
The Pacemaker, the college equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, recognizes The Review as one of the top 10, non-daily collegiate newspapers in the country.
Venture, a magazine published by The Review, was among nine recipients of the ACP 2001 Magazine Pacemakers Award, while The Review also was among the winners in the “Newspaper” and “Online” contests.
Eric Townsend, editor-in-chief of The Review for the 2000-01 academic year, said winning in three separate categories, including three straight print awards and two consecutive online awards, is the result of a team effort by UD students and faculty.
“These efforts include the editorial and advertising departments, as well as features, photography and E307 students who wrote stories for The Review,” Townsend said. “Everybody contributed to the success and it belongs to everybody.”
Included in Townsend’s list of those who have contributed to The Review’s continuing success are former staff members Susan Stock, Shaun Gallagher and Ryan Gillespie, plus UD faculty including Review advisers Dennis Jackson, professor of English, and Harris Ross, associate professor of English.
“The Pacemaker Awards won by both The Review and by Venture magazine clearly indicate the talent and the commitment of our journalism students,” Ross said. “I’m particularly pleased with the Pacemaker won by Venture, because this is the first time the magazine has won this award.”
Former Review executive editor Susan Stock, now a business reporter with the Lansing (Mich.) Journal, who started with The Review during her first semester at UD, said that the awards are the result of student and faculty commitment.
“Shaun Gallagher came to us and said, ‘I want to do this project with Venture,’” Stock said. “The Review Online is the work of Ryan Gillespie. He deserves significant credit for his contributions.”
Stock said what surprises some of her colleagues at other college and commercial newspapers is the fact that The Review uses no wire copy to fill its pages, but relies entirely on the contributions of student reporters and editors.
“When you care about something, you want to produce a good product,” Stock said. “The Review really is a unique thing.”
Ryan Cormier, a former editor-in-chief of The Review and now a News Journal staff reporter, said that The Review’s success is the result of faculty interest and input, as well as efforts of Review staff.
“When we arrived as freshmen, most of us really knew nothing about journalism, and you would be surprised how quickly the journalism professors brought the best out of us,” Cormier said. “I also think the staffers at The Review take the paper very seriously—it’s a full-time job, and when we looked back and saw former Review staffers at The New York Times and other great papers—it really put a fire under us.”
The Pacemaker awards are judged by professional journalists selected by the ACP, usually including professional reporters and editors who work at the largest paper in the host city.
Since 1971, the ACP and the Newspaper Association of America Foundation have cosponsored the Newspaper Pacemaker competition, with honorees selected on the basis of coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting. Other areas under consideration include leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.
“It’s important to note that the awards are judged by professionals, and by different ones each year,” Jackson said. “What is most impressive is that these reporting awards are given in competition among students from all universities in the nation, including dailies.”
Jackson noted that unlike other student newspapers, The Review does not have non-student supervisors in the newsroom and is entirely independent and wholly student-operated.
“I’m proud of our kids, “ Jackson said. “They are young--–they work hard under a lot of pressure–yet they still push on.”
Article by Jerry Rhodes
May 16, 2002
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