Category: Wildcat awards

Recognition for Daily Wildcat

WILDCAT NAMED PACEMAKER FINALIST

Both the print Daily Wildcat and the online dailywildcat.com have been named finalists for the prestigious Pacemaker award to be announced at the national college media convention in Orlando this fall. The winner will be picked from 10 finalists. The Pacemaker, presented by the Associated Collegiate Press, recognizes outstanding achievement in college media.

The Wildcat was last named a finalist for both print and online editions in 2007 (though ultimately not a winner in either). The only time the Wildcat swept into the winner’s circle for both awards was in 1998.

“Gutsiest” College Paper

You’ve got to like this random award for the Wildcat – named one of the 5 “gutsiest” college papers in the country by Mother Jones magazine in its September issue.

9/11 Commemorative Wrap Gets Kudos

Like most news outlets, the Daily Wildcat issued a commemorative edition for the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. The Wildcat’s project was in the form of a 4-page “wrap” around the regular Friday, Sept. 9 edition.  The commemorative cover was high-fived around the country for its simplicity and elegance and was picked up on many design and news sites. Here’s a look at it from Charles Apple’s blog at copydesk.org.


Daily Wildcat Staff Wins SPJ Honors

Arizona Daily Wildcat staffers earned 7 regional Mark of Excellence Awards at the Society of Professional Journalists convention in San Diego this spring, including 5 first place winners. One first place winner – for multimedia sports reporting – was later announced as a national finalist.

The winners are:

  • 1st place multi media sports reporting – Colin Darland/Lance Madden
  • 1st place editorial writing – Heather Price-Wright
  • 1st place news photography—Mike Christy
  • 1st place sports column writing – Kevin Zimmerman
  • 1st place general column writing – Kristina Bui
  • 2nd place news photography – Lisa Beth Earle
  • 3rd place best all around college daily – Arizona Daily Wildcat

In other competition this spring, the Daily Wildcat won “best of show” at the Associated Collegiate Press’ national newspaper convention in February, and the dailywildcat.com was named a Pacemaker finalist, also by the ACP.

ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET A BIG DEAL

Nearly 100 Daily Wildcat staff turned out for our annual awards banquet on May 4, held once again on the lovely patio at Old Pueblo Grille. Staff were honored for year-long achievement in such areas as reporting, sales, customer service, graphic design, photography, illustrations, copy editing, multimedia and much more. This year we added the Wildcat Impact Award “for innovation and enterprise”, which was won by students in 3 different areas of the operation. From the newsroom, Colin Darland earned an Impact award for his redesign of the online paper; from advertising, Daniela Saylor was honored for her success coaching and training peers in sales; and from production, Lindsey Cook was recognized for stepping up as senior production coordinator and revamping several kep production processes.

Winning the signature advertising award – The George Morley Award for Achievement – was Jasmin Bell, a 3-year veteran of our classifieds advertising office.  The Clyde Lowery Award for Professionalism and Integrity, the newsroom’s major honor, was won by Heather Price-Wright, another multi-year veteran who served as opinions editor and copy chief.

A number of graduating seniors were honored for their service to the paper with a Daily Wildcat Alumni Award. On hand to present these awards on behalf of all Wildcat alumni were former EIC Alex Dalenberg and former photo editor Lisa Beth Earle. Winners are (including major positions held):

  • Jessica Leftault, Design Chief, Managing Editor
  • Mike Christy, Photographer, Photo Editor
  • Bethany Barnes, Reporter, Asst News Editor
  • Tim Kosch, Sports Editor
  • Ken Contrata, Copy Chief, Managing Editor
  • Heather Price-Wright, Opinions Editor, Copy Chief
  •  Bryan Roy, Online Editor, Sports Writer
  •  Brandon Specktor, Arts Editor
  •  Christine Bryant, Graphic Designer
  •  Sarah Dalton, Sales Coordinator, Advertising Rep
  • Grego Moore, Advertising Rep
  •  Daniela Saylor, Advertising Rep
  •  Jasmin Bell, Classified Advertising

Wildcat Banquet Delivers Awards

About 100 Daily Wildcat staff turned out for the annual awards banquet Saturday, May 1, at Old Pueblo Grill in Tucson. Among the highlights:

Laura Donovan accepts the Clyde Lowery award from Mark Woodhams

The Clyde D. Lowery Award for Professionalism and Integrity was awarded to Laura Donovan,a creative writing senior from Scotts Valley, Calif. Laura has been both the opinions page editor and a news reporter (though not at the same time!) on the Wildcat.

The George B. Morley Award for Achievement in Advertising went to Noel Palmer, a junior business major from Phoenix. Noel is an account executive on the ad staff.

Noel Palmer also was awarded the Christopher R. Reinesch Enterprise Scholarship. This scholarship is provided by a former Wildcat advertising representative to recognize an especially enterprising student on our business and sales staff. Noel led the staff in sales in 2009-2010.

Noel Palmer accepts the Morley award

Daily Wildcat Alumni Awards, given on behalf of Wildcat alumni to graduating seniors who have made sustained contributions to the paper, went to:

Lance Madden, sports reporter, sports editor, editor in chief
Kyle Wade, sales manager, account executive
Alicia Sloan, classified advertising/customer service rep
Ken Wright, cartoonist and illustrator
Alan Walsh, photographer
Rodney Hass, page designer, photographer, reporter
Eleni Miachika, advertising account exec
Laura Donovan, opinions editor, reporter
Dalia Rihani, graphic designer

Wildcat, staffers take home SPJ honors

The Arizona Daily Wildcat and its staff earned eight awards in the SPJ regional Mark of Excellence competition this year. The awards were announced at the SPJ annual conference in San Francisco on May 1.

Earning first place were Michael Ignatov in sports photography, Lisa Beth Earle in general news photography, and Carly Kennedy and Ian Friedman for breaking news reporting (double bylined story). First-place regional winners automatically contend for the national Mark of Excellence award to be presented in the fall.

Michael Ignatov earned first place honors in the regional SPJ Mark of Excellence contest for this photo of Houston's Aubrey Coleman stepping on the face of prone Wildcat Chase Budinger.

Second place awards went to the Daily Wildcat in the best all-around daily newspaper competition; to Bryan Roy for sport column writing; to the news staff for breaking news reporting (yes, the Wildcat took first AND second place); and to Lance Madden for sports writing.

Lisa Beth Earle also earned a third place award in the general news photography competition. With a first and a third in that category, and a first and a second in breaking news, the Wildcat can stand proud in these two journalistically vital areas!

The breaking news entries were for coverage of  the arrest of a student who gave birth in the dorms and allegedly stuffed the baby in a bag, and for a story on  the theft of 10,000 copies of the Wildcat from our newsstands last fall.

Still Winning Awards

The Arizona Daily Wildcat and dailywildcat.com carry on the tradition of excellence:

  • WINNER, Best of Show, newspaper website – Associated Collegiate Press College Newspaper Convention, Phoenix, February 2010
  • WINNER, Best of Show, daily college newspaper – College Media Advisers, National Convention, New York City, March 2010

The Wildcat also won 5 awards at the College Newspaper Business & Advertising Managers National Convention in Los Angeles, March 2010:

  • First Place, Best Color Ad
  • First Place, Best Classifieds Section
  • First Place, Best Online Display Ad
  • Second Place, Best Ad Campaign
  • Third Place, Best Newspaper Promotion