Topic: College of Communication Information and Media
March 23, 2011
Ball State University's student-run newspaper, the Daily News, was awarded 11 first-place Gold Circle Awards for online coverage from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), including awards in breaking news, features, sports and video.
The newspaper received the recognition in the collegiate level, online newspaper division, reflecting an increased emphasis on digital news by the student journalists. The first-place awards were among a total of 34 Gold Circles won by the Daily News in the online competition – the second highest total in the country.
"Ball State's student journalists measure up well against their peers nationally," said John Strauss, instructor of journalism and Daily News adviser. "They do well in competitive judging of their work in part because the instruction here includes strong practical components of design, writing and visual journalism, along with foundational elements such as the history, ethics and academic principles of journalism."
The awards were presented Feb. 15 at the annual College Media Advisers/Columbia Scholastic Press Association's 27th Gold Circle Awards program in New York. The competition for individual achievement by student writers, editors, designers and photographers attracted entries from 1,800 colleges, universities and secondary schools throughout the nation.
Strauss said it's energizing to be part of a group that works hard on a creative enterprise where teamwork is valued and the results are visible every day. "Students come here for the experience, stay for the challenge and end up making friends for life," he said.
The CSPA was founded in 1925 and is an international student press association uniting student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges and award programs. The CSPA is affiliated with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
By Kenzie Grob