An overview of NSPA’s signature award, The Pacemaker, with examples from the 2009 finalists and winners, presented at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Washington, D.C., November 2009.

1. The Pacemaker
Recognizing excellence in student media since 1927

2. Introduction
The Pacemaker is the highest honor in scholastic
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 work in the nation.

3. Keep in mind…
The images seen in this presentation are Pacemaker
Finalists from the 2008-09 academic year.
Winners will be announced
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.

4. Who’s judging?
• Pacemaker judges are professionals working in media as
well as a range of experts familiar with student media.
• Judges for the 2009 NSPA Newspaper Pacemakers
included working or retired professionals from Seattle-
area newspapers.

5. 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 scholastic journalism.

6. 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.
• NSPA asks judges to provide general feedback on the
finalists. Some teams are more thorough. Comments will
be shared on our Web site as part of the winners gallery.

7. 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)

8. 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 community. Wire or
reprinted copy is discouraged.

9. Details
Whitney High School
Rocklin, Calif.
Content and Coverage
A solid variety of student events makes this an interesting
opening spread.

10. Surfer
Coronado Middle School
Coronado, Calif.
Content and Coverage
A variety of student mugs mixed throughout the pages adds
interest and makes readers view more pages.

11. Lion
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas
Content and Coverage
The spread contains thorough coverage of topics from a variety of
angles.

12. Content and Coverage
The national story about the
economy and financial crisis is
localized with a specific story
about the school and its
community of students and
families.
The Roundup
Brophy College Preparatory Academy
Tucson, Ariz.

13. Content and Coverage
A centerpiece package on the
experiences of an alumnus
when the school was first
integrated anchors the page.
Hard news items on curriculum
and state funding round out
the offerings.
Silver Chips
Montgomery Blair High School
Silver Spring, Md.

14. Content and Coverage
Relevant and timely stories on
Page One include election
night results, school budget
cuts and “dirty” dancing
behaviors. Teasers complete
the package.
tjToday
Thomas Jefferson HS for Science & Technology
Alexandria, Va.

15. Content and Coverage
An timely topic affecting all
students — the dress code —
is placed on the cover
prominently and handled
inside with depth coverage.
The Blazer
Timberline High School
Lacey, Wash.

16. Quality of writing & reporting
• Writing should be crisp. Reporting must be thorough.
• Copy should be clean and edited for consistent style.

17. Presentation: Layout and design
• The publication should have a clean and contemporary
look.
• Visual hierarchy is established.

18. The Deer
Deer Park High School
Deer Park, Texas
Presentation: Layout and Design
This traditional layout is a textbook example of how to follow the
rules and tweak them ever-so-slightly.

19. Right: In the sudden snowfall on Dec. 6, sophomore Ian Left: Sisters Camille and
Boat prepares to throw a snowball at sophomore Beck John- Anna Karro scrape snow
son. “We were just acting like we were in fifth grade again,” off their windshield in
Boat said. “One snowball was thrown and then we were just the senior lot during an
in a huge snowball fight.” Below: Laughing, sophomore afternoon snow on Dec.
Molly Tidrick is hit by a snowball thrown by Boat. “I walked 6. “I was really excited to
up to the Y and people were throwing snowballs, and my look out the window and
friends started doing it around our cars,” Tidrick said. “There see the snow,” Camille
so much snow piled on everything – it was crazy. That was said. “But it’s the first
when I started getting excited about winter.” Photos by Karen year [Anna and I] have
Boomer. our own car, so it wasn’t
as exciting to scrape it.”
Photo by Nicole Luby.
Design by Brooke Stanley.
It was the first big snow of the season and I got my car in
the spring so I hadn’t really driven in winter conditions. And
my car has rear-wheel drive. So I was leaving the senior lot
through the sophomore lot and there was a big line going
really slow becuase of the snow, and I got stuck on a patch
of ice. I kept pressing the accelerator but it wouldn’t go and
my wheels were turning, so I got out to signal for someone to
help me but no one would. I was really panicked and anxious.
This turned to embarassment when I was sitting there for like
eight minutes and the line was getting longer and people
started going around me. Finally a dad got out and got some
skater kids to come and help too, and they pushed my car up.
When I got home I realized I ddin’t have a lot of air in my tires.
Once I put air in, things got a lot better.
I was turning to go down a hill in Mission Hills and my car slid
and just kept going. The steering wheel locked up and the car
went into a person’s yard. I got stuck there between two trees.
George Brett drove by and stopped, and I thought he was go-
ing to say something, but he drove away. My neighbors came
and put kitty litter under the tires and pushed it out. The front
was scratched up because I ran over bushes and I popped a
Headed to a boys swim meet, swim team managers Mary
tire. I was kind of in shock – I’ve never hit anything before. I
Tanner and Dana Sherard walk to Tanner’s car. “I don’t like was grateful that something worse didn’t happen.
snow, but I was kind of glad to see it because it was the
first snow of the season and I was hoping we would have
a snow day,” Sherard said. “It’s pretty when it first snows,
but I hate snow. It’s wet.” Photo by Karen Boomer.
I have a golf course behind my house so I invited friends over
Right: In the parking lot to go out on the golf course in the snow. We walked around
after school, sophomore
Allison Kirby points out
and had some snowball fights and it turned into a tackling
sophomore Andrew Dex- competition. Despite the fact that I had a broken hand, I still
ter’s hands. “They were
all purple from throwing
got tackled, and I assume it was at this point that I lost my
snowballs,” Kirby said. “We phone. The next morning I realized I had lost it. My mom and
were out there for at least
25 minutes having a snow-
I searched the golf course four or five times following the
ball fight.” Photo by Karen tracks we had left, but didn’t find it. My mom called the golf
Boomer. Far right: Leaning
out her car window, sopho-
course to ask if they had found it, and we technically weren’t
more Lois Wetzel watches allowed to be on the golf course so my mom had to confess
a snowball fight in the se-
nior lot as her sister Laura
that we were out there illegally. A week later they found my
drives. “People were hiding phone and I got it back somewhat working.
behind cars and throwing
snowballs at people’s car
windows,” Wetzel said. “It
was pretty funny.” Photo by
Tayler Philips.
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
76
77
Prairie Village, Kan.
Presentation: Layout and Design
This is a great example of separating elements using images and
planned white space.

20. Fentonian
Fenton High School
Fenton, Mich.
Presentation: Layout and Design
Fantastic use of typography and entry points. Note the score box
becomes more than a listing — it’s visually interesting.

21. El Camino Real
San Gabriel High School
San Gabriel, Calif.
Presentation: Layout and Design
Lots of students are covered in a variety of entry points.

22. Presentation: Layout and
Design
This page demonstrates
strong use of modular layout
with an attention to reader
entry points through sidebars
and the left rail as teasers.
The Nexus
Westview High School
San Diego, Calif.

23. Presentation: Layout and
Design
A strong, visual centerpiece
package dominates the page.
Newsier items complete the
secondary placements. Good
use of sidebar elements to
complement the main
coverage. Use of color is
constrained.
The Prowl
Coral Glades High School
Coral Springs, Fla.

24. Presentation: Layout and
Design
Wow. Clean and simple design
that is executed perfectly
makes this a supremely
attractive page. It also
succeeds in not being boring.
Spartana
Homestead High School
Fort Wayne, Ind.

25. Presentation: Layout and
Design
Multiple entry points invite
the reader. Clever illustrative
solution avoids a posed photo.
Mug shots break up text.
The Connection
John B. Connally High School
Austin, Texas

26. Presentation: Layout and
Design
Classic example of modular
layout with a centerpiece
package (softer news)
bracketed by harder news
stories.
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, Calif.

27. Presentation: Layout and
Design
A model example of modular
layout — descending
headlines and centerpiece
design with strong
organization and reader-
service elements.
High Tide
Redondo Union High School
Redondo Beach, Calif.

28. Photography, art and graphics
• Visuals enhance the verbal content and draw in the
reader.
• Quality of photos and art is technically excellent.

29. The Deer
Deer Park High School
Deer Park, Texas
Photography, Art and Graphics
Page of quotes is different and attractive.

30. burn baby burn | During the week of Homecoming, Pep Club organized
a school-wide bonfire as a way to hype up the student body. As the fire
burned, hot dogs were served, the band played and the cheerleaders
danced. “I felt proud to go to North,” junior Daniela Iliescu said. “You
could feel the spirit all around.”photo by erik johnston
| associate principal john bartel
The end of our beginning rounded the corner as we We watched junior Jacob Bledsoe sink two half court
entered 2008. Seniors became the first class in nine years shots in a row during the halftime show at the boys’ bas-
to have open lunch. Juniors prepared for prom, that would ketball game against Mill Valley. We listened countless
take place on April 19 at the Ritz Charles. Sophomores mornings as the announcements listed off NJROTC wins.
many
continued trends with the selling of zip-up hoodies, and We counted down the months, weeks and finally days left
freshmen supported their boys’ basketball team as it fin- until the last day of school, and still, we remembered the
| n.j.r.o.t.c.
ished the season with a winning record. many events, people and places that wrote our story.
Indian
| muckfest
40 state championships 157 little theater seats 99 exit signs 28 t-days 1,000 activity tickets 762 PC’s 1,165 yearbooks sold
Shawnee Mission North HS
348 | many “We, the juniors, are very excited about the improvements of our school for our up-coming senior year.” Eli Eastlund, junior closing | 349
Overland Park, Kan.
Photography, Art and Graphics
Dramatic photos have a big impact. Play them large.

31. Shield
Thomas Downey High School
Modesto, Calif.
Photography, Art and Graphics
A series of images can be an effective storytelling device.

32. Photography, Art
and Graphics
A creative photoillustration
emphasizes one aspect and
instantly conveys the story
topic to readers. Strong
typography helps clarify the
message.
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio

33. Photography, Art
and Graphics
It’s OK to push the envelope.
This story is about local
kidnappings involving current
and former students.
The Squall
Dexter High School
Dexter, Mich.

34. Photography, art
and graphics
Wonderful and dynamic
artwork can really lure in the
reader.
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kan.

35. Reporting: Type and depth
• Major stories should show evidence of multiple
sources.
• Series or in-depth pieces should be prominent.

36. Reporting: Type and Depth
Placing a story about Atheism
on Page One take guts. It
better be well done and
thought-provoking, not
sensational or biased. This
one resulted in a campus
dialog and response from
school officials in subsequent
editions.
ReMarker
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas

37. Reporting: Type and Depth
Students reported on the
school district’s hiring
practices regarding criminal
background checks. The article
resulted in changed policies.
This story is a finalist in
NSPA’s News Story of the Year
contest. Its main author is the
2009 National High School
Journalist of the Year.
The Spoke
Conestoga High School
Berwyn, Pa.

38. Reporting: Type and Depth
Helping the audience discover
a previously unknown problem
— in this case the chaotic
world of foster care — is a
fundamental role of the press.
The Surveyor
George Washington High School
Denver, Colo.

39. Reporting: Type and Depth
The front page of this
newspaper is dedicated to a
timely topic that is presented
without sensationalism and
from multiple angles.
The Bulletin
El Toro High School
Lake Forest, Calif.

40. Editorial leadership
• Opinion pages should be alive with a variety of
content: staff editorials, cartoons, letters and personal
columns.
• Content should be consequential.

41. Editorial Leadership
Opinion pages can be vivid and
lively, too. Display headlines,
a crisp cartoon and
illustrative art accompany the
columns and staff editorial.
The content can and should be
treated visually like other
pages.
(2008 example)
The Peninsula Outlook
Peninsula High School
Gig Harbor, Wash.

42. Editorial Leadership
A nice blend of staff and
student voices is this page’s
hallmark. Staff editorial is on
a timely topic (asbestos), and
speak-outs, letters and
columns complete the page.
The First Amendment on the
ear is a nice touch.
(2008 example)
Munsonian
Muncie Central High School
Muncie, Ind.

43. Overall concept or theme
• Concept unifies coverage and content.
• Theme is relevant to current year or issue and provides
structure for storytelling.

44. 2009 Highlights
• Several trends for the 2009 Pacemakers can be
identified.
• They experiment with quick-read and alternate story
forms to convey a message.
• They tackle sophisticated and timely topics.
• Breaking news is included regularly, including news
about the community.

45. Hard News
A major story in the region
was an outbreak of HIV at a
nearby school, resulting in
testing and community
concern.
The Kirkwood Call
Kirkwood High School
Kirkwood, Mo.

46. Tough Topic
Sexting was the “hot topic” of
2008-09, and many papers
covered the issue as a
national trend with specific
problems in their
communities.
The Lance
Omaha Westside High School
Omaha, Neb.

47. Tough Topic
In-depth coverage regarding
the death of a student.
The Network
Marian High School
Omaha, Neb.

48. Hard News
One hard news story would be
enough for most issues in
most papers, but this page has
three: community rejection of
the budget proposal, students
caught drinking on a field trip,
and the swine flu scare.
The Highland Fling
Northern Highlands Regional High School
N.J.

49. 2009 Design of the Year
• Finalists in Illustration, Infographic and Page One
categories

50. Illustration
Finalist: Lauren Cox
Redwood Bark
Redwood High School
Larkspur, Calif.

51. Illustration
Finalist: Noah Sneider
The Viking
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, Calif.

52. Illustration
Finalist: Jolene Xie
The Nexus
Westview High School
San Diego, Calif.

53. Illustration
Finalist: Mattie Nobles
The Rock
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colo.

54. Illustration
Finalist: Dillon Kogle
Chieftain
Montrose High School
Montrose, Colo.

55. Illustration
Finalist: Lindsay Shores, Laura Seach, Alia Huffman, John Husak
Marquee
Dreyfoos School of the Arts
West Palm Beach, Fla.

56. Infographic
Finalist: Alice Lee
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, Calif.

57. Infographic
Finalist: Erin Schrode
The Voice
Marin Academy
San Rafael, Calif.

58. Infographic
Finalist: Tara Gracer, Jeff Lerman, Victor Rudo
Deerprints
Deerfield High School
Deerfield, Ill.

59. Infographic
Finalist: Christopher Hsing
Silver Chips
Montgomery Blair High School
Silver Spring, Md.

60. Infographic
Finalist: Kevin Li, Rohan Kusre
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio

61. Newspaper Page One
Finalist: Jamie Hausman
Statesman
Stevenson High School
Lincolnshire, Ill.

62. Newspaper Page One
Finalist: Kirsten Robinson
The Express
Blue Valley Northwest High School
Overland Park, Kan.

63. Newspaper Page One
Finalist: Cami Wade
North Star
Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles, Mo.

64. Newspaper Page One
Finalist: Rohan Kusre
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio

65. Newspaper Page One
Finalist: Mike Barnes, Katie Arquiette
The Growl
Massaponax High School
Fredericksburg, Va.

66. 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.
• Go in-depth when the story merits. Don’t give a story
a double-truck unless the story is worth that much
space. Be proportional.

67. Some ways to improve
• Details make the difference. Typography, white space,
color palette, style — these are what set Pacemakers
apart. Be disciplined.
• 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.

68. What’s next?
• The 2009 Pacemaker and individual contest winners
will be announced Saturday afternoon.
• Enter your student media in the 2010 contests. Watch
your e-mail and our Web site for deadlines and entry
forms.

69. Questions?