An overview of the website category of NSPA’s signature award, The Pacemaker, with examples from the 2013 finalists and winners, presented at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco, April 27, 2013.

1. Setting the Pace Online
Learning from Online
Pacemaker finalists
JEA/NSPA San Francisco Convention • April 27, 2013
Logan Aimone, MJE
National Scholastic Press Association
This presentation is available at slideshare.net/loganaimone
and permission is given for educational use.
Sunday, April 28, 13

2. Introduction
The Pacemaker is the highest honor
in scholastic journalism. For eight
decades, it has recognized trend-setters
and go-getters, effort and enterprise,
achievement and talent.
Today, the Pacemaker continues to
recognize the best student journalism in
the nation.
Sunday, April 28, 13

3. Keep in mind …
• The images seen in this presentation are
2013 Online Pacemaker Finalists.
• Winners will be announced at Saturday’s
awards ceremony.
• Inclusion in this presentation does not
indicate a website’s status as a winner.
• Do not read anything into whether an
example was included here.
Sunday, April 28, 13

4. Who’s judging?
• Pacemaker judges are professionals
working in media as well as a range of
experts familiar with student media.
• A team of working digital media
journalists from major metro media and
journalism educators judged the 2013
Online Pacemakers.
Sunday, April 28, 13

5. Who’s judging?
• Entries are judged holistically. There is
not a rubric with points attached to
certain criteria.
• Judging is by nature somewhat
subjective based on NSPA’s Multimedia
Guidebook.*
*That was the old Guidebook. Stay tuned for info on the new
Guidebook!
Sunday, April 28, 13

6. How do they judge?
• The number of Pacemaker finalists and
winners is proportional to the number of
entries.
• The number is not fixed, but about half
of the finalists will be named winners.
• This is a contest, not a critique.
• Judges provide general feedback on the
finalists. Some teams are more
thorough.
Sunday, April 28, 13

7. What do they judge?
• Coverage and Content
• Interactivity and Community Tools
• Breaking News
• Design and Navigation
• Rich Media
Sunday, April 28, 13

8. Judges said top sites
stood apart for:
• Combining multiple strong elements.
The strongest entries brought together
solid multimedia, refined presentation
and a knack for tackling tough issues
(teacher contract negotiations, budget
cuts, a suspended coach, undocumented
students). These publications took on
important stories and executed them
well.
• Working interactives and projects.
Many were around student life issues
(drunk driving, the state of the school).
Sunday, April 28, 13

9. Judges said top sites
stood apart for:
• Strong social media. The best Twitter
users not only tweeted links to their
stories but retweeted other members of
the community and engaging their
audience with questions.
• Creating unique user experiences.
Students seem to be using themes for
Wordpress and other services well to
accomplish this.
Sunday, April 28, 13

10. Judges said top sites
stood apart for:
• Being the go-to resource. Examples
include live coverage of games, calendars
and more in addition to stories about the
school. This keeps audiences coming
back.
• Making the mundane interesting.One
judge enjoyed reading some of the
deeper packages about less-sexy topics,
like a look at a bill that would affect
education.
Sunday, April 28, 13

11. Judges wanted more:
• Better reporting. There were also some
instances of schools with ill reporting, or
stories with questionable sourcing.
• More multimedia. In addition to more
stories with not only great reporting,
most sites needed photos and
multimedia. Given students’ access to
iPhones and multimedia, use more
photos with every story, so sites get more
robust.
Sunday, April 28, 13

12. Coverage & Content
• Coverage is comprehensive, focusing on
many aspects of the high school
community it serves, including
academics, school activities, faculty and
administration and student affairs.
• Includes Web-exclusive content, such as
blogs, interactive elements, video, audio
and breaking news.
• Same standards for excellence as print.
Sunday, April 28, 13

13. From the judges on
Content & Coverage:
• The front page content must be fresh.
The Web cycle is not tied to the print
cycle.
• Go get stories — use research and
enterprise. Eliminate fluff. Avoid
repeating content that can be found
elsewhere. Produce for your audience.
Sunday, April 28, 13

14. From the judges on
Content & Coverage:
• The best sites are not doing“dump days”
but rather consistently uploading new
content at least every couple of days.
• That being said, print standards of
quality still apply. Cover stories that
matter to your community.
• Don’t print a movie review that I could
get from the New York Times.
Sunday, April 28, 13

15. FNHtoday.com
Francis Howell North HS • St. Charles, Mo.Coverage & Content
The top stories
are laid out for
the reader,
highlighting a
range of
content. The
paper’s staff
sets the agenda
in print and
online.
Sunday, April 28, 13

16. The Communicator Online
Community HS • Ann Arbor, Mich.Coverage & Content
The top story is
an in-depth look
at the journeys
of teenagers in
treatment.
Sunday, April 28, 13

17. Denebola
Newton South HS • Newton Centre, Mass.Coverage & Content
This publication
took a national
story (the
Boston
Marathon
bombings) and
made it local by
interviewing a
student who
participated in
the race.
Sunday, April 28, 13

18. Interactivity and
Community Tools
• Readers can interact through comments,
discussions and polls.
• Social networking tools (links, sharing,
guides) empower and engage the reader.
• Readers can submit content, story ideas
and letters. There’s a method to do so.
• Website uses reader-generated content.
Sunday, April 28, 13

19. From the judges on
Interactivity/Tools:
• INTERACT. The best sites this year did
not use social platforms just to dispense
information but rather to engage with
readers.
• Ask questions and respond to comments.
• Make submitting letters & comments
easy and display them prominently.
Sunday, April 28, 13

20. From the judges on
Interactivity/Tools:
• Meet your readers where they are. Don't
use new social media just because — use
it because that’s where your readers are
or are going.
Sunday, April 28, 13

21. Niles West News
Niles West HS • Skokie, Ill.Interactivity / Tools
Uses several social platforms, including Pinterest
and Instagram. The site includes methods to
contact the staff, archives and multiple media.
Sunday, April 28, 13

22. The Feather Online
Fresno Christian HS • Fresno, Calif.Interactivity / Tools
This site brings
its readers in
through polls,
comics and
blogs.
Sunday, April 28, 13

23. Breaking News
• Frequency of update is a consideration.
• Multiple media — which may include
photos, graphics, text, audio, video and
interactive elements — are used to report
breaking news events.
• Coverage is useful and related to school
community.
• News is accurate, even if the information
is incomplete.
Sunday, April 28, 13

24. From the judges on
Breaking News:
• Don’t worry about writing a complete
feature when news is breaking — just
post information as it becomes available.
• Judges commented that some of the best
breaking new they saw centered on
weather-related school closings.“It’s not
sexy, but getting the information to your
readers as soon as possible is really
impressive.”
Sunday, April 28, 13

25. From the judges on
Breaking News:
• Use plugins to create a “Most Popular”
section.
• Surface all content about a hot topic on
campus. This makes it available for
readers to review and assists first-time
visitors.
Sunday, April 28, 13

26. Redwood Bark
Redwood HS • Larkspur, Calif.Breaking News
The “Current”
section lists all
of the most
recent stories,
making it easy
for readers to
navigate to the
newest
information.
Sunday, April 28, 13

27. Little Hawk Online
Iowa City HS • Iowa City, IowaBreaking News
The “Latest
Stories” ticker is
used to get
readers to new
content right
away.
Sunday, April 28, 13

28. Design & Navigation
• The site is visually appealing, drawing
readers into stories.
• Navigation is easy; readers can
effortlessly find what they seek.
• News is presented in a clear hierarchy,
with the most important and/or newest
stories prominently displayed.
• Multiple elements of a story are
packaged together into an integrated
unit.
Sunday, April 28, 13

29. From the judges on
Design & Navigation:
• Sites should be clean and easy to
navigate. White space is your friend.
• New content should be prominently
displayed.
• Remember, people read differently
online — communicate information
through short sentences, bullet points,
links and summaries.
Sunday, April 28, 13

30. Harbinger Online
Shawnee Mission East HS • Prairie Village, Kan.Design & Navigation
This clean
design uses
white space to
make the site
easy to
navigate.
Sunday, April 28, 13

31. Dart News Online
St. TEresa’s Academy • Kansas City, Mo.Design & Navigation
Great headlines
and summaries.
Also, a clean
design and clear
tabs make this
site easy to
navigate.
Sunday, April 28, 13

32. Paly Voice
Palo Alto HS • Palo Alto, Calif.Design & Navigation
This site makes
finding
information
easy for the
reader, with top
stories
highlighted and
a prominently
displayed search
tool.
Sunday, April 28, 13

33. Rich Media
• The site uses a variety of media: audio,
video, photos, text and graphics.
• Media enhance content and help tell
stories rather than simply add flashy
elements to the site.
• Audio, video and graphic elements are
technically excellent.
• Copyright laws are understood and
followed; only original content or
copyright-free material is used.
Sunday, April 28, 13

34. From the judges on
Rich Media:
• Plan what media you'll use when
planning the story. This will help
realizing too late that your audio podcast
really should have been a video.
Sunday, April 28, 13

35. From the judges on
Rich Media:
• Dumping 200 photos in a slideshow and
calling that a multimedia piece is
wrong. Edit! Make the slide show have a
beginning, middle and end.
• Follow copyright rules.
Sunday, April 28, 13

36. Etched in Stone
Fossil Ridge HS • Fort Collins, Colo.Rich Media
Great use of
video, podcasts
and photo
slideshows.
Media are well
matched to the
stories being
told.
Sunday, April 28, 13

37. A-Blast Online
Annandale HS • Annandale, Va.Rich Media
Effective use of
video and
slideshows.
New videos are
posted at least
twice a week.
Sunday, April 28, 13

38. The NEW Guidebook
What’s changing in 2013?
Sunday, April 28, 13

39. Redefined categories
• 2009 Guidebook:
Coverage and Content
Interactivity and Community Tools
Breaking News
Design and Navigation
Rich Media
• 2013 Guidebook:
Coverage and Content
Community Interaction and Social Media
Design and Navigation
Interactive Media and Frequency
Online-exclusive Content
Sunday, April 28, 13

40. Tips for Coverage
and Content
• Think like a reader. Your content needs
to use the same keywords/phrases that
people use when searching for you.
• If your publication is known by one
name around campus, but has another
(possibly official) name online, that is
a problem.
• Use Google Adwords Keyword tool to
figure this out.
Sunday, April 28, 13

41. Tips for Coverage
and Content
• Keep readers reading. Once you have
someone on your site, you need to keep
your consumers in mind.
• They are impatient, often clicking on
the first link that looks promising.
• They seldom scroll down the page.
They don't read full articles.
• If you don't capture their attention
quickly, you lose them.
Sunday, April 28, 13

42. Tips for Community
Interaction / Social
• Know which tools work with your
audience. There are myriad social media
networks available and new ones
popping up constantly.
• New guidebook will discuss how to
evaluate new networks as they appear.
Sunday, April 28, 13

43. Tips for Community
Interaction / Social
• Know how to behave on social media.
Be more efficient.
• Listen.
• Encourage interaction between your
readers.
• Organize your social media.
Sunday, April 28, 13

44. Tips for Design and
Navigation
• Simplicity:
…of design
…of navigation
…of access
• Navigation: Global, local and contextual
• Access = Responsive Design. You must
have a way for readers to connect with
you using mobile devices.
Sunday, April 28, 13

45. Tips for Interactive
Media & Frequency
• Pick the right medium for the story.
• Watch trends in media to know when
there’s something new.
• Use Google Analytics to determine
optimum frequency and engagement
times.
Sunday, April 28, 13

46. Tips for Online
Exclusive Content
• Guidebook will have tips for:
• How to break news online
• Where to promote breaking news
• Tools to draw readers to breaking news
• Story packages created specifically for
the Web
• Developing and maintaining
a Web-first strategy
Sunday, April 28, 13

47. And now, some tips.
What makes a winner?
Sunday, April 28, 13

48. 1. Customize the
template
• The template is a starting point.
Utilize widgets and modifications to
ensure the design, organization and
display fit the needs of your content and
your viewers.
• Move things around. Swap objects out
or around to see if polls get better
response, Facebook more“likes” or
stories more views. Use Google Analytics
to track success.
Sunday, April 28, 13

49. 2. Make the CMS
work for you
• CMS are not evil. They help you
organize and maintain consistency
through time and staff changes.
• Evolve slowly. Even the smallest style
change can set a site apart.
Sunday, April 28, 13

50. 3. Three letters: SEO.
• That’s for Search Engine Optimization.
• Put it in text. Search engines can’t read
images. Include the full name of
publication, school, physical address,
and phone or email in footer of your site.
• Use key words. Write headlines and
leads with words that will pop up in
search.
• Use plugins to increase search
relevancy. Try Google Site Map
optimizer.
Sunday, April 28, 13

51. 4. Improve visual
and audio content
• Compelling photography is essential.
If a story doesn’t have good image, you
should not splash it across the top of the
page. Avoid duplication in multiple
places on the front page.
• Video and audio, too. There are so many
free or inexpensive apps available for
collecting and editing video and audio.
Sunday, April 28, 13

52. 5. Be where your
audience is
• Have a social media presence. Facebook
and Twitter links should be easily
accessible through recognizable icons.
• Experiment with new trends. Try tools
like Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest,
Snapchat, Vine, Kik, Pheed and more.
Sunday, April 28, 13

53. 6. Navigate logically
• Go home. Home buttons are useful
unless it’s obvious clicking on your flag/
masthead will take you there.
• Always include “About” or “Contact
us.” Nest staff pages, advertising and
other “business” pages under these
categories.
• Organize and archive. Homecoming is
only current and relevant so long. Try
turning a section into a button in your
right rail, or nest all special sections
under a certain navigation name.
Sunday, April 28, 13

54. 7. Analyze your
traffic.
• Analytics are cool. Make Google
Analytics a part of your staff’s routine.
• What’s trending? Talk with staffs about
why certain articles are trending.
• Consider bounce rate. That’s the
number of people going to your site an
immediately leaving. The lower the
bounce, the better you are at keeping
people around.
Sunday, April 28, 13

55. 8. Help your
audience
• What would you expect as a viewer?
You’re immersed in your high school life
and experience it daily. How can you
build a site for the audience most likely
to visit your page?
• Help the less familiar. For visitors
unfamiliar with your school, add context
like a wiki or links to past coverage.
• Don’t be afraid to link. External sites
can back up a story and provide context.
Sunday, April 28, 13

56. 9. Prioritize the
content
• Make the front page a menu. The
landing page doesn’t need the clutter of
dozens of photos.
• Service visual skimmers. Just as you do
in print, draw the eye with visual
elements and text cues as to what is
important. Sites like CNN.com and
NYTimes.com utilize many summaries
and links and few photos“above the
fold” on the main page.
Sunday, April 28, 13

57. 10. Increase the
interactivity
• Ask the audience. Reader-generated
content not only encourages interaction,
it drives traffic like crazy. Contests for
cutest pets or best spirit day costume are
guaranteed winners.
• Allow submissions. Readers can submit
ideas, give advice (“How would you cut
the budget?”), or add to a wiki (“What’s
your advice for incoming freshmen?”).
• Share, share, share. Facilitate sharing
of your content among social media.
Sunday, April 28, 13

58. What’s next?
We announce the winners
this afternoon!
Contact Logan Aimone:
logan@studentpress.org
Sunday, April 28, 13

59. Questions?
Thanks!
Twitter: @NSPA
Facebook: National Scholastic
Press Association
Contact Logan Aimone:
logan@studentpress.org
Sunday, April 28, 13