The Horizon chosen as a finalist for the Pacemaker, the Pulitzer of college journalism

2nd September 2015
The Horizon staff in the fall of 2014.

The Horizon staff in the fall of 2014.

NEW ALBANY, Ind. — Indiana University Southeast’s student newspaper is in the running for the highest honor in college journalism.

The Horizon, IU Southeast’s student-produced multimedia news organization, has been selected as a finalist for the Newspaper Pacemaker, unofficially known as the “Pulitzer Prize of college journalism.”

Chosen by the Associated College Press, The Horizon is one of 24 finalists in the Four-Year Non-Daily Newspaper category for work from the 2014-15 academic year.

“Being chosen as a finalist for the Pacemaker shows how dedicated and enterprising The Horizon students are in their drive to tell the story of IU Southeast and connecting with the audience here,” said assistant professor of journalism and Horizon adviser Adam Maksl. “I’m really proud of the fact they did some in-depth reporting and did it very well, covering things like the issue of student veterans dealing with mental illness and the hidden side of homelessness among college students.”

The Pacemaker award winner will be announced at the ACP/CMA National National College Media Convention from Oct. 28-Nov. 1 in Austin, Texas.

“It’s a testament to how hard the entire staff has been working, not just the last year, but the past two and a half years,” said former Horizon editor-in-chief and senior journalism student Joel Stinnett. “Everyone has made a lot of sacrifices and has a lot of passion for it. When you’re doing it, you don’t think about awards or anything like that.”

The Horizon took home 22 awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Louisville Pro Chapter’s annual contest in June, most notably first place in best news website category.

“I think that the success of The Horizon is a reflection of the success and growth of the journalism program and the hard work of faculty within our program,” Maksl said. “I think that it shows that not only are we the only institution in the metro area that offers a full journalism degree, but it also shows that students that go through our program do very well.”

The cover of one of the issues of The Horizon that the staff submitted for the Pacemaker award.

The cover of one of the issues of The Horizon that the staff submitted for the Pacemaker award.

TAGS: , , , , ,