NASHVILLE -- The Daily Pennsylvanian was recognized on Saturday as one of the top college newspapers in the country for the fourth consecutive year.
The newspaper received the coveted Pacemaker award -- widely regarded as the "Pulitzer Prize of the college press" -- which is given by the Associated Collegiate Press in recognition of outstanding journalism. Twenty-five publications were recognized this year out of 60 finalists.
Including this year, the DP has won the award six of the last eight years.
This year, other winning newspapers included the Drexel University Triangle, which publishes once weekly, and daily publications The Harvard Crimson and the Washington Square News, published by New York University. Each year, the contest is judged by professional journalists from the town hosting the organization's national convention. This year, editors and writers from the Nashville Tennessean were in charge of the selections for each of the three categories, which include four-year college dailies, four-year college weeklies and two-year college papers.
The publications are judged for coverage and content, design, depth of reporting and opinion page quality.
"I feel superb," DP Executive Editor Chris George said. "It's a very encouraging sign, to be recognized nationally in this way."
He added, "We take our jobs here at the DP very seriously, and I think an award like this attests to that."
ACP members submit several issues from the previous year to be judged in the competition. The bulk of those issues come from designated time periods, and one issue is any of the staff's choosing.
For the individual issue, the DP submitted its coverage of the selection of President Amy Gutmann in late January.
"I think it's a great honor to be recognized for the fourth consecutive year as one of the elite college newspapers in the nation," Senior Sports Editor David Burrick said.
"I'm proud of the staff for putting in the time and energy necessary to produce an award-winning newspaper," Managing Editor Haley Shapley said.
"I don't think you can ever expect an award like this," she added, "but it certainly is a great honor to receive it."
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