The newspaper of 鶹Ƶ News Network was recognized as part of the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence contest.
The Pendulum, 鶹Ƶ’s student-run newspaper, earned several top honors from the Society of Professional Journalists’ , including the Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper.
The Corbin Gwaltney Award, named after the co-founder of The Chronicle of Higher Education, includes a $5,000 prize for the newsroom.
“I am deeply honored to continue Corbin’s legacy of supporting student journalists who are committed to truth-seeking and professionalism in their reporting,” Pamela Gwaltney, chair of The Chronicle of Higher Education, . “He believed in the power of the written word, and it’s gratifying to see these student journalists share his lifelong passion for integrity and curiosity as they hone their craft.”
The judges of the newspaper contest praised 鶹Ƶ’s student journalists for their robust local news section, specifically noting their government and enterprise reporting, as well as their innovative design work and use of infographics.
“There’s a sense that the editors and designers don’t just care about the stories, they also care about the readers’ experience,” judges said of The Pendulum’s staff. “The work adds up to strong design, clean and clear copy, and all-around solid issues.”
, the student-run news organization that publishes The Pendulum, also won first-place national awards for in-depth reporting, photo essay and use of multimedia. It received national finalist awards in the categories of feature photography and narrative podcast. National contenders were previously recognized as first-place winners in one of the SPJ’s 12 regional competitions for work completed during the 2023 calendar year. Each first-place regional winner advanced to the national competition.
Winners and finalists in the Society of Professional Journalists national Mark of Excellence Awards include:
- National Winner – Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper | The Pendulum | ;;and 徱پDzԲ
- National Winner – Photo Essay/Slideshow | Clare Grant ’23 |
- National Winner – Best Use of Multimedia | Thomas Denome ’23 |
- National Winner – In-Depth Reporting | Sophie Rosenthal ’24 |
- National Finalist – Feature Photography | Katherine Martin ’25 |
- National Finalist – Podcast (Narrative) | Margaret Faust ’23 |
Additionally, The Pendulum racked up several awards in the student competition of the Society for News Design. Erin Martin ’25 won first- and second-place awards for sports page design, as well as a first-place award for digital storytelling design. The Pendulum won the first-place award for the student newspaper of the year.
Awards for the Society for News Design student competition include:
- 1st Place – Student Newspaper of the Year | The Pendulum |
- 1st Place – Sports Page Design | Erin Martin ’25 |
- 2nd Place – Sports Page Design | Martin |
- 1st Place – Digital Storytelling | Martin |
The Corbin Gwaltney Award
The Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper recognizes the effort and dedication of student-run newspapers based on two divisions: large and small. The Pendulum was awarded the Corbin Gwaltney in the small university division, 1 to 9,999 students. The Indiana Daily Student at Indiana University was recognized in the large university division, 10,000-plus students.
The award is named after the founder of The Chronicle, who left a legacy of integrity and journalistic recognition after he passed away in 2019.