The Murray State News won five national awards at the recent Associated
Collegiate Press/College Media Association fall national conference in New Orleans.
The News won ninth place in the ACP Best of Show contest for newspapers and
news magazines at schools with less than 15,000 enrollment. This award is given as part
of an on-site competition.
The News won three Pinnacle awards from the College Media Association in
Division II, or schools with less than 10,000 enrollment.
● 1st place, photo package, Rebeca Mertins Chiodini, for her photo gallery about
the Racer Roundup rodeo;
● Honorable mention, feature magazine of the year for Gateway magazine;
● Honorable mention, best newspaper photo page/spread, MacKenzie Rogers and
Rebeca Mertins Chiodini, for a feature page design with photographs from
Campus Lights.
The CMA Pinnacle awards honor the best college media organizations and individual
work. The Pinnacle awards attracted more than 3,000 entries from two- and four-year schools
across enrollment divisions.
Additionally, The Murray State News was recognized as an ACP Innovation Pacemaker
finalist for a joint entry with ACP member newsrooms, The College Heights Herald at Western
Kentucky University, The Kentucky Kernel at the University of Kentucky, The Eastern Progress
at Eastern Kentucky University and The Northerner at Northern Kentucky University. Non-ACP
member schools that also participated were the Louisville Cardinal at the University of
Louisville and the Thorobred News at Kentucky State University. The entry highlighted an
editorial written jointly by student journalists at Kentucky schools about the need for DEI on
college campuses.
Jill Smith, a May 2024 graduate with a master’s in mass communications/public relations
from Murray, served as editor-in-chief last year. Bri Hunter, a senior journalism major from
Murray, serves as EIC this year.
“Serving in a leadership role has given me an entirely different perspective of how news
organizations operate,” Hunter said. “I am grateful to be in this role to set a standard for myself
and others. I was very excited that The News received five national awards, and because of that
we will work harder. ”
The News changed from a weekly printed newspaper with a website to a digital-first
publication with a monthly newspaper last year. This change has allowed students to experience
a digital-first news organization while still maintaining the tradition of a printed newspaper. The
News also produces two magazines a year: Gateway, a glossy product that focuses on feature
stories about western Kentucky, and Racer Guide, a print newsmagazine that serves as an
orientation guide for new students.
“The Murray State News has a long tradition of excellence, and I’m thrilled to see us
return to winning national awards,” said Leigh Landini Wright, adviser. “These student-
journalists worked hard to rebuild that tradition during a challenging time.”
Founded in 1927, The Murray State News is an award-winning student-led publication.
The News is among the ACP Pacemaker Top 100 news organizations and has a long tradition of
excellence. To read The News online, go to www.murraystatenews.org. The next print edition
will be published on Nov. 14.
