The Observer Named Region’s Best All-Around Non-Daily

The Observer, CWU's student-run newspaper, was named Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Region 10 Mark of Excellence awards.

The award, announced Saturday at SPJ’s Region 10 conference in Spokane, was for universities of all sizes in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The win advances The Observer to the national competition where winners will be announced in September at SPJ’s annual conference in Orlando.

“We’ve been a finalist in the Best All-Around category for the last two years, so winning gives us something to truly be proud about,” said Adam Wilson, who was editor-in-chief in the fall. Margaux Massey was editor in winter 2014, and Matthew Thompson was editor in spring 2014.

“We were up against so many great programs and papers. It’s an incredible honor and such a great reflection of the hard work our student journalists put in week after week,” added Cynthia Mitchell, The Observer’s faculty adviser.

The contest honored the best of collegiate journalism in 2014 and required the paper to submit three issues on dates selected by SPJ. Entries are judged by professionals with at least three years journalism experience.

Students Julia Martinez and Aaron Kunkler also were finalists in the general news category for schools that enroll 10,000 or more. Martinez, who graduated from Ellensburg High School, wrote a lengthy piece for The Observer last fall about Central’s negotiations with its new flight-training contractor. Martinez and Kunkler wrote follow-up stories that were included in the entry package.

Last month both The Observer and Pulse magazine won awards in the Best of Show contest at the Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention in Los Angeles. The Observer won first place in the four-year weekly newspaper category, and Pulse placed fourth in the feature magazine category.

April 14, 2015