Student Newspaper Wins Award

The Clarion student newspaper received a “Best of Show” award during the Associated Collegiate Press’s National College Media Convention in Austin, Texas, on November 1. Those who attended the convention could enter their newspapers into “Best of Show” categories during the weekend convention, and the Clarion came out on top among the four-year colleges and universities with a newspaper published less than weekly.

News Editor Marissa Gamache and designers Lauren Williamson and Brita MacInnes—plus Clarion faculty advisor and journalism professor Scott Winter—attended the conference. The line-up featured seminars on a variety of topics related to college media.

“I'm very honored by the award and I'm thrilled that our effort and dedication to pursuing difficult stories has been rewarded,” says Jared Nelson, editor-in-chief. “I'm hopeful that this will help The Clarion gain more credibility at Bethel and bolster its reputation as a publication that reports on issues of all sorts in a thorough, unbiased manner.”

The issue submitted for the contest was the last issue of the 2014-15 academic year, which was published under the direction of then editor-in-chief Jenny Hudalla. 

“When I got the text from Scott [Winter] saying that we'd won, I couldn't help but smile,” says Hudalla. “I'm so proud of my staff and so thankful for the people who were vulnerable and courageous enough to trust us with their stories.”

The cost for the trip to the convention was underwritten by the Johnson Center for Journalism and Communication.