Columbia Recognizes Shakerite Print, Web Coverage
Gold or Silver Crown will be awarded at convention in March
The Shakerite has earned one of the top honors in scholastic journalism for its complementary print and online coverage during the 2012-2013 school year.
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association has named the news organization a Crown Award finalist and will award The Shakerite and shakerite.com a Gold or Silver Crown Award at its 90th annual spring conference at Columbia University in New York City March 21, 2014.
According to the CSPA website, “Crown Awards are the highest recognition given by the CSPA to a student print or digital medium for overall excellence.”
The Crown Awards are judged by a panel of journalism professionals, including “experienced former advisers to student media, professional journalists who understand student media or professionals such as photographers or online specialists with particular expertise needed for the judging exercise.”
The Shakerite competed in the CSPA’s hybrid category, which the organization defines as a “print publication that provides live coverage via website between print editions” including “expanded content for stories already covered in print” and “updates or completely new coverage via website.”
Shakerite.com launched in September 2011 under the leadership of Editor in Chief Graham Fine (’12). Print Editor in Chief Sarah-Jane Lorenzo (’13) and Web Editor in Chief Liz Jacob (’13) led the news organization’s transition to complementary coverage, which featured intensive reporting of the superintendent search and hiring of Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., a comprehensive look at the current status of the achievement gap, and an investigation of grade inflation at the high school.
The Shakerite also won two awards from the National Scholastic Press Assocation in November.
The Shakerite and shakerite.com are advised by Natalie Sekicky. Former Shakerite editor Emily Grannis (’06) served as a volunteer adviser during the 2012-2013 year.
