The U-High Midway is one of 34 high school newspapers in the country that are finalists for the prestigious Newspaper Pacemaker Award, and U-High journalists are also Top 10 national finalists for 11 individual awards across the U-High Midway, U-Highlights and photojournalism.
This is the sixth year in a row and 17th time in its history that the Midway has been a Pacemaker finalist. U-High is the only 2024 finalist from Illinois.
The 11 individual national finalists are the most ever for U-High journalism.
Since 1927, the Pacemaker Award and individual awards from the National Scholastic Press Association have been some of the most highly honored awards in scholastic journalism, celebrating overall excellence in student media that is produced during the school year. To win a Pacemaker Award, professional journalists judge based on the coverage and content; quality of writing and reporting; leadership; design; photography; and graphics.
For NSPA individual awards, entries are judged by teams of professionals with experience and expertise in the contest category.
Winners will be announced at the Fall 2024 National High School Journalism Convention held by the National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association in Philadelphia Nov. 7-10.
Clare McRoberts, a Midway editor-in-chief, said the Pacemaker Award represents the work ethic of the team.
“I definitely think it reflects our hard work over the past year, and I think everyone contributed to that,” Clare said, “and it makes me excited for all of the team members and makes me super proud about how strong our publication is.”
Three photos by photojournalism editor-in-chief Eli Raikhel are finalists, including two entries in the environmental portrait category. He said the elation of the awards has offered him the ability to reflect on taking the photos themselves.
“When I found out, I was really excited,” Eli said. “I wasn’t even thinking about it beforehand, but it is really cool because it makes me think back to the moments I took the pictures and like what was going on and how it led to this.”
The full list of individual award finalists is below:
- Design of the Year, newspaper front page: Mia Lipson, Vol. 99 Issue 7, Feb. 22, 2024
- Design of the Year, newspaper page/spread: Audrey Park (Class of 2024), Affirmative Apprehension
- Design of the Year, newspaper page/spread: Jaya Alenghat, Cicadapalooza
- Digital Story of the Year, photo slideshow: Eclipse excitement: Lab community gathers to celebrate unique celestial event, Jaya Alenghat, Taariq Ahmed, Mia Lipson, Nathan Li, Olin Nafziger, Eli Raikhel, Grace LaBelle, Ryan Burke-Stevenson, Ellis Calleri, Bryce Light
- Digital Story of the Year, photo slideshow: After 8 days, UChicago pro-Palestine encampment removed on morning of May 7, Olin Nafziger, Jaya Alenghat, Chloe Alexander, Mia Lipson
- Photo of the Year, feature photo: Daniel Baeza, Just Dance, U-Highlights
- Photo of the Year, environmental portrait: Eli Raikhel, A community essential: Phillip Raoul
- Photo of the Year, environmental portrait: Eli Raikhel, Mad scientist, U-Highlights
- Story of the Year, opinion story: Clare McRoberts, It’s time to end legacy admissions
- Portfolio of the Year, photojournalist of the year: Olin Nafziger
- Best Use of Social Media: social media reporting: Skye Freeman, Jaya Alenghat, Chloë Alexander, Clare McRoberts
