The newspaper of Elon News Network was recognized as part of the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence contest.
The Pendulum, Elon University’s student-run newspaper, earned several top honors from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence Awards, including the Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper.
The Corbin Gwaltney Award, named after the co-founder of The Chronicle of Higher Education, includes a $5,000 prize for the newsroom.
“I am deeply honored to continue Corbin’s legacy of supporting student journalists who are committed to truth-seeking and professionalism in their reporting,” Pamela Gwaltney, chair of The Chronicle of Higher Education, said in a statement. “He believed in the power of the written word, and it’s gratifying to see these student journalists share his lifelong passion for integrity and curiosity as they hone their craft.”
The judges of the newspaper contest praised Elon’s student journalists for their robust local news section, specifically noting their government and enterprise reporting, as well as their innovative design work and use of infographics.
“There’s a sense that the editors and designers don’t just care about the stories, they also care about the readers’ experience,” judges said of The Pendulum’s staff. “The work adds up to strong design, clean and clear copy, and all-around solid issues.”
Elon News Network, the student-run news organization that publishes The Pendulum, also won first-place national awards for in-depth reporting, photo essay and use of multimedia. It received national finalist awards in the categories of feature photography and narrative podcast. National contenders were previously recognized as first-place winners in one of the SPJ’s 12 regional competitions for work completed during the 2023 calendar year. Each first-place regional winner advanced to the national competition.
Winners and finalists in the Society of Professional Journalists national Mark of Excellence Awards include:
- National Winner – Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper | The Pendulum | April 5, 2023; April 26, 2023; and Sept. 13, 2023 editions
- National Winner – Photo Essay/Slideshow | Clare Grant ’23 | Always Dancing
- National Winner – Best Use of Multimedia | Thomas Denome ’23 | Down to ride
- National Winner – In-Depth Reporting | Sophie Rosenthal ’24 | Alamance-Burlington schools grapple with financial strain after summer mold crisis
- National Finalist – Feature Photography | Katherine Martin ’25 | Black History Month concert
- National Finalist – Podcast (Narrative) | Margaret Faust ’23 | Elon professor and Iraqi native wants to return home
Additionally, The Pendulum racked up several awards in the student competition of the Society for News Design. Erin Martin ’25 won first- and second-place awards for sports page design, as well as a first-place award for digital storytelling design. The Pendulum won the first-place award for the student newspaper of the year.
Awards for the Society for News Design student competition include:
- 1st Place – Student Newspaper of the Year | The Pendulum | April 26, 2023 edition
- 1st Place – Sports Page Design | Erin Martin ’25 | Page 7, March 1, 2023
- 2nd Place – Sports Page Design | Martin | Page 7, Aug. 30, 2023
- 1st Place – Digital Storytelling | Martin | Elon University sees more parking regulation across campus
The Corbin Gwaltney Award
The Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper recognizes the effort and dedication of student-run newspapers based on two divisions: large and small. The Pendulum was awarded the Corbin Gwaltney in the small university division, 1 to 9,999 students. The Indiana Daily Student at Indiana University was recognized in the large university division, 10,000-plus students.
The award is named after the founder of The Chronicle, who left a legacy of integrity and journalistic recognition after he passed away in 2019.