WKU News

WKU Student Publications earned two more national Pacemaker Awards from Associated Collegiate Press for 2023, and finished as finalists in three additional areas.

The College Heights Herald won the Multiplatform Pacemaker, which assesses the entire news operation from print and online to newsletters, social media and storytelling in video and audio formats. It means students’ work is reaching a level of excellence across all platforms.

The Herald also shared the Innovation Pacemaker for a collaboration with student media at Ball State University, looking at how the refugee community in Bowling Green has changed the fabric of the city and the lessons it holds for other midsize communities. It was fabulous work, and I was so proud of students from both WKU and Ball State. WKU Public Media and Ball State Public Media also were partners in the project, which was funded at WKU by Julie A. Harris Hinson and at Ball State by the Ball Brothers Foundation.

Additionally, the Herald was a finalist for the Online Pacemaker and the Newsmagazine Pacemaker. Talisman was finalist for the Multiplatform Pacemaker.

The Pacemakers were awarded Oct. 30 at the National College Media Convention in Atlanta. Pacemakers are considered the most prestigious national award for student-led media outlets and are, in effect, the collegiate journalism version of a national championship

The two Pacemakers earned this year were the 22nd and 23rd for the College Heights Herald and the 45th and 46th for WKU Student Publications. That is an outstanding record.

WKU Student Publications earned its first Pacemaker in 1978 with Talisman, and in 1981 with the Herald. From 1978-1999, the Herald and the Talisman brought home 14 Pacemakers. Student Pubs added 11 more Pacemakers from 2000-2009, another 12 from 2020-2019, and have won 9 since 2020.

The Herald has a total of 23 Pacemakers and the Talisman has 22. Cherry Creative won the first Innovation Pacemaker in 2000.

Both the Herald and the Talisman are in the Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame. They also are in The Pacemaker 100, the most successful student media outlets in the history of the ACP Pacemaker competition, which dates back to 1927. The Herald was No. 6 on The Pacemaker 100 Top 10.