2023 Associated Collegiate Press Conference
Cal Poly’s Mustang Media Group Brings Home 20+ Awards at the 2023 Associated Collegiate Press Conference in San Franciso, CA
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Mustang Media Group, Cal Poly’s student-run media organization, brought home over 20 awards at the 2023 Associated Collegiate Press Spring National College Media Conference. The conference took place in San Francisco from March 9th - 11th and included award ceremonies from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) and the California College Media Association (CCMA). Notable awards included first place for best newspaper in the nation, best broadcast news program, best website, and best advertising special newspaper section.
More than 750 collegiate journalists and their advisers, and 125 speakers attended the conference. Mustang Media Group contributed to over 30 of these attendees and were able to listen to industry professionals, students, and educators on a wide variety of topics relevant to journalism, public relations, advertising and media in general. Cal Poly Journalism Department Chair Brady Teufel said that “attending this conference can be a life-changing event for many students, inspiring both personal as well as organizational growth and success. To have the representation we did speaks to the level of commitment and motivation we have at Cal Poly Journalism.” Attendees had the opportunity to listen to and participate in presentations prepared by MMG students and faculty. Additionally, students and staff attended talks hosted by other presenters allowing them to expand their knowledge and generate new ideas for the organization. Topics ranged from trauma reporting, to the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, social media, sports reporting and more. Notably, Mustang News Editor-in-Chief, Catherine Allen, and reporter Nico Viñuela shared their experience covering the Kristin Smart murder trial as college journalists.
The students' efforts were evident in their exceptional coverage of various events, including the reporting on the Kristen Smart Case, breaking news on Cal Poly sports, innovative paper designs and more. Professor and adviser Patrick Howe said, “I’m very proud of our students and to me, the honors we’ve received tell us we are continuing to improve how we serve the readers of Mustang News — and that’s really the important part.”
After months of hard work and preparation, the Mustang Media Group staff were able to showcase their unwavering dedication to transparent and truthful journalism and be rewarded for doing so. "This conference was a great recognition of Mustang Media Group's diligent work and commitment to impactful journalism," Catherine Allen, the editor-in-chief of Mustang News said. “I couldn't be prouder of our team!”
The entire list of awards that Mustang Media Group received at the conference is below.
Associated Collegiate Press Individual Awards:
1st Place: Best Advertising Design (print, online, video, audio) // Van Hong - SLO Living
2nd Place: Best Blog // Zoie Denton - Heartbreak on Valentine's Day
2nd Place: Best Broadcast Sports Story // Jack Bynum - Cal Poly Women’s Soccer
3rd Place: Best Social Justice Reporting // Naomi Vanderlip - At a loss for words
10th Place: Best Print Design // Claire Lorimor, Megan Anderson - From 1996 to now…
Best of Show Staff Recognition Awards:
1st Place: Best Newspaper/Newsmagazine
1st Place: Best Broadcast News Program (4-year campus)
- MNTV: Mustang News
1st Place: Best Website
1st Place: Best Advertising Special Newspaper Section
California College Media Association Awards:
1st Place: Best Social Media Reporting
- Catherine Allen, Chloe Chin
1st Place: Best Newspaper Front Page Design
- Nicole Herhusky
1st Place: Best Multimedia Package
- Staff
2nd Place: Best News Series
- Nico Viñuela, Elizabeth Wilson, Amelia Wu, Brady Caskey
2nd Place: Best Special Section
- Cindy Nguyen, Lauren Emo, Van Hong
2nd Place: Best Non-Breaking News Story
- Roselyn Romero, Vincent Torres
2nd Place: Best Breaking News Story
- Catherine Allen, Brady Caskey, Chloe Chin, Nico Viñuela
2nd Place: Best Newspaper Inside Page/Spread Design
- Nicole Herhusky
2nd Place: Best Online Advertisement
- Van Hong
2nd Place: Best Feature Story
- Brady Caskey
2nd Place: Best Podcast
- Cameryn Oakes
3rd Place: Best Infographic
- Nicole Herhusky
3rd Place: Best Headline Portfolio
- Omar Rashad
3rd Place: Best Newspaper Website
- Catherine allen, Victoria bochniak