Pioneer website garners more national recognition

Whitman's student-run weekly newspaper, The Pioneer, has been recognized as a Pacemaker finalist for the second year in a row.

The Pacemaker is the highest honor offered by the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP). Colleges and universities from across the country compete for the award each year.

Editor-in-chief Rachel Alexander '13, a politics-environmental studies major from Seattle, Wash., reports that this recognition is the result of hard work from all the members of the Pioneer web staff.

"Webmaster Ben Schaefer '14 and web editor Blair Hanley Frank '13 have worked tirelessly to respond to feedback about the site and develop new features for it, while web content editors Aleida Fernandez '15 and Shelly Le ‘14 have insured a consistent stream of high-quality content," she said. "I think this award also reflects the work our photography team has been putting into video projects this year."

The Pioneer website was designed by alumna Rebecca Fish '11. It has won Best of Show among weekly four-year college newspapers at ACP National Journalism Conventions in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

"I'm honored to be recognized for the second year in a row, and I'm excited that the work Whitman's student journalists produce is receiving national attention," Alexander said. "I hope this year we can bring home a Pacemaker after the fall ACP convention."