Ithaca College’s student-run newspaper, The Ithacan, won the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold Crown Award for its work in the 2021–22 academic year. The highest recognition given by the CSPA to a student print or digital medium for overall excellence, the award was presented during College Media Association’s Spring National College Media Convention in New York City this past March.
Winning entries are chosen by a panel of judges who consider several facets of storytelling: content, design or presentation, coverage, photography, as well as writing and editing. More than 800 publications were eligible for judging this past academic year. The Ithacan was one of five winners in the Gold Hybrid News category for its print and digital products, and one of 40 publications honored with a CSPA Crown Award.
The Gold Crown Award has been given out annually since 1982. This is the eighth time The Ithacan has earned a Gold Crown Award, and the first time since 2015. It took home the Silver Crown Award each of the past six years.
Editor-in-chief Caitlin Holtzman ’23, one of four students who accepted the award on behalf of The Ithacan, said her staff was extremely grateful for this honor. “It means a great deal to me and the rest of our team to have taken home the Gold Crown Award,” she said. “It is fantastic to see it in our display case again,” she said. “I hope this win further motivates our editors and staff to continue to produce strong content.”