The student news organization The Runner received several awards as part of the annual California College Media Association (CCMA) Excellence in Student Media Awards on March 11.
The Runner received a first-place award in General Innovation for their strategies in reaching new audiences via vertical video storytelling on social media platforms. The ceremony was held as part of the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) National College Media Conference, where The Runner also received national awards for their website and newspaper.
Two student leaders who spearheaded the effort also presented their project in a workshop during the conference.
"I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent The Runner, and the acknowledgment of introducing vertical video into our toolkit," said Ernesto Leon, The Runner’s co-editor-in-chief for digital. "We recognize the importance of informing students, and that means adapting our storytelling methods to reach our audience in the way they mostly consume their news."
Leon co-presented with video team director Jennifer Serrano Ramirez.
After introducing vertical video in 2022, the students have amassed over 30,000 video views. Unique visits to The Runner’s website have also more than doubled, which the students attribute to their expanding digital outreach.
In San Francisco, The Runner also won second place for Best Website in the ACP’s national Best in Show contest, as well as 10th place for Best Newspaper for four-year universities with a population of fewer than 15,000 students. They also placed ninth overall for the People’s Choice award.
In the CCMA contest, two Runner staff members also received individual awards in the category for four-year universities with a population of fewer than 15,000 students: Alea Gaona won second place in the feature photo category and Frankie Nadal won third place for headline portfolio.
“It’s so amazing to see the staff’s hard work recognized at the state and national level,” said Jennifer Burger, The Runner’s faculty adviser. “Our students are so creative and innovative and are really plugged in to their generation’s thirst for quality digital media.”
Although The Runner resumed printing monthly issues this year after returning to in-person learning post-pandemic, the student news organization focuses much of its efforts on digital storytelling via social media and its website.
The Runner is an academic lab under the Department of Communications at CSUB, which offers three emphases in journalism, public relations and digital media. Many alumni from the program go on to work for local news organizations as well as public and private agencies.
Click here for more information about CSUB’s communications program.
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