USU Student Media wins ACP award
Utah State University Student Media won a 2020 Student Media Business Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press.
The award was announced virtually on Oct. 22 during the ACP/CMA Fall National College Media Convention awards ceremony.
Nathan Laursen, USU Student Media’s adviser, said he was lying in bed when he heard the organization won.
“I turned to my wife, who actually ran the office at the Statesman as an undergraduate student, and told her how good it felt,” Laursen said.
Laursen started working at USU Student Media as a student from 2006 to 2009. He was hired as the adviser in 2013.
“It felt like all of the effort the students and advisers have put in these last few years have been recognized at a national prestigious level,” Laursen said. “Our financial situation was not the best when I started in 2013, so looking back on what we have accomplished from then until now feels really good.”
Laursen said in the industry of journalism and media, the business side doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
“The content is what most people associate with The Utah Statesman, Aggie Radio and our video team, but there are so many other students working behind the scenes to help with the success of the organizations that never get their names in bylines.”
Jacob Horton, USU Student Media’s executive marketing director, said he was surprised and excited to hear the news and called it a big win in his book.
“It shows that the efforts of myself and the team I work with amounts to something at the end of the day,” Horton said. “The award is definitely something we can show to others that we’ve been working hard and been able to accomplish something.”
Horton said he and the team put a lot of work in over the summer to make the organization what it is today.
“The things we needed to do behind the scenes helped us win the award,” he said. “Throughout the summer we spent a lot of time organizing the business side of USU Student Media, and putting together the structure and our workflow, project management.”
Horton said dedication is what sets USU Student Media apart from other college media groups.
“A lot of us aren’t here to make a lot of money,” he said. “The amount of dedication and effort we put in helps us build tools and skills and to be able to have that experience for when we go out into the world. It’s a combination of wonderful volunteers and great leadership by our advisors.”
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