Best Newspaper
Private Colleges & Universities

Winner: The Hurricane, University of Miami
Runner-Up: The Avion, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ.
Honorable Mention: The Gargoyle, Flagler College

Winner
The Hurricane—University of Miami
Are you looking to tone up your student newspaper, strengthen your journalistic muscles, tighten those flabby mid-sections? With the help of this revolutionary three-step program created by University of Miami students, soon you’ll be on your way to creating a healthier, happier publication. It’s not the South Beach Diet—let us introduce you to The Miami Hurricane Diet, all the rage for newspapers looking to become lean and mean.

The first step in any fitness program is to build a strong foundation. When it comes to newspapers, that means good writing, good design, and good photos. The Hurricane has been successful with all three. For student newspapers, especially those in metropolitan areas, the challenge is writing articles that speak to your diverse audience while providing information they can’t get anywhere else. According to News Editor Megha Garg, The Hurricane has solved this problem by printing only those articles that have a direct connection to UM students. “For example, instead of simply recounting the facts of the recent tsunami tragedy, we made sure to discuss what UM is doing to aid in relief efforts, and we got the stories of UM students who saw the devastation firsthand,” she says. With a strict modular design and energetic photos that capture student life and sports, the paper has created an attractive platform for its in-depth news and features.

Now that you have the fundamentals down, it’s time to add a little muscle. The best way for student newspapers to ‘bulk up’ is to package feature stories in fun and creative designs. In “Edge,” The Hurricane’s Arts and Entertainment section, special attention is routinely paid to the design and layout of the lead article. With effective use of word art, white space, and Adobe Photoshop tools, the section is always eye-catching. The occasional photo story and extended Sports spread add richness to the overall design. However, window dressing without substance is worthless, so The Hurricane strives to publish articles that will improve UM for the students. For instance, a recent expose on insects floating in coffee focused some much needed attention on the state of vending machines on campus. “The article inspired the university to require vendors to check their machines more often,” says Leigha Taber, editor in chief.

The final step in The Miami Hurricane Diet is to get noticed. What’s the point of a rock-hard newspaper if no one picks it up? The secret for improving distribution: curb appeal. The Hurricane has taken a different approach to front-page design by incorporating a news magazine cover to the paper. Except for a teaser bar that runs down the left edge and previews interior articles, the entire cover is composed of a captivating photo and headline reminiscent of Time or Newsweek. “Our hope is to increase readership and to reach out to those students we may not be serving,” Garg says. The twice-weekly newspaper has made a sincere effort to expand its audience base, and it seems, in a strange way, that they have succeeded. “The paper is perceived by conservative students as liberal; by liberal students as conservative; by the Student Government as anti-SG; and by non-SG students as pro-SG,” Taber says. “This is due to the diversity of our staff and to our constant striving to portray all sides of stories.” When you can’t pin down a newspaper’s politics, it’s a sign that the staff truly has created a lean and mean editorial machine.

Runner-Up
The Avion—Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ.
No newspaper in Florida (and that includes professionals) understands the concept of writing for an audience better than The Avion at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Once again, these future engineers and scientists have outdone themselves with an exceptional student newspaper. The writing is surprisingly good for non-liberal arts or journalism majors, the coverage can’t be faulted, and the layout is a testament to tried-and-true design techniques.

However, the real goldmine within The Avion is its newly renamed and expanded Industry and Technology section. Covering everything from the latest advances in aeronautical technology and new developments in science to the most innovative new gizmos, Industry and Technology is everything an engineering student could want—and can’t find anywhere else. “The section is especially favored at Embry-Riddle since we’re a technology-driven institution,” says Shyamal Addanki, editor in chief. “The passion of our students lies in the scientific world.”

But as we all know, those scientists really know how to party, and The Avion has added several sections to help students balance work and play. The e-Gaming section includes features on the latest and most popular games, but the most fun article on the page is the “Ol’ Skool Game of the Week,” which harkens back to the old 16-bit days. Pong, anyone? And for those students bored during calculus, the paper now features two full pages of comics, trivia contests, word puzzles, and a photo of the week. “The responses to these student-involved sections have been overwhelming,” Addanki says.

Other than the few additions to the Industry and Technology section, The Avion hasn’t changed much in the last year. Although there’s something to be said for sticking with what works, a newspaper must continually improve itself in both content and design if it wants to keep pace with other news media. Also, for a newspaper so attuned to technology, The Avion’s Web site is surprisingly bland. Not only are there few photos, but many of the elements we’ve come to expect from a good Web site—polls, graphics, Flash, links, etc.—are nonexistent.

Winner
The Gargoyle—Flagler College
With some simple design changes, The Gargoyle at Flagler College has created a more professional-looking newspaper over the past year. The front page has the most dramatic new look. The nameplate was simplified and made bolder, and there is a dominant article where in the past it was often difficult to tell which story was most important. “The new look has been very well received,” says Barbara Sachs Sloan, newspaper advisor.

For a small student newspaper like The Gargoyle, the ability to experiment with design and layout is an important teaching tool. But experimentation should only come after the staff has grasped the basics of good modular design and spacing. For example, changing body font size throughout the paper is a glaring problem. However, with a little more attention to details, The Gargoyle will be well on its way to becoming a great student newspaper.