The OU Daily earned a Pacemaker Award, commonly known as the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism, for its multiplatform work in results announced this month at the annual fall national college media convention in Kansas City, Missouri.
Why it matters: 21 college media operations spanning 12 states were recognized in a category that evaluates how student media organizations comprehensively serve audiences online, in newsletters, on social media as well as through video, audio and in print. California led the nation with eight winners. OU Daily was Oklahoma's only honoree.
One other SEC peer named: Kentucky (Kernel).
Other big-school peers named at Association of American University institutions: Harvard Crimson, Daily Tar Heel (North Carolina), Daily Bruin (UCLA), Daily Northwestern, Daily Iowan, Indiana Daily Student.
Historical context: In various Pacemaker categories, the Daily has been at least a finalist 13 times in 12 years, including the past five. In its history, the Daily is a 22-time finalist and 10-time Pacemaker winner. Its staff was honored as an online winner in 2005, 2009, 2023 and 2026; and as a newspaper winner in 1994, 1995, 2004, 2016 and 2017. This is the Daily’s first win in the multiplatform category, which the Associated Collegiate Press created three years ago.
What they're saying: “This is clearly a forward-thinking Pacemaker award that reflects the new college media ecosystem,” ACP associate director Gary Lundgren said. “While ACP continues to award Pacemakers for individual platforms, it is increasingly important for judges to review how print, online, email newsletters, social media and audio/video all come together to serve readers.”
Note: Work judged spanned the tenures of summer editor Ana Barboza and fall/spring editor Anusha Fathepure. In 2025, the Daily generated more than 68 million views across all platforms.
