Laguna Blanca’s Upper School newspaper, The Fourth Estate, has been selected as a 2011 NSPA Design of the Year Finalist in the NSPA 2011 Pacemaker Competition. “This is the Holy Grail of journalism awards,” explains Journalism Instructor Trish McHale. McHale continues, “This is NSPA’s (National Scholastic Press Association) annual contest for newspaper, magazine, and yearbook spreads.” Laguna journalists Lillie Hodges ’11, Sean Burke ’11, and Julia Kent ’11 created the spread “Social Networking Transforms the Middle East,” which earned finalist standing.

Since 1927, NSPA’s Pacemaker competition has been considered by many to be student journalism’s highest honor. All NSPA members are eligible to compete in their respective national Pacemaker competitions.

The Newspaper Pacemaker contest is co-sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation. The contest yielded a total of 325 entries and categories included: Newspapers eight or fewer pages, Newspapers 9-16 pages, Newspapers 17+ pages, Newsmagazines and Jr. High/Middle School Newspapers.

New this year: NSPA is honoring up to 10 entries in each category of the Individual Awards. The top five entries in each category have been announced as finalists, and will be announced as first through fifth place winners later at the fall JEA/NSPA convention in Minneapolis.

Up to five honorable mentions have additionally been awarded in each category. The honorable mentions are not ranked. Adobe Systems and NSPA sponsor a Design of the Year competition. First-place winners in each category receive an Adobe software package of their choice. Categories include Newspaper Page One, Newspaper Page/Spread, Yearbook Page/Spread, Magazine Page/Spread, Infographic and Illustration.