April 12, 2011
Contact: Kristy Gonzalez
661-342-3074; klgonzal@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly’s Mustang Daily Captures Third Consecutive
College Newspaper of the Year Honor
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s student newspaper, the Mustang Daily, was named College Newspaper of the Year at the College Newspaper Business and Advertising Manager (CNBAM) National Convention on April 2 in Nashville, Tenn.
It’s the third consecutive year the paper has earned this title, which goes to the school with the most points, earned by placing first, second or third in the annual contest’s categories.
There are 19 award categories and four personnel awards. The paper placed first with its online and printed media kits; second for advertising campaign, training program, sales incentive and marketing and promotions plans; and third for promotional materials and sales flyers, color ad design and online promotional ad design.
Two Mustang Daily staffers captured personnel awards: Giana Ronzani, an Agricultural Business major graduating in June, for Advertising Manager of the Year, and Jaclyn DeMartini, an Art and Design major also graduating in June, for Advertising Designer of the Year.
There are two divisions in the competition and Mustang Daily competes against schools with less than 30,000 combined weekly circulation.
In a separate contest, sponsored by Alloy Media + Marketing, the Mustang Daily took second place in a marketing competition, winning $1,000 for the newspaper.
Mustang Daily staff has participated in CNBAM since 2003. Paul Bittick, the paper’s general manager, said staff members usually don’t understand the value of their hard work until they attend the CNBAM convention. “Our staff is always a little surprised when they get to the convention and see the respect that other schools have for our program,” he said.
Stephanie Murawski, the advertising coordinator and advertising staff adviser since 2009, said the convention is a great learning opportunity for the students. “I want them to take what they learned at CNBAM and use that knowledge to improve next year,” she said.
At the annual CNBAM business meeting, Bittick was elected president for the next two years after serving on the board since 2005 as secretary-treasurer, and Murawski was elected vice president for communications.
Mustang Daily also won two first place awards in the California College Media Association (CCMA) competition, announced in March. The Week of Welcome edition took first for best orientation/back-to-school edition. A graphic in that same edition, created by Christian Millan, took first for best info graphic. Eric Baldwin took second place for best editorial. And in advertising, the paper took second for best media kit, color ad, group promotion, online ad and online promotion.
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