Student Newspaper Receives Its Highest All-American Ranking to Date

March 10, 2011

Cardinal Points, SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent, student-run newspaper, was named an All-American newspaper for the fall 2010 semester by the Associated Collegiate Press. This is the first time in the newspaper’s history that it has received five Marks of Distinction – a perfect ranking.

This All-American ranking is the 11th for Cardinal Points, which was inducted into the college newspaper Hall of Fame in October 2010.

All-American status, awarded to student newspapers for journalistic excellence, is bestowed on only about 20 percent of college newspapers nationwide. To be named an All American, a newspaper must score 900 or higher out of 1,090 points and receive at least four marks of distinction out of the five possible.

Cardinal Points received Marks of Distinction for all five categories – coverage and content; writing and editing; photos, art and graphics; layout and design; and leadership. In addition, the paper also received a score of 927.

Student-editors for the fall 2010 semester were: Matt Rosenberg, editor-in-chief; Jameson Sempey, managing editor; Bryan Bergeron, news editor; James Milano, Gabriele Bilik and Katie Clark, associate news editors; Jenna Burleigh, Fuse editor; Ian Tully, associate Fuse editor; Brian Cremo, sports editor; Eric Gissendanner, associate sports editor; Kristofer Fiore, opinions editor; Jeff Carpenter, photo editor; Gabe Dickens, associate photo editor; Tim Cook, art director; Ben Rowe, online editor; and Mike Lounsbury, advertising manager.

Shawn W. Murphy, associate professor and chair of the journalism department, is the faculty adviser to Cardinal Points. He has advised the newspaper since fall 1997.