The Arkansas Traveler Named Top 3 in Nation

The Arkansas Traveler was selected as one of three national finalists in the Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper category in the Society of Professional Journalist's Mark of Excellence Awards.

"Regardless of what else is happening in the industry, college students across the country are continuing to embrace journalism, and these Mark of Excellence winners reflect some of their best work," Neil Ralston, vice president of campus chapter affairs for the national Society of Professional Journalists, said in a press release. "These students are excited about journalism, and they understand that a strong press is vital to our nation's future."

Judges for the National Mark of Excellence Award choose one national winner in each category and two national finalists. The other finalist in this category was Abilene Christian University, with Whitworth University taking the national award. The Soceity of Professional Journalists does not differentiate between second and third place at the national level of the competition.

"This was the first year the application was just work we had done in the sense that all the papers we submitted were ones that Kimber and I did as editor and managing editor," said Tina Korbe, 2009-2010 Traveler editor. "It's a really nice affirmation that the direction we were taking the paper was where it needed to go, we just wanted to lay a solid foundation for future staffs."

The Traveler was eligible for this award after taking first place in Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper at the Regional Awards. Each of the 12 first-place regional winners advanced to the national competition.

All winners and finalists, including the staff of The Traveler, will be recognized Monday, Oct. 4, at the Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon at the society's 2010 National Journalism Conference in Las Vegas.