CM Life a finalist for Online Pacemaker

Central Michigan Life was named an Associate Collegiate Press Online Pacemaker Finalist for the first time in its history.

Fifty university newspaper Web sites were selected from 242 entrants. Central Michigan Life was one of 22 large-school finalists announced Monday.

Other large school finalists include The Harvard Crimson from Harvard University, Massachusetts; The Daily Targum from Rutgers University, New Jersey; and The Daily Trojan from the University of Southern California.

The most successful sites displayed excellence in multimedia storytelling, writing and editing, site design, in-depth and complete coverage, interactivity, and graphics and photography, according to a release for the Associate Collegiate Press.

“Three years ago, we set out to transform cm-life.com into one of the best multimedia platforms in collegiate journalism,” said Director of Student Media Neil Hopp. “The ACP recognition validates our progress.”

Central Michigan Life has entered the contest for at least the last nine years, Hopp said. The paper was recognized last year by the Michigan Press Association as the best online newspaper in Michigan.

One of the key changes Central Michigan Life has made is to update online content frequently, said Editor in Chief Brian Manzullo. Previously, an online editor would post a majority of the stories and photos on each production night; now, the entire editing staff works to update the Web site frequently every day of the week, the Saginaw senior said.

The site underwent a redesign in August 2009, allowing Central Michigan Life to have full control of its content.

“In this new way of journalism, it’s not about waiting until the next publication,” he said. “We’ve made great strides toward the 24-hour news day.”

Central Michigan Life also aims for an increased use of multimedia. One of the projects that involved multimedia, photos and stories was the “24 hours in Mount Pleasant,” a collection of stories about something happening each hour Oct. 10, 2009, in Mount Pleasant, Manzullo said.

The newspaper also began airing live streams this year, including interviews with Student Government Association presidential and vice presidential candidates that took place this week.

The Web site, cm-life.com, was submitted in February and judged sometime in March, Manzullo said. Winners of the Pacemaker winner will be announced in October.