For the first time in its history, the PV Student Publication has been announced a recipient of the National Student Press Association’s 2021 Online Pacemaker Award, which is considered scholastic journalism’s most distinguished award. 

NSPA Associate Director Gary Lundgren announced the winners in a virtual award ceremony held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 10 during the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention. Only 13 nationwide publications received the award this year, less than half of last year’s 28 total recipients.

The 43 finalists for the award were announced by the NSPA on Monday, March 15. The PV Student Publication is the first New Jersey publication to receive the award since Cherry Hill East High School’s Eastside Online in 2016. The awards are given to publications from five different categories — broadcast, magazine, online, newspaper/newsmagazine and yearbook. All publications that are members of the NSPA are eligible to enter the contests, which are judged by professionals based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership, design, photography, and graphics, according to the NSPA website.