Periodical Special Issues

General Observations

Diversity is the best way to summarize the 45 entries in the 2009 competition. Topics ranged from celebrating anniversaries to examining politics on campus. Two entries were disqualified because they were published in 2009 (eligible entries needed to have been published in 2008). Some of the issues seemed "forced," as if the theme was selected after the articles were written in order to tie them together. In others, the theme was not well defined or only one article was devoted to it.

This raised a question: what criteria should a special periodical meet? Should the theme of the issue be carried through a minimum number or percentage of articles? The judges also felt they were evaluating publications in a vacuum. Without seeing other issues of the magazines, it was hard to tell how "special" the entries were.

Out of the initial batch of entries, 13 candidates emerged for closer examination. As a whole, they were distinguished by careful planning, interesting topics and writing, and engaging design. Dickinson magazine, for example, explored the college's connections to China, while Wellesley focused on the university's commitment to women in science.

While several entries in this category focused on the environment, Breakthrough (University of South Carolina) and Engage (University of Wisconsin Oshkosh) drew praise from judges for their interesting articles and layout. Similarly, Princeton Alumni Weekly separated itself from the pack of issues devoted to alumni or students through its clever approach to choosing "The Most Influential Princeton Alumni Ever."

Three tabloids were entered in this category. One of them, the Oct. 9, 2008, issue of Washington University's weekly Record, made it to the finals on the strength of its reporting of the Oct. 2 vice presidential debate on campus, its photography and layout.

Comments on Winning Entries

Grand Gold Medal

John Hopkins University, John Hopkins Public Health, "You Can't Save Lives if You Don't Talk About Sex"

• "Pretty near perfect." The issue addressed its topic boldly, without being salacious. Well-written, it covered both the scientific and social sides of the topic, and the cover illustration was great.

Gold Medal

Harvard Medical School, Harvard Medical Alumni Bulletin's "Memory Issue"

• Earned on the strength of its writing and good story selection. It also included some fun quizzes for readers, and got high marks for layout and design. However, two judges ranked it below the Grand Gold winner because of its relatively high unit cost.

Silver Medal

Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Medicine's "The Long of It: The Globe Turns Gray"

• Received a medal for its readability, for its coverage of aging "from every angle," and for its illustrations and typography.

Bronze Medals

University of Dayton, Quarterly

• The Quarterly's "100 Things We Love About UD" was simply "fun." That's how one judge described this issue of a tabloid aimed at alumni, parents and donors. Also noted were the engaging design and typography, the clever smattering of "100 things" in no particular order, and the interesting class notes features.

Yale Divinity School, Reflections

• Reflections took on a more serious topic: "Who Is My Neighbor? Facing Immigration." While the magazine had the look and feel of an academic journal, including being heavy on text and listing citations after articles, the judges felt that it satisfied its objectives by exploring the topic in a comprehensive manner and with diverse voices.