The Columbia Chronicle received four awards during the Spring 2026 National College Media Convention hosted by the College Media Association in New York City.

The Apple Awards recognize outstanding collegiate journalism and are considered the “Best of Show” honors presented during the annual convention.

Chronicle staff were recognized in several Division II categories, which include institutions nationwide with enrollments between 3,000 and 9,999 students.

The Chronicle received the following awards:

• First Place, Best News Website — The Columbia Chronicle staff
• First Place, Best News Photography — Sofía Oyarzún, La Crónica Editor
• Second Place, Best Multimedia Package — Michael Cortez, Video Journalist
• Third Place, Best Newspaper — The Columbia Chronicle staff

Sofía Oyarzún, a junior photojournalism and marketing double major, won for her photograph of  a protester being tackled by law enforcement officers outside the Broadview Immigration Detention Center in November 2025. The same photo also won first place for news photography last month from the Illinois College Press Association.

She said the recognition reinforces the importance of student journalists documenting stories in their communities.

“To be recognized for work I did from the protest in Broadview is an absolute honor,” Oyarzún said. “From photographing a club meeting at school to a charged protest like the one in Broadview, I’m reminded that even as a student, every single story I tell matters.”

Michael Cortez, an audio engineering major, again won top honors for a short video documentary about Latino residents who feared detention as federal immigration enforcement increased in Chicago.

“I’m honored. This really came out of nowhere like the ICPA award,” Cortez said. “I know my parents will be proud of me for everything I’ve already achieved.”

Kate Julianne Larroder, campus news editor for the Chronicle, attended the convention after receiving the Kelley Lash Travel Grant from the College Media Association. The grant, named after former CMA President Kelley Lash, supports students and advisers who might otherwise be unable to attend the conference due to financial constraints and gives consideration to applicants from institutions such as Hispanic-serving institutions — a designation held by the college.

Jackie Spinner, faculty advisor of the Chronicle and a professor in the School of Communication and Culture, said the recognition is a reflection of how hard students at the paper work to cover the campus and the community.

“This comes after our big wins at ICPA this year, which is especially sweet,” Spinner said. 

The Chronicle won 34 awards this year at the Illinois College Press Association, including best newspaper for a mid-size school. 

“I’ll keep saying it,” Spinner said. “We are a powerhouse for student media not only in the state but also in the country. Some of our staff chose Columbia because of the Chronicle. Others found us after they got here. But all of them believe deeply in the role of student journalism on a college campus.”

The Apple Awards are named after David L. Adams, a longtime adviser at Indiana University and influential member of the College Media Association who died in 2007. The awards recognize the best student media work submitted for the convention across categories such as best crisis coverage, news website, feature website, magazine, newspaper, podcast, multimedia coverage and more.

The Chronicle previously won best newspaper award and first place for crisis coverage in 2024 for its reporting on the historic part-time faculty strike in fall 2023.

“This is an incredible achievement. I am so proud of our whole Chronicle staff,” Ames Hawkins, interim director of the School of Communication and Culture, told the Chronicle in an email. 

“I know our students and their advisors work incredibly hard all year long, and they so deserve this recognition,” they said. “ Even more than that, these awards provide evidence at the national level of Columbia’s 40-year history as the premier, cutting-edge Chicago college media outlet.”

The spring convention brought together student journalists and advisers from colleges and universities across the country for workshops, panels and networking events focused on reporting, editing and multimedia production.

Other student media outlets that competed were Ithaca College, University of Portland and Indiana State University.

Copy edited by Katie Peters