Daily Collegian Wins Two CMA Pinnacle Awards
The Penn State student newspaper took two Division I honors and one honorable mention from the College Media Association's national awards.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Higher Education
The Daily Collegian, the Penn State student newspaper, won two CMA Pinnacle Awards and received one honorable mention in the Division I category. The College Media Association's national honors recognized winners across eight categories.
Why it matters
The awards recognize student journalism produced at Penn State and highlight the work of the paper's staff in State College. Recognition from a national organization gives the newsroom external validation for its reporting and photography.
The Daily Collegian won two CMA Pinnacle Awards and one honorable mention in the Division I competition. Winners were selected across eight categories, and the extraction does not list entry totals per category.
The players
The Daily Collegian
The Daily Collegian is the independent student newspaper of Pennsylvania State University, based in State College.
College Media Association
The College Media Association is a national organization that supports student journalists and runs the annual Pinnacle Awards for college media.
The details
Jonathon Chiu placed second in the News Photo Package category for his photo essay on Addison Court tenants facing an uncertain future amid sale and redevelopment talks. Andrew Deal won second place in the Sport Column category, and Mia Debelevich received an honorable mention in General News Story for print and web.
Timeline
Nov. 5, 2026: The Daily Collegian announced the Pinnacle Award wins.
Culture Shift
The Pinnacle Awards are the College Media Association's national honors for student journalism, and the Daily Collegian's wins place a Penn State newsroom among the Division I schools recognized in that annual competition. Recognition of student photography and columns reflects the continued role of campus papers as training grounds for local reporting.
Readers in State College can see the Daily Collegian's award-winning photography and columns as examples of student work produced for the local community. The recognition may draw attention to the paper's reporting on Addison Court and other stories affecting residents.
The takeaway
Student newsrooms can offer local readers careful reporting on housing and community issues, as shown by the photo essay on Addison Court tenants. Following campus publications is a practical way to stay informed about neighborhood developments in State College.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in Higher Education for context on campus institutions in State College.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Collegian.
