'Columbia Chronicle' Dominates Illinois College Press Association Awards
Staff of “The Columbia Chronicle” and their faculty advisor pose for a photo at the ICPA awards on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 in Chicago. Former editor-in-chief Doreen Abril Albuerne-Rodriguez and former staff reporter Uriel Reyes, who both graduated last year, joined the staff at the awards ceremony. This past weekend, Columbia College Chicago’s student-run media outlet “The Columbia Chronicle” won big at the Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) Awards, earning the sweepstakes award in the mid-sized school division, an honor given to the student newspaper earning the highest number of points from awards in their division.
This is the largest number of awards the “Chronicle” has ever taken home in a single year.
“As a media arts college, Columbia prepares students to tell stories across formats. The ‘Chronicle’ embodies that mission,” says Jackie Spinner, faculty advisor for the 'Chronicle' and a professor in the School of Communication and Culture. “This recognition highlights the depth of our reporting, the strength of our visuals and the collaborative newsroom environment our students have built.”
Awards Across Categories and Disciplines
Columbia students produced award-winning work across categories, reflecting excellence in such categories as newswriting as well as photojournalism, video and podcast storytelling and production, and advertising. Honors went to students from multiple disciplines, including journalism, communication, film and television, audio arts, illustration, creative writing, marketing, photography, photojournalism, arts management, and ASL-English interpretation.
“This recognition is meaningful not just because it’s an affirmation of our top-notch journalism program, but because it shows that amazing work can be created when there’s collaboration across disciplines,” says Ames Hawkins, interim director of the School of Communication and Culture.
Columbia’s photojournalists did especially well this year, winning nearly every major award.
“The strength of our photojournalism awards speaks to something fundamental about the ‘Chronicle.’ We treat visuals as reporting,” Spinner says.
She credits this to Pulitzer-prize winning photojournalist John H. White, who teaches students as an adjunct professor at Columbia.
“He teaches students to see with empathy and to report visually with integrity,” Spinner says. “The photojournalism honors are a testament to students applying those lessons in their work at the ‘Chronicle.’”
Columbia College Chicago ICPA Award Winners
The awards covered content published during the Spring 2025 through Fall 2025 semesters, during which time students Sydney Richardson (Spring semester ’25), Kate Julianne Larroder (Summer semester ’25), and Vivian Richey (Fall semester ’25). Below are all the Columbia winners.
Read the “Chronicle” story and what the student staff had to say about their wins at ICPA.
1st Place
| Category | Submission | Student(s) |
| Sweepstakes - Mid-Size School Division | -- | Staff of "The Columbia Chronicle" |
| General Excellence - Print | Fall 2025 Halloween Issue | Staff of "The Columbia Chronicle" |
| Entertainment Supplement | August 2025 Back-to-school Issue | Staff of "The Columbia Chronicle" |
| News Story | Breaking: Columbia’s budget deficit grows to $40 million, but State of the College offers few specifics | Vivian Richey, Sydney Richardson, Kate Julianne Larroder, and Emma Jolly |
| Photo Essay | More than a dozen arrested at Broadview ICE protest as court curbs use of force | Michael Cortez |
| General News Photo | ICE moves some operations out of Chicago, but anxiety lingers for Columbia students | Sofia Oyarzun |
| Feature Photo | POTD July 23, 2025 | Sofia Oyarzun |
| Video Storytelling | U.S. citizen fears detention amid immigration enforcement in Chicago | Michael Cortez |
| Column | Trump’s decision to roll back wheelchair protections leaves disabled travelers to face the consequences | Eleanor Lusciatti |
| Advertisement - Best Digital Ad | Back-to-school digital ad | Simara Jenkins |
2nd Place
| Category | Submission | Student(s) |
| General Excellence - Web | The Columbia Chronicle website | Staff of "The Columbia Chronicle" |
| Front Page Layout | Fall 2025 Halloween Issue | Staff of "The Columbia Chronicle" |
| Feature Page Design | Feature Page Design Fall 2025 Food Issue feature page | Staff of "The Columbia Chronicle" |
| News Story | ‘It feels like we’re being silenced’: International students face anxiety over summer travel | ‘Vivian Richey |
| Feature Photo | At Columbia, clowning becomes an act of courage, connection | Amelia Baird |
| Newsletter | Chronicle Catch-Up April 28, 2025 | Manuel Nocera |
| Headline Writing | How caffeine culture drives a campus running on the grind | Kate Larroder |
| Sports Column | Column: World Cup 2026 brings together three countries Trump is trying to divide | Manuel Nocera |
| Podcast - News | Chronicle Reports: Sounds from inside the downtown protest against National Guard, immigration threats | Sydney Richardson |
| Podcast - Entertainment | Chronversations with Stella Huang: Lollapalooza then and now | Stella Huang |
3rd Place
| Category | Submission | Staff Member(s) |
| Photo Essay | In pictures: The faces and moments that defined Lollapalooza 2025 | Amelia Baird |
| General News Photo | Ceremony Day Live Updates: Crowds gather at Capital One Arena for Trump’s inauguration | Addison Annis |
| Video Storytelling | Latino hardcore artists help revive Chicago’s DIY music scene | Carlos Alanis-Avila |
| Editorial Cartoon | Editorial: Tuition freeze won’t matter if Columbia can’t protect the student experience | Aaron Guzman |
4th Place
| Category | Submission | Staff Member(s) |
| Feature Page Design | Fall 2025 Halloween Issue feature pages | Staff of the Columbia Chronicle |
| Opinion Page(s) | Fall 2025 Food Issue opinion page | Staff of the Columbia Chronicle |
| Sports Page Design | Shane van Gisbergen wins The Loop 110 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race despite caution setback | Benjamin Sherman |
| Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coverage | Breaking: College changes names of DEI initiatives following President Trump’s attacks on higher education | Vivian Richey and Emma Jolly |
| Sports News Story | Chicago Street Race hiatus puts brakes on Columbia’s NASCAR collaborations | Benjamin Sherman and Allison Shelton |
| Sports Photo | Galahad Medieval Combat Society: more than fighting — it’s camaraderie | Amelia Baird |
| Editorial | Editorial: Tuition freeze won’t matter if Columbia can’t protect the student experience | Editorial Board |
| Column | I’m the child of immigrants. Losing our language changed everything | Vanessa Oroz |
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