The Daily Illini was awarded an Online Pacemaker from the Associated Collegiate Press on Nov. 1.

The Daily Illini is one of five winners for the category of schools with an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The award is based on “design, ease of navigation, writing and editing, graphics and interactivity,” according to the ACP. The site must be produced and maintained primarily by students. The publication must also be a registered member of the ACP in order to enter the contest. 

Judges for the competition are usually journalists or other professionals with media-related job experience and knowledge who are non-ACP staff members. Their criteria for the online award is based on design, ease of navigation, writing and editing, graphics and interactivity.

The Pacemaker Award is the highest honor that the ACP offers to student publications. There are four different categories that a publication can win a Pacemaker for: Magazine, Yearbook, Newspaper and Online. The ACP, in partnership with the College Media Association, announced the winners of the Pacemaker Award at its annual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Philadelphia.

The ACP is the largest and oldest national membership organization for student journalists.