Craccum named best student publication for 2007
Auckland University's Craccum has deposed Critic as New Zealand's best student magazine after they took away the top
prize at the annual Fairfax Media ASPA Awards, held at Massey University Wellington 6th October.
A panel of media experts including a panel of senior Metro writers and Suzanne Carty, Editorial Executive for the
Dominion Post, awarded Craccum the top honour, Carty describing the magazine as "irreverent, smart, and all in all,
pretty bloody good".
The Metro panel said Craccum possessed a "sophisticated wit throughout, and a determination to get under the skin of its
subjects. They assume their readers are intelligent and have good knowledge."
Craccum also won the "Best Reviewer" and "Best Education Series" categories, of the latter of which Jim Tucker, former
head of the Journalism Training Organisation, commented, "It was an excellent journalistic package that bettered most
comparable coverage in the mainstream media."
Unlike last year's awards, in which Otago's Critic magazine scooped seven of the sixteen prizes on offer, the remaining
honours were spread out amongst the bulk of the other publications. Victoria University's Salient won three first
placings and was awarded third best Publication, with Critic the runner-up.
Massey University's Wellington Campus publication Magneto once again scooped the "Best Small Publication Category" for
the second year running, Suzanne Carty, Editorial Executive at The Dominion Post saying Magento was "an entertaining and
informative magazine, being both marvellously offensive and readable at the same time."
Other winners on the night included Matt Russell and Nick Gibb from Chaff (Massey Palmerston North), who won "Best
Feature Writer" and "Best Cover Design" respectively. Laura McQuillian from Salient managed to take away the "Best News
Writer" award, with Rosalind Case from Nexus (Waikato University) winning "Best Editorial Writer."
The Aotearoa Student Press Association comprises 13 publications from the country's university and polytechnic campuses.
This year's were the fifth annual awards, the first to be held in association with Fairfax Media.
2007 Fairfax Media ASPA Awards Results
Best Original Photography
3rd: Salient 2nd: Critic 1st: In Unison
Judged by Wayne Barrar - Head of the Department of Photography, Massey University
"In essence, they have thought about how it could look on the page. It has a good sense of humour and is competently
controlled technically."
Best Cartoonist
3rd: Moskonovitch - Nexus 2nd: Matt Russell and Nick Ward - Chaff 1st: Michael Leung - Canta
Judged by Grant Buist - Cartoonist and Playwright
"Leung's drawings have a disturbing, nightmarish quality. If Tim Burton and David Lynch drew cartoons, this is what
they'd look like."
Best Sports Writer
3rd Equal: Daniel Markham - Satellite Will Mace - Magneto 1st Equal: Chris Matthews - Debate
Judged by Joseph Romanos - The Dominion Post
"It struck an irreverent tone without being smart-alecy."
1st Equal: Michael Oliver - Salient
Judged by Elspeth Tilley - Communications lecturer and sports writer, Massey University
"He was insightfully critical but never too strident or mocking."
Best Education Series
3rd Equal: In Unison Magneto 2nd: Salient 1st: Craccum
Judged by Jim Tucker - former head of the Journalism Training Organisation.
"It was an excellent journalistic package that bettered most comparable coverage in the mainstream media."
Best News Writer - Unpaid
3rd: Bronwyn Bent - In Unison 2nd: Jeff Bell - Canta 1st: Jonathon Howe - Magneto
Judged by Nicky Hager - Investigative Journalist
"I thought Jonathon's articles were clear, well written, relevant to the readers, and on issues that matter.
Congratulations."
Best Cover
3rd Equal: Canta Debate 1st Equal: Critic
Judged by Chris Elder - Former Salient Designer
"I liked the simplicity of Critic's entries and felt they were made eye-catching through their attention to detail"
1st Equal: Chaff
Judged by Chris Elder - Former Salient Designer
"The Yam issue rated as my favourite cover from this year's crop. It was colourful, well shot, nicely finished and
somewhat left-field." Best Reviewer
3rd: Aaron Hawkins - Critic 2nd: William Muirhead - Chaff 1st: Joe Nunweek - Craccum
Judged by Richard Thorn, New Zealand Musician editor.
"Likeably self-revealing and convincingly honest."
Best Columnist
3rd: Jose's Corner - In Unison 2nd: The Honourable Nancy - Satellite 1st: Kate Newton - Critic
Judged by Karl du Fresne - Fairfax Columnist
"Kate Newton is a stylish and witty writer whose work wouldn't look out of place in a mainstream publication. Sparky and
engaging, she rejects the self-absorbed approach, looking beyond herself and the university campus for her subject
matter."
Best Humour Content
3rd: Will Hine - Magneto 2nd: Tristan Egarr - Salient 1st: Iain Dangerfield - Critic
Judged by Matt Nippert - The Listener
"The most sophisticated and satisfying of all ten entrants, and easily the most internally coherent. Ian Dangerfield,
raise your goblet of funny - you are indeed worthy."
Best Feature Writer
3rd: Ryan Boyd - Debate 2nd: Matt Littlewood - Critic 1st: Matt Russell - Chaff
Judged by Gordon Campbell - former Listener staff writer and Green Party media officer
"Matt Russell is able to pull off a high risk style of writing - of personalised comment and analysis, yet without
making his subject secondary to his arsenal of stylistic flourishes. There's a lot of him on the page, but the finished
pieces didn't seem overly self-indulgent - always the risk with writing that's this 'big'."
Best Editorial Writer
3rd: David Large - Critic 2nd: Rory MacKinnon - In Unison 1st: Rosalind Case - Nexus
Judged by Sue Ingram - Radio New Zealand
"Roz Case was by far the best writer with a lilting tone that was easy to read and ideas set out in well-structured
pieces."
Best News Writer - Paid
3rd Equal: Rory MacKinnon - In Unison Matt Russell - Chaff 2nd: Amy Joseph - Critic 1st: Laura McQuillan
- Salient
Judged by Nick Brown - NZPA Editor
"Clear, hard-hitting reporting, without fear or favour."
Best Feature Content
3rd Equal: Craccum Debate 2nd: Critic 1st: Salient
Judged by Grant Hannis, Head of the Massey Journalism Programme "The standard was very good across all three features.
In particular, "Get Rich Quick!" was a novel and illuminating topic relevant to a student audience, written in a mature,
assured style." Best Design
3rd: Chaff 2nd: Magneto 1st: In Unison
Judged by Mark Bradford - Senior lecturer in Visual Communications and Design, Massey University.
"A pleasure to pick up and read! In Unison is packed full of personality powered by a flexible design system and
evidence of a good understanding that is not patronising of the associated student audience."
Best Small Publication
3rd: Satellite 2nd: In Unison 1st: Magneto
Judged by Suzanne Carty - Editorial Executive, The Dominion Post.
"This was an entertaining and informative magazine, being both marvellously offensive and readable at the same time."
Best Publication
3rd: Salient
Judged by a panel of senior Metro writers
"Salient is attention grabbing multi sourced journalism that is in tune with its student readers."
2nd: Critic
Suzanne Carty - Editorial Executive, The Dominion Post
"Critic is an energetic publication, has lots to read, high production values, and it keeps the readers' attention
throughout."
Best Publication 1st Place: Craccum
Suzanne Carty - Editorial Executive, The Dominion Post
"This magazine doesn't take itself too seriously - unless it wants to. It is irreverent, smart, and all in all, pretty
bloody good."
A panel of senior Metro writers
"This publication lives on the edge with sophisticated wit throughout and a determination to get under the skin of its
subjects. They assume their readers are intelligent and have good knowledge."
Martin Hirst - Associate Professor in Journalism, AUT
"Their slightly larger format makes it attractive - it gives the designers a bit more space too."
ENDS