The Knox Student (TKS) experienced a triumphant weekend on February 16, 2024, at the Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) awards ceremony, securing six awards across Division D and the Open Division. This success is the most recent in a long history of awards from the event.
Advisor Jane Carlson commended the staff for upholding ethical standards, guiding them to produce balanced stories.
Since its post-COVID-19 return, TKS has transformed into a biannual full-color news magazine with a focus on digital content. Led by Carlson and Editor-In-Chief Eleanor Lindenmayer ’25, TKS has revamped its staff and continued to produce quality journalism.
“Over the last few years, the staff has navigated numerous challenges. In rebuilding TKS, they’ve also reinvented it with a new website, a commitment to publishing content online throughout the week, a biannual print magazine, a weekly e-newsletter, and a news podcast,” Carlson said. “While TKS may not look the same as it used to, student-run journalism at Knox is alive and well and always evolving.“
Lindenmayer has worked closely with Carlson to promote TKS to the student body and to rebuild the writing staff. She was awarded a Richter grant to rewrite the TKS handbook. Richter grant funds support student independent projects and research and are available to any student in any discipline. During the process, Lindenmayer interviewed multiple former TKS editors and advisors to better understand TKS’ challenges, rebuild the publishing flow, and improve overall communication.
In her final year as editor-in-chief, she is proud of the progress the group has made, as reflected in the awards from this year’s conference. Lindenmayer is confident that the new editorial staff will continue to improve the publication.
“It has been so amazing to see the growth that TKS has had in my time on staff,” Lindenmayer said. “My staff and I have worked so hard, and I think we’ve really brought TKS back to being a true news organization.”
For a full list of awards, visit: knox.edu/icpa-2024.