ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine seniors pose at the Southern Interscholastic Press Association conference on March 8 in Columbia, SC. The ODYSSEY Media Group was recognized with a Gold Crown Award by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association on March 21. “I am extremely proud of the work our staff has put in this year to make both the magazine and our website the best they can be. The effort our editors have put into both the newsmagazine production and website stories makes this award well deserved and an exciting milestone for our program,” OMG Managing Editor Janie Ripps said. Photo by Grady Dunston
On March 21, the ODYSSEY Media Group received a Gold Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
The ODYSSEY Media Group has been recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association with a Gold Crown Award on March 21, the organization’s highest honor.
The award was established in 1982 and, with Gold and Silver Crowns presented to publications each year for general excellence based on a number of factors, including design, coverage, photography, writing and editing. The OMG’s recognition was in the hybrid division, made up of publications that produce content for both print and digital platforms.
“Gold Crown is a big achievement for the ODYSSEY as a publication,” OMG Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer said. “We’ve worked incredibly hard this year to produce content for the website and the newsmagazine, but the Crown is an award across both of those platforms. In that sense, it is unique.”
For OMG Managing Editor Janie Ripps, the recognition is a testament to the work the staff has put in throughout the year, something she hopes will be carried into next year.
“While there are still areas for improvement, this tells us we are doing something right. As we wrap up this school year, I am truly so proud of all that this staff has accomplished and am excited to see how the next generation can channel this momentum going forward in August,” Ripps said.
“We’ve worked incredibly hard this year to produce content for the website and the newsmagazine, but the Crown is an award across both of those platforms. In that sense, it is unique.”
— Wyatt Meyer,
OMG Editor-in-Chief
The award was announced at the CPSA Spring Convention and for OMG adviser David Ragsdale, it was an honor to receive even if members of the OMG weren’t able to attend the ceremony.
“While the funding needed to make it to New York for the CSPA Spring Convention would be tough for us, I love seeing our staff receive the praise,” Ragsdale said. “The Gold Crown is the top of the mountain for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, so seeing both our publications, which are hybrid – web and print – receive these accolades means a great deal to me.”
