This discretionary award recognizes student editors who pursue innovative ways to present the truth on behalf of their audiences. This award may be given to a single student or a group of students.
CSPA is pleased to recognize the staff of the Columbia Spectator in 2025.
Staff of The Columbia Spectator
In the fall of 2023 and in the spring of 2024, pro-Palestinian protests erupted on the Columbia University campus, in response to the Israel-Hamas War. Throughout the unrest, the Columbia Spectator staff were on the ground produced live reporting and social media updates from the protests, including interviews with students from the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on the University’s South Lawn, reporting on concerns of Jewish students and others on antisemitism, and live coverage of administration response and activity, including Congressional testimony on April 17, 2024. During and following the occupation and sweep of Hamilton Hall in April, the Spectator continued its coverage, remaining a key resource for updates for the immediate University community, other members of the press, and the public at large.