The Pirates’ Hook received the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association’s highest honor in its annual state contest.
The Hook was one of four high school newspapers to win the award in 2025. The NCSMA’s state media contest includes both public and private schools.
It’s the newspaper’s first Tar Heel since 2011. The Hook’s website won the award last year.
Additionally, seven Riverside students won individual awards for content published during the 2024-25 school year. The awards were announced during the North Carolina Scholastic Media Institute, a 3-day summer camp for high school journalists in June at UNC-Chapel Hill. Full contest results are available at the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association’s website.
First place
- Isabelle Abadie – inside spread design
- Norah Lubeck – feature article
Second place
- Tula Winton – cartoon
Third place
- Norah Lubeck – front page design
- Elodie Page – inside page design
Honorable Mention
- Kalissa Everett: feature photograph
- Saul Janiak-Stein – sports photograph
- Austin Wymore – inside spread design
- Austin Wymore and Tula Winton – front page design
