Monumental: PULSE Goes To MediaFest 2025

story by Tyler Diltz, photo by Tyler Diltz and Katrina Nolan, design by Katrina Nolan

Living in a small town like Ellensburg, there are some things that we just don’t get to experience during our day-to-day routines, but visiting the much larger city of Washington, D.C. recently gave us some new monumental memories.

Last October, staff from both PULSE and Observer ventured across the country to our nation's capital to attend MediaFest25, a college journalism convention that draws students from campuses across the nation. Sessions and presentations filled up the majority of our time there. Organizations like the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), the College Media Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) and more hosted training panels on a variety of topics and conferred awards to recognize the work of student journalists. 

PULSE and its sister publication, Observer, both earned high praise. PULSE placed second place in the nation for magazine cover design (our Baile Folklórico cover from Winter 2025), second place in the nation for multimedia story of the year (Snoqualmie Tunnel), and fifth place “best in show” for feature magazine. Observer placed fifth for “best in show” for their website.

PULSE and Observer students also shared a finalist award for Courage in Journalism from the SPLC, recognizing our advocacy on behalf of student media last spring when we faced being defunded.

Outside the walls of the combined hotel and convention center away from the screens and speakers, we explored the expansive city of Washington, D.C. Between the monuments, hole-in-the wall restaurants and general cityscape, each day had its exciting moments. 

From Washington to Washington, we had an experience worth remembering and sharing. Take a look at these photographs from our time in the nation's capital.