The SNO Distinguished Sites recognition program gives news staffs six standards that will help their publications excel online.  As each standard is met, that site will be awarded a badge on the SNO client list.

News staffs should submit their site for each badge individually.  We invite you to apply for those badges that highlight your site’s strengths, while working to achieve the others.  If a site earns all six badges, it will be awarded the honor of being a SNO Distinguished Site for the calendar year.  In addition, SNO Distinguished Sites will receive a press release, a letter to sent the institution’s principal or PR department, and a plaque.

The submission period for 2024-2025 is October 7, 2024 to May 30, 2025. There is no limit to the number of times that a site can submit an individual badge. You can submit badges on your site by going to your SNO Badges dashboard.

Continuous Coverage Badge

To earn this badge, a news staff must update their site regularly, follow a single news event over multiple stories and show a commitment to timely journalism.

Site Excellence Badge

To earn this badge, a news staff must customize their homepage beyond the initial SNO design with a clear sense of purpose for every element on the homepage.

Story Page Excellence Badge

To earn this badge, a news staff must submit six fully-developed stories from the current school year that go beyond the text to enhance the reader’s experience.

Excellence in Writing Badge

This badge is automatically awarded to staffs with at least one story from the current school year published on Best of SNO,.

Multimedia Badge

To earn this badge, a news staff must submit three videos, three slideshows and three podcast episodes published during the current school year that meet standards of excellence in multimedia production.

Engagement Badge

To earn this badge, a news staff must meet a minimum traffic threshold and use social media to engage their audience.