Pennsylvania Women's Press Association

PWPA's Annual "Newswriter of the Year" contest

This contest recognizes the outstanding work of PWPA members in 20 categories – ranging from general news, feature and in-depth reporting to editorials, page design and online projects. First-, second-, third-place and honorable mention awards are given in each category by out-of-state judges. A point system (5 points for first place, 3 for second, 2 for third and 1 point for honorable mention) determines the top winner among those who garner 10 or more points. The top award carries a $250 prize; other winners receive certificates.

The deadline for submitting entries is Feb. 13, 2010

Click here for the Official Entry Form

EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM CONTEST
Grand Prize in the PWPA 2010 contest will be $250 and a plaque. Prizes will be awarded at the annual PWPA luncheon in May.

CLASSIFICATIONS:
One entry only in every category except editorial/political, columns, page design, headlines, photography and rookie.

Class 1. General News Story - straight, factual report of current news; no feature-type material to be included. No in-depth reports. Sidebars permitted.

Class 2. Sports Story - Feature or news (No series). Sidebars permitted.

Class 3. Home Story - Restricted to food, fashion, home decorating, gardening. No social issues permitted. Sidebars permitted.

Class 4. Features or News Features - Sidebars permitted.

Class 5. Editorial/Political Commentary or Column - Three articles to be submitted as one body of work.

Class 6. Columns - On any topic other than politics. Must appear on a regular basis (daily, weekly, biweekly). Logos permitted. Three columns required.

Class 7. Business or Consumer Story - Feature or news. Sidebars permitted.

Class 8. Series - Must be identified as a series. Not eligible are articles written on the same subject as news develops, regular weekly features or profiles. Sidebars permitted.

Class 9. Interviews and Profiles - No question-and-answer format. Sidebars permitted.

Class 10. Page Design - Submit any combination of full pages with or without ads. Four to six pages considered as one body of work.

Class 11. In-Depth Report - A single story with background, investigative or comprehensive reporting reflecting research and knowledge of subject matter. Sidebars permitted. No series.

Class 12. Health or Science Story - Sidebars permitted.

Class 13. Education - Feature or news. Sidebars permitted.

Class 14. Travel, Arts and Entertainment - Reviews, profiles, articles, interviews. Sidebars permitted.

Class 15. Headline Writing - Feature or news. Enter three as one body of work; include the story.

Class 16. Photography - Photos – news, feature or sports – that are published in a newspaper, not online. Maximum of five. Can be from a single assignment or multiple assignments. (See rule 6)

Class 17. Multimedia Projects – One project can include multiple components: graphics, video, photos, audio and text posted on a newspaper Web site and linked to a published story. (See rule 7)

Class 18. Religion - A single story – feature or news – on a religious topic. Sidebars permitted.

Class 19. Outdoors/Environmental - A single story – feature or news – on an outdoors or environmental topic. Sidebars permitted.

Class 20. Rookie Reporter of the Year – Any three articles written by a reporter who completed three years of reporting experience or less, post college, anytime in 2009. An article may be submitted in one other category. Sidebars permitted.

PRIZES
A Journalist of the Year plaque and $250 cash will be awarded to the contest entrant with the most points (minimum of 10). In case of a tie, duplicate prizes will be awarded. If no one gets 10 points, there will be no top winner. All winners in each classification will be awarded certificates.

JUDGING
Each category will be judged by a separate out-of-state judge. Point system for top award in the contest is made as follows: 5 points for first place; 3 points for second place; 2 points for third place; and 1 point for honorable mention.

RULES

Members of PWPA who are active on Pennsylvania newspapers and who have paid the current membership dues are eligible. The fee is $5 per entry up to $25 maximum for members who have attended at least one PWPA district meeting or annual meeting during the previous calendar year. Those who have not attended a meeting must pay an additional $25.
Material must have been published between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009. All series entries must have been completed within this time frame. Stories that have been published only online will also be accepted in printout form; these stories must be published on a newspaper-affiliated Web site.
Only one entry can be submitted in any category except Editorial/Political, Columns, Page Design, Headlines, Photography and Rookie. No entry can be submitted in more than one category with one exception: the Rookie category.
Mount clippings, including layouts, or photocopies of entries on 81/2 x 11 sheets of white paper; put classification entry, name of contestant, name of newspaper, and date of publication on back of each sheet submitted, and attach official entry blank to WHOLE package. Printouts from a newspaper archive are also acceptable.
For Photography, submit clips; a CD with .jpgs is optional.
For Multimedia Projects, submit a time-stamped hard copy and an active Web site or URL address.
Team entries will be accepted if each entry is bylined. No member of that team may enter the contest in that category as an individual. Only one person from the team should submit the entry, but the other members of the team should mark "team entry" in that category on their individual entry forms. All team members must be PWPA members with dues paid.
Entries must be postmarked no later than midnight Feb. 13, 2010, and addressed to: Diane Bitting, 2150 Ashwood Lane, Elizabethtown, PA 17022.
Failure to follow the rules will disqualify the entry.

For more information or questions, call Diane Bitting at 717-367-4591 or e-mail dbitting@embarqmail.com