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PLEASE NOTE: THE CONTEST FORM WILL BE OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS UNTIL 12:00 NOON ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14. NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER NOON 2/14/2011.

The Minnesota Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (MN SPJ) recognizes the best in Minnesota journalism each year with its annual Page One Awards.

MN SPJ is excited to announce the addition, in 2011, of four new special awards including:

• Young Journalist of the Year (Award given to outstanding journalist in any medium with less than 10 years experience)
• Journalist of the Year (Award given to outstanding journalist in any medium with 10 or more years of experience)
• Story of the Year (Award for general excellence in any medium, covering a single story or news event)
• Best Use of Public Records (Award for excellence in any medium covering a single story or news event where use of public records played a role in getting and telling the story)

MN SPJ will continue to accept online submissions to its contest.

Journalists working for all print, broadcast and online news outlets in Minnesota (or news outlets in neighboring states that cover Minnesota) are eligible to enter. All work published or broadcast during the 2010 calendar year is eligible.  Entries must be submitted by Friday, February 11, 2011. The fee is $20 per entry.

SPJ encourages collegiate journalists to enter student work in SPJ’s Mark of Excellence Awards.  Submission deadline for that contest is January 26, 2011.

Contest winners will be honored at SPJ’s Page One Banquet, an annual spring event celebrating excellence in Minnesota journalism.

Important Links:

• Online Contest Submission Form
• Complete Listing of Contest Rules and Guidelines
• Complete Listing of Contest Categories and Descriptions

Contact:

Sarah Bauer
MN SPJ President
e: sarah.e.bauer@gmail.com
p: 612-278-0250

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• The fee is $20 per entry.
• Entries must be submitted no later than Friday, February 11, 2011.
• All work published or broadcast during the 2010 calendar year is eligible.
• Journalists (including freelancers and contract employees) working for all print, broadcast and online news outlets in Minnesota (or news outlets in neighboring states that cover Minnesota) are eligible to enter.
• We encourage collegiate journalists to enter student work in SPJ’s Mark of Excellence Awards.  Submission deadline is January 26, 2011.
• An individual can submit only one entry per category.   Exceptions:  1) if a second entry is a multiple-byline entry; or 2) if it is submitted by his/her employer because they could not agree on a single entry.
• Entries will be judged by journalism professionals outside Minnesota.
• Judges may move an entry from one category to another.
• Up to three winners may be chosen for each category. Judges may choose not to name a winner in any category.
• Entries will not be returned.
• Awards Presentation:  Winners will be announced in the spring of 2011 and honored during MN SPJ’s annual Page One Awards Banquet.  Date and location, TBD.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

• NEWSPAPER, ONLINE & PHOTOGRAPHY ENTRIES must be submitted online.
• FOR PRINT ENTRIES (Newspaper and Magazine): Entrants should submit a link to the online article or a PDF of the news/magazine page on which the story appeared. The date of publication should be visible.
• FOR NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE “BEST ISSUE” CATEGORIES:  entries may be submitted by mail.  TWO COPIES of each issue must be submitted in an 8 1/2-by-11-inch folder or envelope.  Please write category name on outside of folder.
• FOR GRAPHICS/PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORIES: Entrants should submit a PDF of the news/magazine page on which the art appeared, or a link to the art published on an online news site. The date of publication should be visible.
• FOR TV ENTRIES:  Entrants should submit a URL where video can be viewed (preferred) or entries may be submitted on a DVD (please include TWO COPIES).
• FOR RADIO ENTRIES:  Entrants should submit a link to the work online (preferred) or entries may be submitted by mail on a CD (please include TWO COPIES).

CLICK HERE to access the contest submission form

1. NEWSPAPER

a. Spot News (One or more stories covering a single spot news event)

b. Short Feature (A single feature story of less than 30 inches)

c. Long Feature (A single feature story of more than 30 inches)

d. Enterprise Story (A story that reflects reporter’s ingenuity, use of sources or special research)

e. In-Depth (One or more stories on a single topic or news event that help the reader understand a situation beyond information provided in a typical news story)

f. Investigative (One or more stories a single topic or news event containing information not readily available to the news media or public and obtained through reporter initiative)

g. Business Spot News (One or more stories on a single business-related news event)

h. Business Feature (A single feature-length business-related story)

i. Sports News (One or more stories on a single sports-related news event)

j. Sports Feature (A single feature-length sports-related story)

k. General Column (A single column written for any section)

l. Business Column (A single business-themed column)

m. Sports Column (A single sports-themed column)

n. Editorial (A single editorial)

o. Graphics (Charted information, graphs, diagrams or maps that illustrate a story)

p. Art and illustration (Original artwork used to illustrate a story)

q. Page Design (A single page design: taking into account layout and page composition, use of headlines, art, graphics etc.)

r. Front Page Design (A single front page design: taking into account layout and page composition, use of headlines, art, graphics etc.)

s. Headline (A single headline, submitted with the story)

t. Best issue (Based on reporting, writing, photography, graphics/illustration, layout, copyhandling, etc.)

2. MAGAZINE

a. Best Profile Story (A single profile story)

b. Best Feature Story (A single feature story)

c. Best Department (a magazine component appearing under the same heading and possibly, but not always, written by different writers); send 3 unique examples

d. Best Column (a magazine component appearing under the same heading and always written by the same author); send 3 unique examples

e. Best Service Package (non-narrative feature meant to be primarily useful)

f. Best Cover (A single magazine cover)

g. Best Page Design (A single page, two-page or double-truck)

h. Best Feature Design (entire story, published in feature well)

i. Best Illustration (A single illustration or illustrations accompanying a story)

j. Best issue (Based on writing, photography, graphics/illustration, layout)

3. TELEVISION

a. Spot/Breaking news (coverage of an unscheduled event broadcast within 24 hours; may be a single story or compilation of coverage on a single event)

b. Hard News report (best coverage of a news-related topic; may include in-depth, planned coverage of a single event, or enterprise reporting)

c. Feature (single story done for some other factor than timeliness–may include profile, human interest, or trend stories)

d. Mini-documentary/in-depth series (a single report or series of reports going in-depth on a particular subject, helping the viewer understand a situation beyond information in a typical news story)

e. Feature-length documentary (Single feature-length program on a particular news subject, aired outside a regularly scheduled newscast)

f. Investigative (One or more stories containing information not readily available to the news media or public and obtained through reporter initiative)

g. Newscast (One regularly-scheduled newscast airing on any day in the contest year. The entry should represent the station’s best work in news content, execution, and overall presentation)

4. RADIO

a. Spot/Breaking news (coverage of an unscheduled event broadcast within 24 hours; may be a single story or compilation of coverage on a single event)

b. Hard News report (best coverage of a news-related topic; may include in-depth, planned coverage of a single event, or enterprise reporting)

c. Feature (single story done for some other factor than timeliness–may include profile, human interest, or trend stories)

d. Mini-documentary/in-depth series (a single report or series of reports going in-depth on a particular subject, helping the viewer understand a situation beyond information in a typical news story)

e. Feature-length documentary (Single feature-length program on a particular news subject, aired outside a regularly scheduled newscast)

f. Investigative (One or more stories containing information not readily available to the news media or public and obtained through reporter initiative)

g. Newscast (One regularly-scheduled newscast airing on any day in the contest year. The entry should represent the station’s best work in news content, execution, and overall presentation)

5. ONLINE

a. Best Website (Best use of a Website for providing news to an online audience. Judges will look at areas such as ease of navigation, creative design concepts, good organization and degree to which online resources enhance reporting)

b. Best single news story (Best online coverage of a single news story or event)

c. Best continuing coverage (two or more online reports demonstrating ongoing coverage of a news event; including original or web-only content)

d. Best use of multimedia (demonstrates outstanding use of photos, galleries, video, and/or audio to enhance original story)

e. Best single online news video (single video, produced to appear online-only)

f. Best use of video (demonstrates outstanding use of video throughout an entire website)

g. Best newsroom blog (submit URL for blog, judged on overall excellence in news coverage, affiliated with a newspaper, magazine, TV or radio station)

h. Best independent news blog (submit URL for blog, judged on overall excellence in news coverage, not affiliated with a newspaper, magazine, TV or radio station)

6. PHOTOGRAPHY

a. Best Spot News Photo (Best use of photography in a spot news story)

b. Best Hard News Photo (Best use of photography in a hard news story)

c. Best Feature Photo (Best use of photography in a features story)

d. Best News Portrait (Best portrait)

e. Best Sports Photo (Best use of photography in a sports story)

f. Best Commissioned Magazine Photo (A single photo or photographs accompanying a story)

7. SPECIAL AWARDS (New in 2011!)

a. Young Journalist of the Year (Award given to outstanding journalist in any medium with less than 10 years experience; submit three examples of work and letter of nomination)

b. Journalist of the Year (Award given to outstanding journalist in any medium with 10 or more years of experience; submit three examples of work and letter of nomination)

c. Story of the Year (Award for general excellence in any medium, covering a single story or news event submit up to three examples of work and letter of nomination)

d. Best Use of Public Records (Award for excellence in any medium covering a single story or news event where use of public records played a role in getting and telling the story; submit three examples of work and narrative letter explaining work and use of public records)

Entry Tiers

• Newspaper [50,000+ circulation]
• Newspaper [LESS than 50,000 circulation]
• Magazine
• Television [50+ newsroom employees]
• Television [LESS than 50 newsroom employees]
• Radio
• Online