2008-2009 Better College
Newspaper Contest
Sponsored
by
Deadline
for the 2008-2009 Contest is June 30, 2009
All New
Jersey college newspapers are encouraged
to enter their printed newspapers and the
journalistic writing and/or photography
of their staff members in the annual
Better College Newspaper Contest.
Articles, photos and newspaper issues
published at any time during 2008 and the spring 2009
semester are
eligible.
Click here
for the
entry form that can be printed out, copied
and attached to each entry by the June 30, 2009, deadline. Entry forms will be
mailed to college newspapers in April 2009.
Contest entries or questions about the
contest can be sent to: Better College
Newspaper Contest, 840 Bear Tavern Road,
Suite 305, West Trenton, N.J. 08628-1019
or an e-mail to: collegepress@njpa.org .
The fee
for each entry is $5. There is maximum of
23 entries from each newspaper.
Entries
from four-year colleges and two-year
colleges will be judged separately and
separate awards will be presented to
four-year and two-year colleges.
The nine
contest categories are:
Total-Newspaper
Categories (one entry in each
category)
All
individual entries in the seven
categories below must be taped/pasted to
8 1/2 by 11 sheets of paper. Reduced
versions of the articles are accepted.
Entries will be photocopied and sent to
judges.
Individual
Categories (a maximum of three
individual students may enter work in
each category).
News
Writing (maximum of two clippings
for each entry)
Feature
Writing (maximum of two clippings
for each entry)
Arts
and Entertainment / Critical
Writing (maximum of two clippings
for each entry)
Enterprise
/ Investigative Reporting
(maximum of two clippings for
each entry)
Opinion
Writing (maximum of two clippings
for each entry)
Sports
Writing (maximum of two clippings
for each entry)
Photography
(maximum of two clippings for
each entry)
All
entries for a newspaper must be
sanctioned by the top editor at the
newspaper and all entry fees must be paid
before the contest is judged (preferably
when the entries are submitted).
Description of Contest
Categories
Overview
Preference
in the judging will be given to entries
that cover local campus events and
college life. Indicators of quality
journalistic writing, photography and
design will be the primary basis for
evaluating entries.
General
criteria such as quality of ledes,
handling of quotes, background and
supporting information for articles, and
smooth transition of story elements will
be considered as part of a holistic
appraisal of each entry.
The
quality of the entire newspaper is
considered for the General Excellence
category. That will involve the judges'
holistic appraisal of the newspaper.
Judges will consider the overall
"look and feel" of the
newspaper and how it appeals to readers.
Please read the following descriptions of
the various categories for additional
criteria the judges will consider.
A
"Sweepstakes Award" will be
presented to the four-year college
newspaper and to the two-year college
newspaper that accumulates the highest
number of points based on the awards
received in the nine contest categories.
Three points will be given for each first
place, two points for each second place
and one point for each third place
awarded.
Individual
Awards
An individual
entry consists of no more than TWO
writing/photography samples by the same
student(s). There is a maximum of THREE
entries per newspaper from three
different students or teams of students.
Only one entry per student or team is
permitted. If an article is written by
two or more staff members working as a
team it will be considered as one entry,
but that doesn't prohibit any individual
team member from entering a second pair
of clippings in that category.
NEWS
WRITING: Coverage of a
college-related event, situation or issue
qualifies as hard news. To be judged on
objectivity, thoroughness, local interest
and style. Include sidebars, if
appropriate.
FEATURE
WRITING: An article on a person,
place, object or situation that is
college-related and/or of special
interest to students (includes sports
features). While the standards of good
news writing still apply, feature writing
also is judged on originality and human
interest. May include sidebars.
OPINION
WRITING: A column or editorial on an
issue of special interest to the college
or to students (includes sports columns,
but does NOT include arts and
entertainment/critical writing). To be
judged on quality of writing, depth of
thought, courage, public service and
persuasive ability.
SPORTS
WRITING: A sports news story based on
college-related sports activities. Sports
columns must be entered in the Opinion
Writing category. Sports features must be
entered in the Feature Writing category.
Judged on quality of writing,
originality, local appeal and lack of
sports cliches.
ARTS
AND ENTERTAINMENT / CRITICAL WRITING:
An article that recognizes opinion
writing in such areas as art, theater,
movie, book and restaurant reviews.
Judging will be based on technical
knowledge, writing quality and local
appeal to college students.
ENTERPRISE
/ INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING An
investigative article or in-depth report
that uncovers acnewsworthy happening on
campus. The judges will consider
enterprise, initiative and
resourcefulness of the writer or team of
writers.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Any photo or photo series (picture story)
of college or student activities is a
complete entry. Entries must include
tearsheets. If reproduction quality is
poor, original prints may be attached to
the clippings. Judging will be based
primarily on composition, content and
local appeal, but technical quality will
be considered.
Total-Newspaper
Awards
GENERAL
EXCELLENCE: An overall look at the
coverage, writing quality, copy editing,
style use and layout of the newspaper.
Judging will take local appeal,
effectiveness and readability into
account. Judges also will take into
account any special limitations, such as
staffing issues, financial considerations
or printer capabilities. Those
limitations must be mentioned in a cover
note attached to the entry. This category
can be entered by submitting TWO
different issues of the newspaper (that
counts as ONE entry). Only one entry per
newspaper permitted.
LAYOUT
AND DESIGN: The layout and design of
specific pages or center-page spreads
will be considered in this category.
Major judging factors include overall
attractiveness, excellence of makeup,
headlines, typography, special visual and
verbal aids to the reader and use of
photos and graphics. This category can be
entered by submitting TWO tearsheets of
pages or center spreads (that counts as
ONE entry). Only one entry per newspaper
permitted.
Contest
Rules
Deadline
for the 2008-2009 Contest is June 30, 2009
WHO CAN
ENTER: A student journalist (writers,
editors and photographers) working for a
college newspaper may submit only one
entry per contest category (see
above). An entry consists of no more than
two clippings. However, an individual's
work may be entered in numerous
categories, however. If an individual
submits more than two clippings in a
single category, the judges will
determine which two to consider. If an
article is written by two or more staff
members working as a team it will be
considered as one entry, but doesn't
prohibit any individual team member from
entering a second pair of clippings in
that category. The spirit behind this
rule is to encourage as many different
students as possible to enter the
competition.
WHAT
MAY BE ENTERED: Newspapers,
tearsheets, articles or photographs
published in a New Jersey college
newspaper in all of calendar year 2008 and the spring
2009 semester, are eligible for
awards. For the seven individual
categories there is a limit of three
entries per paper (maximum of 21). A
student may submit only ONE entry in each
category; each individual entry may
include TWO clippings. The General
Excellence category for the total
newspaper can be entered by submitting
TWO different issues of the newspaper
(that counts as ONE entry). The Page
Layout and Design category for the total
newspaper can be entered by submitting
TWO original tearsheets of the newspaper
(that counts as ONE entry).
COST OF
ENTERING: All entries must be mailed
by the college newspaper in one envelope
or box, along with a check for $5 per
entry, payable to the New Jersey Press
Foundation. At a maximum of 23 entries
per newspaper (21 individual writing and
photography entries and two
total-newspaper entries), the maximum
entry fee would be $115 for a newspaper. Click here to view a
fee-calculation worksheet. Only fully-paid entries will be
evaluated. A fee-calculation worksheet
and invoice are available from the New
Jersey Press Foundation, which is
registered with the New Jersey Department
of Education as a Classification One
"Professional Development
Provider."
THE
JUDGES: Editors who work for daily
and weekly newspapers that are members of
the New Jersey Press Association will
serve as judges for the Better College
Newspaper Contest. The decision of the
judges will be final.
HOW TO
PREPARE AN ENTRY: All entries must
have an entry form attached to the actual entry.
Clippings or photocopies for individual
entries must be neatly taped or pasted on
8 1/2 by 11 sheets of paper. Reduced
versions of articles are accepted.
Entries will be photocopied and sent to
judges on 8 1/2 by 11 sheets. An entry
form also must be attached to any
envelopes containing whole categories of
entries. The entry form can be retrieved and printed
out from this web site and then be copied
as many times as needed.
For the General Excellence and Page
Layout and Design categories, submit two
different original issues of the
newspaper and up to two original
tearsheets of pages to be judged.
Mail or deliver all entries in one package to:
College Newspaper Contest, c/o New Jersey Press Foundation, 840
Bear Tavern Road, Suite 305, West
Trenton, N.J. 08628-1019.
AWARDS
PRESENTATION: Awards for the 2008-2009
Better College Newspaper Contest will be
presented at a weekend conference of the
New Jersey Collegiate Press Association to be held in
late September 2009.
First-place
winners will receive plaques and
complimentary lunches at the awards
luncheon. Others in attendance at the
NJCPA conference will be charged a modest fee for the
luncheon, which will be subsidized by the New Jersey
Press
Foundation.
Second-place,
third-place and honorable mention winners
will receive certificates at the awards
presentation.
A
"Sweepstakes Award" will be
presented to the four-year college
newspaper and to the two-year college
newspaper that accumulates the highest
number of points based on the awards
received in the nine contest categories.
Three points will be given for each first
place, two points for each second place
and one point for each third place
awarded.
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