SPJ Hawaii: 2023 Contest

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2023 Contest for Excellence in Hawaii journalism

PRINT
In all categories: Submit URLs or PDFs of articles (no larger than 20 mg).

NEWSPAPERS (open to wire services)

  • N101 Business Reporting. Submit up to five stories on a particular event or issue.
  • N102 News Page Design
  • N103 Spot News Reporting. For deadline reporting of a single event, scheduled or unscheduled. Entry must have been published in the issue that directly followed the event and may include sidebars.
  • N104 General News/Enterprise Reporting. Submit up to five stories on a particular event or issue.
  • N105 Feature Writing/Short Form. A single article no more than 1,500 words in length. Entry may include sidebars.
  • N106 Feature Writing/Long Form. A single article of more than 1,500 words in length. Entry may include sidebars.
  • N107 Community Reporting. Submit up to five stories on a community event or issue.

MAGAZINES (Open to magazines and newsletters produced by news organizations)

  • M101 Business Reporting. Submit up to five stories on a particular event or issue.
  • M102 Industry or Trade Reporting. Submit up to five stories on a particular industry or trade.
  • M103 Profile. Submit a single profile or story portraying a personality, business or group of interest or significance. May include sidebars.
  • M104 Feature writing/Short Form. Submit a single article of no more than 1,500 words in length. Entry may include sidebars.
  • M105 Feature Writing/Long Form. Submit a single article of more than 1,500 words in length. Entry may include sidebars.
  • M106 Body of Work, Single Writer. Submit up to five articles written in 2023.
  • M107 Overall Page Design (submit three issues)
  • M108 Best Single Feature layout (one story)
  • M109 Magazine Cover. Submit a single magazine cover.
BROADCAST
In all broadcast categories: Entries must not contain material not originally aired. Lead-ins may be included.

RADIO (URLs preferred.)

  • R101 General News/Enterprise Reporting. Submit up to five stories.
  • R102 Feature Reporting. Submit up to five stories.
  • R103 General News Podcast. General News Podcast by news organization(s) about particular events or issues. Podcast of 30 minutes or two related podcasts of up to 15 minutes each.

TELEVISION (URLs preferred.)

  • T101 General News/Enterprise Reporting. Submit a single story on a particular event or issue.
  • T102 Feature Reporting. Entry may include related stories that aired in the same newscast.
  • T103 Spot News Reporting. For deadline reporting of a single event, scheduled or unscheduled. Entry must have been aired within 24 hours of the event, and may include related stories that aired in the same newscast.
  • T104 Investigative Reporting. Submit a single story or series of stories on a single subject that was the result of extensive research and original investigation.
  • T105 Series Reporting/Documentary/Special News Program. 1) A series of stories on a single subject that aired consecutively. 2) For an independent production that need not be under the control of a news organization, the documentary must have been produced and aired in Hawaii during the calendar year. 3) For a news program aired outside a regular newscast but under the control of a news organization, the special news program may be an entire program or a single segment from a program.
NEWS MEDIA
Open to entries from all divisions, except for those from the Newsletters/Podcasts By Non-News Media Organizations. Submit article URLs or attach PDFs of articles (up to 20 mg).
  • NM101 Column Writing/News. Submit up to five columns or blog entries related to a news event or events.
  • NM102 Column Writing/Features or Sports. Submit columns or blog entries up to five on a feature or sports event.
  • NM103 Government Reporting. Submit articles or blog entries up to five on a particular government-related event or issue.
  • NM104 Breaking News Reporting. For spot news coverage and continuing coverage of a major event. Entries must include both initial reports and up to four follow-ups.
  • NM105 Health Reporting. Submit articles or blog entries up to five on a health-related topic.
  • NM106 Science Reporting. Submit articles or blog entries up to five on a science-related topic.
  • NM107 Data Journalism Story or Series. Telling a story based on numbers or other data. Infographics can be part of the story, but do not have to be.
  • NM108 Sports Reporting. Submit an article or blog entry on a particular sports event, person or issue. Entry may include sidebars.
  • NM109 Arts/Entertainment Writing. Submit a single column, review, feature or blog entry.
  • NM110 Editorial Opinion. Submit up to five editorials related to a news event or events.
  • NM111 Illustration/Cartoon. Entry consists of original art or editorial cartoon.
  • NM112 Informational Graphic
  • NM113 News Photography/Videography
  • NM114 Feature Photography/Videography
  • NM115 Sports Photography/Videography
  • NM116 Photo/Video Essay
  • NM117 Headlines. Submit five headlines and their accompanying stories. Headlines are mainly judged on effectiveness in creating reader interest in the article and in capturing the essence of the story. Also considered are creativity, humor, brevity and a variety of styles in the five headlines. Visual design is not a factor.
  • NM118 Best Explanatory Journalism. Single piece or a series tackling a complex subject indepth and explaining it to the layman.
  • NM119 Special Section. Submit one complete staff-produced special section or edition built around a unique local subject matter, such as anniversary, collector's edition, disaster, tribute or any major issue, that goes above and beyond routine coverage. Section must have been published in 2023. Judging will be based on theme and content, and layout/design/presentation.
  • NM120 Investigative Reporting. Submit a single article or blog entry or series of articles or blog entries on a single subject that was the result of extensive research and original investigation.
  • NM121 Best Independent Journalist (not supported by an organization). Submit up to five articles or blog entries.
  • NM122 Public Service Reporting. For public service through extensive coverage of an important issue facing the community. Submit a single article or series of articles or blog entries. May include sidebars and editorials.

INTERNET
Entries consist of one main URL and up to four additional URLs to highlight specific features. Entrants must keep their nominated entries intact and accessible for at least eight months following submission. In the case of individual writing or reporting entries, entrants may create PDFs of webpages as an alternative. Entries from online media affiliated with other media should document and explain how the material entered differed from or enhanced the coverage provided by the affiliated medium rather than merely repurposed it.
  • I101 Online News Reporting. Submit a story or package about a single issue or news event.
  • I102 Online Feature Reporting. Submit a story or package about a single issue or news event not produced on a daily deadline.
  • I103 Best Multimedia Presentation. News on a single topic displaying outstanding use of multimedia.
  • I104 Best Overall News Site. Submit up to five links.
  • I105 Best One-Person Online Features Site/One-Person Features Blog. Submit up to five links.

NEWSLETTERS/PODCASTS BY NON-NEWS MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS
Newsletters and podcasts produced by organizations that do not have a primary purpose of disseminating news. Political candidates and agencies of a political party or government body are not eligible.
  • NP101: General Information. Submit up to five stories on a particular event or issue.
  • NP102: Feature Information Submit up to five stories on generally non-time sensitive information such as profiles or historical background pieces.
  • NP103: Opinion. Submit up to five personal accounts. Opinion pieces, editorials or cartoons.
  • NP104 General Information Podcast by Non-News Media Organization. General information podcast about a particular event or issue. Podcast of 30 minutes or two related podcasts of up to 15 minutes each.

GENERAL RULES
Eligibility: Entries must have been published or broadcast in Hawaii during 2023.
Deadline: April 3, 2024. Entries must be posted on Better Newspaper Contest site by 4:30 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time.

Entry Fees

  • Entry Fee (per entry): $26 for SPJ Hawaii members, $31 for nonmembers.
  • Multiple-Entry Discount: $24 each for 10 or more entries (members), $28 each for 10 or more entries (nonmembers).
  • Student contest fee: $21 for members of an SPJ student chapter, $23 for nonmembers, $20 per entry for multiple entries (10 or more). Student fee applies to the student categories only. (Students entering professional categories must pay professional rates).

    Entrants must be chapter members to qualify for membership rate, which is not transferrable to other people in the same company. All fees are nonrefundable. SPJ members submitting entries for nonmembers must pay nonmember rate. Fees must be paid by April 16, 2024.


To submit entries
One check may be used for all submissions by one person or company. Email smorita1@twc.com to give the total number of entries. We will email you back with the amount that should be paid. Checks or money orders should be made out to "Hawaii Chapter SPJ." DO NOT SEND CASH. Mail it to P.O. Box 3141, Honolulu, HI 96802.

In addition to posting the nominated piece of work on the Better Newspaper Contest website, entrants may also submit on the entry page a statement of no more than 50 words supporting and summarizing the entry, discussing major findings and subsequent results.

Joining SPJ
Anyone may qualify for member rates if a completed SPJ membership application is submitted to the national SPJ and funds paid for national and local dues. An application can be downloaded from the SPJ website: https://www.spj.org/join.asp.


Important
THE SPJ HAWAII CHAPTER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY ANY ENTRY THAT FAILS TO CONFORM TO RULES. ENTRY FEES WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. ENTRIES WILL NOT BE RETURNED.

Questions: Direct them to Stirling Morita at smorita1@twc.com or 808-347-0388.

ENTRIES

  1. Go to www.betterbnc.com and click on Contestant Log in"
  2. Select Contestant Manager or Authorized Entrant tabs. Click under Select Contest for: 2023 HSPJ Excellence in Journalism
  3. Look in Select Media Organization box for your News Organization or name. (Not there? Contact Stirling Morita at smorita1@twc.com or 347-0388.)
  4. Click on your organization or name and type bnc under password. (Contest managers will be asked to provide your own password. If you have forgotten your contest manager password, email smorita1@twc.com and we'll find it for you.)
  5. Click on submit one now, when asked: You don't yet have any entries. Why not ....
  6. Choose your Division.
  7. Choose your Category.
  8. Enter the headline or title of the story. It should match the headline on the PDF of the article, or the headline from the digital story link.
  9. Add your story in Upload Attachments & Links:
    1. Click on Browse and find your .PDF file (no more than 20 megabytes in size).
    2. Or paste links to your article or video.
  10. Put in comments, if any, and the names of up to five people to be credited.
  11. Hit Submit.

There are tools for contest managers to organize multiple entries from one company.

Awards
First, second and third places will be awarded. Awards may be withheld if judges decide no entry merits recognition. Decisions of the judges are final.

Because of rising costs, the awards will be restructured. Smaller trophies will be awarded for first place; a certificate will be given for second place with a polyester bag from the 2023 regional conference instead of a trophy; and a certificate only for third place.


RECENT RULE: SPJ contest entries produced by the advertising staff of a publication or other media outlet are acceptable, as long as the pieces follow basic journalistic standards and are not paid for by an advertiser.


NEW RULE: Newsletters and podcasts produced by an organization which has the primary purpose of dissemination of news may enter the Magazine and Radio divisions, respectively, and the overall News Media Division (formerly the All Media Division). Newsletters and podcasts produced by organizations that do not have the primary purpose of dissemination of news may enter categories in the Newsletters and Podcast Division only.

FAQs

Q: If original clips are unavailable, can I submit a computer printout of my entry?
A: Yes, as long as the publication date is clearly visible. Wire services may submit computer printouts as PDFs.

Q: Can organizations qualify for membership rates?
A: No, but individual members entering can qualify.

Q: Can an entry qualify for the membership rate if one of the named entrants contributing to the work being entered is a chapter member?
A: Yes.




STUDENT
The contest is open to anyone studying in an academic institution in 2023. All entries must have been published or aired in 2023. Work created while working as a student intern is acceptable. Unpublished manuscripts and classroom exercises do not qualify.

  • S101 Student Investigative Journalism in Any Media. Submit up to five investigative articles or webpage addresses where the investigative articles or broadcasts are located. May include sidebars.
  • S102 Student Breaking News in Any Media. Submit a single article on a particular event or issue or webpage address where the article or broadcast is located. May include sidebars.
  • S103 Student Feature Journalism in Any Media. Submit features on particular events or issues or webpage addresses where the article or broadcast is located. May include sidebars.
  • S104 Student Sports Journalism in Any Media. Submit articles about a sporting news event or issue or webpage addresses where the sporting news article or broadcast is located. May include up to four sidebars.
  • S105 Student Journalism featuring Video. Submit up to five articles highlighted by or displaying video or webpage addresses where the articles or broadcasts are located.
  • S106 Student Journalism featuring Photography. Submit up to five articles highlighted by or displaying photography or webpage addresses where the articles or broadcasts are located.
  • S107 Student Journalism Featurimg Audio. Submit up to five articles highlighted by or displaying audio or webpage addresses where the articles or broadcasts are located.
  • S108 Student Editorial/Opinion Writing. Submit up to three editorials or opinion pieces.

HAWAII CHAPTER SPJ // P.O. BOX 3141 // HONOLULU, HI 96802
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