MEDIA ADVISORY--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Jan 5, 2005--The February 1 entry deadline is fast approaching for the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Best in Business Journalism Contest, which is adding a new category this year to recognize promising business reporting by university students.
The winner of the new student category will be brought at SABEW�s expense to the annual meeting in Seattle May 1 to 3 to receive the award and will be eligible to attend all sessions and workshops.
Best in Business had a record number of entries last year and we expect even more this year. We urge all business editors and reporters to take a look at web site www.sabew.org for details of the contest.
The contest has two main components � the SECTION competition to select outstanding daily newspaper business sections and weekly business newspapers, and the NEWS contest to select the best individual stories or packages of stories published by the business news media.
The SECTION competition for daily newspapers is divided into four categories based on average daily circulation, plus a fifth category for all weekly newspapers:
SMALL: up to 125,000
MEDIUM: 125,001 to 250,000
LARGE: 250,001 to 375,000
GIANT: 375,001 and above
WEEKLY: all in one category
The NEWS competition is divided into three main categories:
Breaking News Category: A package of up to seven stories planned, reported and written in a single day under deadline pressure. The judges will give greater weight to the quality of the main story of the package. The best sidebars, graphics and pictures cannot compensate for a main story that is weak. The judges also will give greater weight to coverage of UNANTICIPATED events than to coverage of events that are expected. This is because it is much more difficult to do quality work on the fly than with stories in the hopper ready to go at a moments notice.
Enterprise Category: (we dropped the word SPOT from the category name to avoid confusion with Breaking News) A single story that demonstrates exceptional enterprise. It can be a scoop, an interview that sheds unique light on a newsmaker or an issue, a column or news analysis that shows enterprise reporting and/or original thought. An enterprise entry should be planned, original and deeply reported. This category is NOT for an investigative series (see Projects).
Projects Category: A series of up to five stories, or a story of up to five parts, that is investigative in nature or extensively researched. The stories should be reported over time. The stories should raise fresh issues, provide insight and/or clear explanation. Judges will take into account the impact or reaction to the stories (the impact/reaction may be explained in a one-page cover letter).
Entries in the three NEWS contest are divided into sub-categories that are based on the same circulation figures as those for the SECTION daily newspaper contest � giant, large, medium, small � plus a sub-category for weekly newspapers, and one for real-time news providers such as wire services and online news media.
Editors and reporters should note a few changes to and reminders about the contest this year.
* Contest entries will no longer be permitted to include supplemental material. The background material has burdened the judges with little benefit.
* Cover letters will be limited to one page in all categories.
* Entries that do not follow the instructions on our web site and entry forms will be disqualified. Your entry fee will not be refunded and you will not be notified of disqualification.
* Stories written by any a staffer of a newspaper and appearing in any section of the newspaper may be entered in any category provided they are on a business subject. We want to honor the best business journalism wherever it appears in the newspaper.
The contest is for work published during calendar 2004 and all entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2005. At least one author of each entry article must have a current SABEW membership.
For complete contest rules, entry forms, instructions on how to prepare your entry, information on contest fees and FAQ, see our web site www.sabew.org. If you are entering the SECTION contest please be sure to read the rules carefully as you must submit copies of your newspaper published on three mandatory dates in order to provide our judges with a representative sample of your work.
The three mandatory dates are:
Wednesday, January 14
Thursday, July 22
Sunday, November 28
Weekly newspapers must submit the editions published during the following weeks:
Sunday, Jan. 11 to Saturday, Jan. 17
Sunday, July 18 to Saturday, July 24
Sunday, Nov. 28 to Saturday, Dec. 4
Good Luck!
CONTACTS:
BIB Contest Committee Co-chair Greg McCune at 312-408-8701 or e-mail [email protected], Co-chair Gail DeGeorge at 954-356-4661 or e-mail [email protected] or SABEW Executive Director Carrie Paden at 573-882-7862, or e-mail [email protected]
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