NEWS RULES 2011

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:  To recognize the quality of work done by the AP member newspaper staffs taking the Oklahoma report.  To encourage those staffs to contribute their work to the OK AP news file.

 

ELIGIBILITY:  The contest is open to entries from professional journalists employed at AP member newspapers subscribing to the Oklahoma report.  All entries must be submitted by member newspapers which take the Oklahoma AP state news report.
DIVISIONS:

A. Papers 18,000 and over daily circulation
B. Papers of 7,000-17,999 daily circulation

C. Papers of less than 7,000 daily circulation

ENTRY FEES (Non-Photo):  Division A: $11 per entry. Division B: $9 per entry.  Division C: $7 per entry.  (See photo entry fees on Photo Rules document). Fees must be paid by check by February 3, 2012. MAIL ALL CHECKS TO: The Associated Press, ATTN: Pam Collins, 4851 LBJ Freeway, Suite 300, Dallas TX 75244.  Trophies, plaques and certificates will be purchased with contest entry fees.
ENTRY LIMIT:  Each newspaper is limited to FIVE (5) ENTRIES PER CATEGORY in investigative, public service, business, spot news, general news and spot sports reporting.  ONE (1) ENTRY PER PERSON in feature, sports feature, sports columns, personal columns, editorials, reviews, non-page one layout, page one deadline layout, headlines and graphics/illustrations.
FORM:  Entries should be submitted online at www.betterbnc.com. Instructions are included.

Mail entries also are permitted. Mailed entries may be originals or photocopies.  Labels will be posted at www.apoklahoma.org.  Each entry must be in a separate folder with a completed, legible label attached to the front of the folder.
After judging, no names will be added to or deleted from labels.  Entries not in labeled folders or folders containing more than one entry may be disqualified.    Each entry may be entered in no more than two (2) categories.  No entries will be returned.

 

CONTEST PERIOD: Work entered must have been published from Jan. 1 thru Dec. 31, 2011.

DEADLINE: Entries submitted through www.betterbnc.com must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. CST February 3, 2012. Mailed entries must be received by 4 p.m. CST January 31, 2012.
ADDRESS:  Mailed entries should be submitted to: AP/ONE Contest, c/o Ed Choate, Muskogee Daily Phoenix, 214 Wall St., Muskogee, OK 74401-6644.
JUDGING: News value, reporting and writing will be assessed. Judges are asked to weigh the enterprise required to gather the basic information and skill shown in constructing the entry. Relatively greater weight will be given to reporting skills in the investigative reporting category and relatively greater weight to writing skills in such categories as columns and features.  Judges will be out-of-state, working newspersons acting independently. Each judge will be asked to include comments on winning entries.

 
AWARDS: First, second & third prizes will be awarded in each category. First-place plaques will be presented to newspaper winners in each category of the three divisions. Certificates will go to first-, second- and third-place winners.

SWEEPSTAKES AWARDS: Judges will select a sweepstakes award in each circulation division. Sweepstakes winners will be selected from first-place winners in each category per division.
RULES CHANGES: Changes to these contest rules will be considered each year by a standing committee of AP/ONE. Any member, editor or reporter may propose amendments which will be voted on by the AP/ONE Executive Committee.

WRITING CATEGORIES

1. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: Limit of 10 articles per entry.  Supporting material may be added in the form of a letter summarizing the results of the investigation. Also, published material in this category may come before or after the deadline dates, but the majority of published material must come within the deadline dates.  In judging, emphasis will be placed on evidence of reporter skills in obtaining information.

 

2. PUBLIC SERVICE REPORTING: Limit of 10 articles per entry. May be any community project by a newspaper, including a charity drive, investigative project or editorial crusade. May include a letter describing what the entry achieved.

 

3. BUSINESS SPOT NEWS REPORTING: Reporting of business news on a spot basis.  Limit of five articles per entry.

 

4. BUSINESS FEATURE:  Reporting of business news in a feature story.  If a series, limit of five articles per entry.

 

5. SPOT NEWS:  First-day coverage of a breaking, hard-news event.  Sidebars may be included.

 

6. GENERAL NEWS: May include continuous coverage of ongoing news stories, one topic per entry. Limit of 10 articles per entry. Supporting material may be added in the form of a letter summarizing the topic.

 

7. SPOT SPORTS REPORTING:  First-day coverage of a sports story.  Sidebars may be included.

 

8. FEATURE:  May include soft news items, including those from "family" or "lifestyle" pages.  If a series, limit of five articles per entry.

 

9. SPORTS FEATURE: If a series, limit of five articles per entry.

 

10. SPORTS COLUMNS: Limit of three columns per entry, one entry per person.

 

11. PERSONAL COLUMNS: Columns other than sports.  Limit of three columns per entry, one entry per person.

 

12. EDITORIALS: Limit of three editorials per entry, one entry per person.

 

13. REVIEWS: Reviews or criticisms of the arts.  Limit of three reviews per entry, one entry per person.

 

14. NON-PAGE ONE LAYOUT: Limit of three pages per entry, one entry per person.  Best entry to be selected considering all three layouts. Judging: design layout and content equally important.

 

15. PAGE ONE DEADLINE LAYOUT: Limit of three pages per entry, one entry per person. Best entry to be selected considering all three layouts. Judging: Appearance (50%), Content (25%), Headlines (25%).

 

16. HEADLINES: Limit of three headlines per entry, one entry per person.  Best entry to be selected considering all three headlines.   Judging: basis of information, creativity and ability to catch reader's eye.

 

17. GRAPHICS/ILLUSTRATIONS:  Limit of three locally staff produced graphics/illustrations per entry, one entry per person.  Can include part or all of a photograph.  Best entry to be selected considering all three graphics/illustrations.  Judging: information, content, impact and art work.

 

18. GENERAL EXCELLENCE:  Each entry consists of complete newspapers published on three consecutive days, July 13-14-15, 2011.

Judging:  Content 40%; Writing quality 40%; Makeup and appearance 10%; Reader service & appeal 10%.

 

19.  WEB SITE: Two divisions based on newspaper circulation:  A (18,000 and over) & BC (17,999 and under).  Judging: organization, design, interactivity & innovation. Entries by mail must consist of completed entry form which includes: name of newspaper, online editor & phone number, Web address (URL) and how often site updated.

 

20. Best New Journalist of the Year:  One winner in each division shall receive an engraved plaque and $200 cash form AP/ONE. Judges may award honorable mention certificates where merited, as many as they want.  This award recognizes high achievement and dedication to the craft of daily journalism by a reporter, copy editor, photojournalist, editor or designer who has worked at a daily newspaper for a total of two years or less.  The entry must be submitted by a supervisor and the date the nominee started employment should be noted. There is no limit to the number of people who can be nominated for this award.  Requirements are a one-page nomination letter and six samples of the nominee’s best work placed in a manila folder with the staffer’s name and newspaper on the outside.