2023 Diamond Journalism Awards Rules

2023 DIAMOND JOURNALISM AWARDS

ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY RULES

ENTRY DEADLINE EXTENDED!

APRIL 5, 2023

All professional and student journalists, and freelancers, residing in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas can submit entries or have entries submitted on their behalf by news organizations that published or broadcast their work. Authors who reside in the contest states may submit work published or broadcast outside those states.

ALL ENTRIES MUST HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED OR BROADCAST IN CALENDAR YEAR 2022.

You DON’T have to be a member of the Society of Professional Journalists to enter, but members get a discount on entry fees. SPJ members must provide their membership number in order to qualify for the discount. You can join SPJ by submitting an application here. We suggest submitting entries after your SPJ membership has been confirmed.

Entries may be submitted in more than one category, but a separate entry fee is required for each category.

Any significant challenges or corrections to an entry must be noted with the entry. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of the entry.

Non-English entries should also provide an English translation if possible.

Cover letters and supporting material are required only in conjunction with nominations for the following awards: Student Special Project, Student Journalist of the Year, Public Service, Community Journalism, FOI, Outstanding New Journalist and Diamond Journalist of the Year. Entrants in other categories may submit cover letters or supporting material at their discretion but should keep them brief.

Please ensure entry URLs remain valid through June 30, 2023, to accommodate judging and awards presentation.

Contest administrators reserve the right to combine entries in the same category from different platforms or circulation groups if an insufficient number of entries make the category non-competitive.

ENTRY FEES

SPJ members: $10 per entry.

To claim the member fee, you must supply your SPJ member number (in the entry platform’s comments box). A team entry may claim the fee if at least one team member is an SPJ member. That person’s name and SPJ member number must be listed in the comments box.

Nonmembers: $20 per entry.

Student SPJ members: $5 per entry. Provide your member number.

Student nonmembers: $10 per entry.

No fees will be refunded.

HOW TO ENTER

The Diamond Journalism Awards uses the Better BNC contest management platform for entries and judging.

If you’re new to using the Better BNC entry platform, go here for instructions .

You can find all the categories here.

Go here to submit payment for entries.

 

Arkansas Pro Chapter wins SPJ Circle of Excellence Award

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The Arkansas Pro Chapter has been named a Circle of Excellence Award winner for a small chapter with fewer than 75 members in the area of diversity, the Society of Professional Journalists announced Monday.

Circle of Excellence Awards recognize chapters that perform outstanding work in the areas of campus relations, professional development, diversity, chapter communications and First Amendment/Freedom of Information Act.

In September 2016, our chapter was a partner in presenting a #BlackLivesMatter in the Media panel featuring local and regional activists such as Rae Nelson, Ashley Yates and Shaun King. This panel created a dialogue on #BlackLivesMatter news coverage and steps to better approach reporting on the movement.

In March 2017, during Women’s History Month, the chapter held a Women in the Media panel exploring the experiences of female Arkansan journalists who have print, radio and broadcast backgrounds. Panelists included Gwen Mortiz, Raven Richard, Jill Bleed and Ibby Captuo.

The Arkansas Pro Chapter also worked in partnership with the Islamic Center of Little Rock to hold a Journalism & Islam: Halal Food for Thought discussion, which featured an honest exchange of questions, ideas and thoughts on how Muslims are portrayed in the media.

Candidates for Circle of Excellence Awards are chosen based on their annual reports. Check out our 2016-2017 report of what we’ve accomplished here.

Large Circle of Excellence Awards are given to chapters with more than 75 members, and Small Circle of Excellence Award winners have fewer than 75 members. The Arkansas Pro Chapter is one of eight chapters to be awarded this year.

For more information on this year’s Circle of Excellence Awards, visit here.

Cocktails, a contest and good conversation

The Society of Professional Journalists, Arkansas Pro Chapter will host a cocktail mixer this Thursday, Aug. 27, from 5:30 until whenever at 109 and Co., 109 Main St., Little Rock, Ark. Come meet your fellow Arkansas journalists and enjoy a few specialty cocktails!

See the flyer below for more info. A big thank you to board members Jennifer Ellis and Chelsea Boozer for planning this!

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#SPJdesk Contest