By Betsy Russell
The Idaho Press Club’s annual excellence in journalism contest is now open for entries. Be sure to submit your best work from 2018 — you deserve the recognition!
We have updated and revised our rules, divisions and categories this year, to ensure we’re keeping up with our fast-changing industry. There are quite a few changes! Among them:
We’ll have a new PHOTO division, separate from the various publication divisions, taking in all still photography categories. It also includes a few new ones: Photo package (as opposed to photo essay, which still is available); Food; Portrait; and both light- and serious-topic Feature Photo categories.
We also have a newly renamed AUDIO division, which takes in all radio entries plus podcasts and any other form of audio reporting. This division also features some new categories, including Interview.
In response to demand and changes in technology, we have revamped the parameters for General Excellence in both TV and Audio. Instead of assigned dates, the entry now will consist of a 15-minute compilation of the station’s best work over the course of calendar year 2018.
We also have added, special for this election year, Election Reporting categories in both Publications and Television.
We’ve expanded the opinion writing categories in daily and weekly Publications to include, in addition to Editorials, a separate Opinion category for op-eds or guest opinions.
We’ve made a change in our rules to allow Idaho-based writers who are published in national publications to enter their work.
And in our All-Media Awards division, we have added two new categories: Best Use of Drone, and Media Innovation Award.
Our contest committee worked long and hard on these changes, and I’d like to thank all the committee members and the Idaho Press Club board for all their effort on this. We have judges across the country lined up, preparing to judge our best work.
Our contest is, in many ways, the heartbeat of the Idaho Press Club. It showcases the best work of Idaho journalists, in all media, large and small, all across the state. It bestows well-deserved recognition for fine work, allowing Idaho journalists to distinguish themselves as they build their careers and resumes. It includes categories for student journalists, periodicals and PR professionals. It is the main source of funding for the Idaho Press Club. And it allows all of us to get together at our gala awards banquet in the spring to celebrate our work.
The deadline for entering this year’s contest is Jan. 22. It will arrive sooner than you think, with all that will be happening between now and then. Don’t wait ‘til the last minute! Allow yourself plenty of time, review the rules and categories in advance at idahopressclub.org, and go to bestinmedia.com and submit your entries.
Questions? Complications? Call or email Martha at (208) 389-2879 or email@idahopressclub.org. Don’t miss out — make sure your best work is in the running!
Betsy Russell is the Boise bureau chief for the Idaho Press, and is the president of the Idaho Press Club board.
