Under what circumstances would a category not be judged?
Categories that receive fewer than five (5) entries will not be judged; in the event that happens, the applicants will be notified by email.
What format is acceptable for submissions?
- jpg, pdf, tiff, zip, doc, docx, rtf. Total uploaded size of all files in a submission cannot exceed 40 MB.
- Please, no Notepad files.
- When possible, it is preferred that the cover letter be provided as a Word document.
- Weblinks submitted in a Word document are welcome, as long as a username and password is provided to bypass a paywall, if there is one.
- For videos, please upload the file to a file or video sharing website (such as YouTube) and provide the URL to the video in a text document, i.e. Word. If a video is smaller than the upload limit of 40 MB, it may be submitted directly to the appropriate category.
What if an entry exceeds the 40MB limit?
Email newspaperawards2019@gmail.com for instructions. Most likely this will involve breaking the entry into two or more parts to meet the size limit and submitting each part separately.
Can an entrant submit to more than one category at a time, or must they be handled individually?
Each submission form can be used for up to 10 categories; fill in the desired number of categories in the field under the contact information to get the necessary fields for all attachments. For example, an individual may use one form to submit entries to Column/Opinion Writing, General News Feature and Spot News Writing.
What if an entry includes more than two files?
The submissions form only allows for two file attachments per category. In most cases, one would be the cover letter, while the second would be an article, a photo or a zip folder for multiple files (such as when the submission involves a portfolio of work).
Can an entry appear in multiple categories?
If a piece is submitted as part of a team endeavour, it can be submitted by the writer/photographer individually in one other category. For example, an individual writer’s work on a team submission may also be submitted as an entry in the Beat or Feature Writing categories, but not both.
Aside from team efforts, there are three exceptions when an entry may be submitted in more than one category:
- Column/Opinion Writing submissions may also be part of a portfolio entry.
- Submissions to Spot News Writing (Under 25,000) may also be entered in Spot News Writing (Over 25,000).
- Submissions to Feature Writing (Under 25,000) may also be entered in Feature Writing (Over 25,000).
For the Spot News categories, how soon after the breaking news event must the coverage begin? How far out from when it breaks can the event be covered to be considered spot news?
All content submitted as part of the Spot News entry must have been published in print or online over a 36-hour period within the first 72 hours of the breaking news event. The entry’s cover letter must specify when the 36-hour period started and ended.
How should team entries be handled?
A team entry would, of course, be submitted by an individual. All members of the team should be indicated in the cover letter.
Can a team submit to the Enterprise category?
Yes. And if an individual contributes work as a member of more than one team for distinctly different Enterprise submissions, that is acceptable as well.
Are online-only articles and photos eligible for submission?
Yes. A piece does not have to appear in print to be considered. Online-only articles and photos from member organizations are OK to submit, provided first publication is in the contest year.
What should I do if I make a mistake submitting?
Email newspaperawards2019@gmail.com with the details and you will be contacted.