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Entries Open for
Society of Environmental Journalists Awards
The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) is now
accepting submissions for its annual Awards for Reporting on the
Environment, which honour the most outstanding journalism on environmental
subjects in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, television, radio and
online.
SEJ is the oldest and largest organization of environmental
journalists and works to improve public understanding of environmental
issues through better, more visible journalism.
The Society of Environmental
Journalists Awards for Reporting on the Environment is open to any
journalist enter unless he or she is a member of the SEJ Board of
Directors, Awards Committee or the SEJ staff. However, exception will be
made if an SEJ board member is part of a group entry, provided that the
board member did not play a significant role. Judges may also enter for
the award except in a category to which their panel is assigned. Students
may enter any work that was published or broadcast in a media outlet
accessible to the general public.
Only journalism that is
predominantly about an environmental subject is eligible for the contest
and the awards committee is the final authority for determining whether a
story entered for the award meets that standard. The committee will refund
the entry fee to any entrant whose stories are found to be ineligible for
the contest.
Similarly, only journalism that
is published or broadcast (including cable) in a media outlet accessible
to the general public during the most recently completed 12-month period
that began March 1 and ended the last day of February may be entered in
the contest. Series that begin or end during the designated contest period
qualify in their entirety, but a specific series may only be entered in
one contest year. Stories or projects funded by or through SEJ are not
eligible.
The categories of awards
available are:
Outstanding Radio Reporting,
Large Market:
This refers to up to four reports, with a combined total running time of
no more than 60 minutes, on environmental subjects broadcast on
large-market radio. Only four parts of a longer series may be entered.
Large Market radio or television stations, networks or syndicated
programmes are those that serve media markets of one million or more
households. In the case of networks or syndicated programmes, that means
the participating stations' combined total must be one million households
or more. For U.S. stations, this includes the top 28 media markets, based
on current Nielsen Media Research rankings.
Outstanding Radio Reporting,
Small Market:
This means up to four reports, with a combined total running time of no
more than 60 minutes, on environmental subjects broadcast on small-market
radio. Only four parts of a longer series may be entered. Small Market
radio or television includes markets serving less than one million
households. In the case of networks or syndicated programmes, that means
the participating stations' combined total must be fewer than one million
households. In the U.S. this includes markets 29 and lower based on
Nielsen Media Research.
Outstanding Television
Reporting, Large Market:
This refers to up to four reports, with a combined total
running time of no more than 60 minutes, on environmental subjects
broadcast on large-market television. Only four parts of a longer series
may be entered.
Outstanding Television
Reporting, Small Market:
This means up to four reports, with a combined total
running time of no more than 60 minutes, on environmental subjects
broadcast on small-market television. Only four parts of a longer series
may be entered.
Outstanding Explanatory
Reporting, Print:
This mean a story, series or occasional series of up to
four parts that illuminates a significant and complex environmental
subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear
presentation. The story or stories must be published in a newspaper,
magazine, wire service, newsletter or other print medium. Only four parts
of a longer series may be entered. Related stories published on the same
day count as one part.
Outstanding Investigative
Reporting, Print:
This refers to an investigative story, series or
occasional series of up to four parts on a single environmental subject,
published in a newspaper, magazine, wire service, newsletter or other
print medium. Only four parts of a longer series may be entered. Related
stories published on the same day count as one part.
Outstanding Beat Reporting,
Print: This
refers to up to seven stories on various environmental subjects, published
in a newspaper, magazine, wire service, newsletter or other print medium.
Related stories published on the same day count as one story.
Outstanding Small Market
Reporting, Print:
This refers to up to four stories on various environmental
topics initially published in a newspaper, magazine, wire service,
newsletter or other print medium with a circulation of less than 100,000.
Related stories published on the same day count as one story.
Outstanding Online Reporting:
This refers
to up to four stories on one or more environmental subjects. Entered
stories may not simply be online versions of print, television or radio
stories. They must be prepared either specifically for an online news
outlet or for other media but displayed online with significant use of
Internet-only tools demonstrating the power of online display. Examples
include but are not limited to: streaming audio or video, hyperlinks to
additional documentation or web sites, interactive quizzes or simulations.
Related stories published on the same day count as one story.
A $1,000 first-place prize will
be awarded in each of the nine categories. Judges also may choose second-
and third-place finishers, or honorable mentions. Cash awards for second
place, or for second and third place, may be offered if approved by the
awards committee and the executive director, in consultation with the
board of directors. No cash prizes are given for honorable mentions.
In addition to individuals,
groups may enter as a team. But only individuals may enter, not
publications, stations or other corporate entities. For the beat-reporting
category, the same individual or group of individuals must have written or
produced all reports submitted for judging. If a team is awarded prize
money, the cash award will be divided among the journalists whose names
are listed on the entry according to whatever division formula the team
has specified on its entry form. However, SEJ may, for budgetary reasons,
choose to limit the number of individual certificates or other materials
presented to winning group entries.
Individuals or groups may
participate in more than one entry per year, in the same category or in
different categories. However, no story may be included in more than one
entry and each entry must be mailed separately with a separate entry fee.
SEJ members in good standing, or
teams that include at least one SEJ member, are required to pay SEJ a fee
of $30 per entry to be eligible for judging. Non-members who do not wish
to join must pay $80 per entry. Non-members who wish to join SEJ for the
first time and who qualify for membership may pay a special rate of $50
that covers one contest entry and the first year's membership in SEJ.
Group entries pay the same fee as individuals, but groups or individuals
that enter the contest more than once in the same year must pay a separate
fee for each entry. Groups pay the SEJ member rate if at least one of the
reporters is an SEJ member.
All entries must be accompanied
by a supporting letter, written by the entrant or a supervisor, providing
supporting information about the entered stories, including the resources
that went into reporting them, their impact and the deadlines or any other
obstacles the reporters faced. If the entered stories are part of a longer
series, this letter may also briefly summarize stories not included in the
entry.
An entry will be considered
complete and eligible for judging if it complies with the contest rules
and includes the correct entry and five legible copies of the following: a
completed entry form, the supporting letter, and the entered stories.
The awards committee or the committee chair or co-chairs may disqualify
entries that are incomplete, illegible (exceptionally small type or poor
photocopying), or otherwise do not comply with the contest rules. In cases
where the staff or awards committee determines that an entry is
substantially but not fully complete, the committee or SEJ staff may
contact entrants and give them extra time to provide any missing copies or
other required information after the regular entry deadline. But no
additional documentation will be accepted without approval of the awards
committee. Entry fees will be refunded to disqualified entrants. The SEJ
awards committee may also switch entries between categories if the
committee determines the entry was classified incorrectly.
The judges may select up to
three ranked place-winners or honorable mentions in each category. Judges
are free to select fewer or no place-winners, if they believe no entries
are deserving of the honors. Ties are not allowed and no more than three
entrants may be honored per category.
All judging panels must make
their final decision no later than July 1. Award winners and/or honorable
mentions will be announced at a ceremony at SEJ's annual conference. Prior
to this event, the committee may release the names of recipients, but
shall not disclose the precise award each will receive. At its discretion,
the committee may also confidentially notify winners of specific awards
prior to the conference.
Copies of place-winning stories
will be retained as an archive by SEJ and may be reproduced on the SEJ web
site and in SEJ publications unless barred by copyright.
Entries must be postmarked no
later than
April 1, 2005,
to qualify for judging in this year's contest.
For more information, contact SEJ at sej@sej.org, telephone
(215) 884-8174, or visit:
http://www.sej.org/contest/index.htm.
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