2009 Awards FAQ
GENERAL ISSUE
Q1. Are online publications eligible to enter work into all categories?
Yes. SOPA regards journalistic work published online including breaking news, feature writing, opinion writing, news and feature photography as identically qualified for entry into categories eligible to print. The exceptions are the design categories open only to newspapers and magazines, i.e. Excellence in Newspaper Design and Excellence in Magazine Design.
Q2. Is there a separate category for awarding online work?
Yes. The new category of Excellence in Digital Journalism honors the publication website or independent online venture that demonstrates high standards of web journalism.
Q3. What advice do you have for entrants?
- Be extremely selective. While some awards have gone to entries with multiple articles or photographs, just as many awards have gone to entries with a single article or photograph. Simply submitting the maximum number of articles doesn't help an entry's chances; in fact, it may hurt if a weak article in the entry pulls the overall score down. This is especially important given the emphasis on multi-article entries showing a clear theme of coverage.
- Write a strong, persuasive nomination letter. Judges come from all over the world and will be reviewing work done months ago. While they are all senior, seasoned journalists and ex-journalists, they may not be as familiar with the circumstances surrounding the work submitted. If you don't explain clearly why the work matters, what impact it had, or how difficult it was to obtain, they won't be able to get a full sense of the quality of the entry.
- Presentation matters. Entries go through many hands, and judges have to look over a lot of work. It's important that everything be firmly secured and clearly marked. Post-it notes fall off; paper clips get dislodged; loose articles go missing. Make it easy for judges to evaluate your entry.
THE ENTRY PROCESS
Q1. What do we need to submit with each entry?
Each individual entry needs to include FIVE sets of the following items:
a. The nominated work;
b. The entry form;
c. The nomination letter*;
*nomination letters longer than a single page will be rejected.
When you have collated all the entries from your publication, please fill out the Summary of Entries form and submit it with the entries and the entry fee. You only have to submit one copy of the Summary of Entries form.
a. The nominated work;
b. The entry form;
c. The nomination letter*;
*nomination letters longer than a single page will be rejected.
When you have collated all the entries from your publication, please fill out the Summary of Entries form and submit it with the entries and the entry fee. You only have to submit one copy of the Summary of Entries form.
Q2. What should the nomination letter say?
The nomination letter must explain why the entry deserves consideration, the publication’s editorial objectives and how the entry helped those objectives. It may also provide additional information about the entry to assist the judges in placing the entry in context. In the case of entries with multiple articles or photographs, it must explain the unifying theme of coverage the articles or photographs collectively address. Entries will be judged against how well they the objectives described in the nomination letter. The requirement for a unifying theme does not apply to the Journalist of the Year Category.
The nomination letter should not be longer than a single page. Entries with nomination letters longer than a page will be disqualified.
The nomination letter should not be longer than a single page. Entries with nomination letters longer than a page will be disqualified.
Q3. Can the entry forms and nomination letters be in Chinese?
Entrants in Group C must submit nomination letters in Chinese. Entry forms can be in Chinese or English.
Q4. Must we submit five originals for each entry? Can we submit copies instead?
We prefer originals to be submitted, but will accept copies. For entries
in the design or photo categories, please submit color copies.
Please also submit copies in the form they were originally published, rather than as text files reprinted from databases. This will allow judges to see the entry as it originally appeared.
In addition, you MUST include any challenge to the fairness or accuracy of an entry as well as the publication’s response to the challenge, including published corrections and clarifications.
Please also submit copies in the form they were originally published, rather than as text files reprinted from databases. This will allow judges to see the entry as it originally appeared.
In addition, you MUST include any challenge to the fairness or accuracy of an entry as well as the publication’s response to the challenge, including published corrections and clarifications.
Q5. What is the criteria for entering in the various groups (A, B and C)?
Awards are divided into three groups: A, B and C.
- English-language newspapers that circulate widely in three or more countries, English-language magazines with circulation greater than 50,000 and English- language wire services should enter in Group A;
- English-language newspapers that circulate primarily in one or two countries and English-language magazines with circulation under 50,000 should enter in Group B;
- Chinese-language publications, including Chinese-language websites and wire services, should enter in Group C;
- Online publications that are affiliated with, or part of, a print publication, should enter in the same category as their affiliated print publications. Independent online publications should enter in Group B or Group C.
Q6. Can publications in languages other than Chinese and English participate in the awards?
Regrettably, we are unable to accept entries in other languages due to limitations of staff and judges. We hope in the future to be able to expand the awards.
Q7. Can publications in Group B apply to be judged in Group A and vice versa?
No.
Q8. How many entries can we submit?
Each publication may submit a maximum of TWO entries per category except
in the following categories: Excellence in Newspaper Design and
Excellence in Magazine Design. In those categories, each publication may
submit ONE entry.
For example, a publication can submit two entries in the Excellence in Reporting Breaking News category, two entries in the Excellence in Feature Writing, two entries in the Excellence in Business Reporting categories.
Publications can only submit one entry in the Excellence in Newspaper Design and Excellence in Magazine Design categories.
For example, a publication can submit two entries in the Excellence in Reporting Breaking News category, two entries in the Excellence in Feature Writing, two entries in the Excellence in Business Reporting categories.
Publications can only submit one entry in the Excellence in Newspaper Design and Excellence in Magazine Design categories.
Q9. How many articles or photos can be submitted as part of each entry?
Each entry may include a maximum of FIVE articles or photographs, except in the design categories, as noted below:
- Entries in the Excellence in Newspaper Design and Excellence in Magazine Design categories are limited to ONE issue per entry.
- Entries in the Excellence in Special Section or Special Issue category are limited to ONE issue per entry.
Q10. Do sidebars count against the five-article limit in entries?
Sidebars published on the same day as the main article submitted don't count against the limit. But again, you should be very selective about which articles to include. Judges will be looking for the quality of the whole package, and weaker pieces will undermine the overall score.
Q11. We're very busy. Can we get an extension on the entry deadline?
No. And there will be no exceptions made.
Q12. Are there any special rules governing the submission of entries from online publications or independent online ventures?
An online publication may be an independent website or part of a print
or broadcast operation.
Entries from online publications or independent online ventures should be submitted as URLs (URLs can be active or archived). The work should have been first published in 2008. Entries may be a single item or a continuing project, and should consist of up to 5 URLs. Websites requiring passwords must provide a single username and password to be used by the judges. It is up to the entrant to ensure that judges are able to access URLs.
URLs should be emailed to [email protected] along with the entry form and nomination letter. Cheque or bank draft payment should be posted together with a copy of the entry form.
Entries from online publications or independent online ventures should be submitted as URLs (URLs can be active or archived). The work should have been first published in 2008. Entries may be a single item or a continuing project, and should consist of up to 5 URLs. Websites requiring passwords must provide a single username and password to be used by the judges. It is up to the entrant to ensure that judges are able to access URLs.
URLs should be emailed to [email protected] along with the entry form and nomination letter. Cheque or bank draft payment should be posted together with a copy of the entry form.
THE JUDGING PROCESS
Q1. How does the judging process work?
Three-person panels are appointed to judge each category, comprising
experienced journalists and former journalists from around the world.
The judges assess and discuss the entries and decide on the winner. In
the case of questions or a deadlock, they seek the assistance of the
Director of Judges, who is a member of the SOPA editorial committe.
The Director of Judges is an independent journalism academic. Judges are chosen so as to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest with the publications entering the category they are judging.
The Director of Judges is an independent journalism academic. Judges are chosen so as to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest with the publications entering the category they are judging.
Q2. Will awards be given in all categories?
If there are insufficient entries in a given category, no award will be given. Also, if in the opinion of the judging panel, the quality of entries does not merit an award, no award will be given.
ENTRY CRITERIA
Q1. Can work done principally from outside Asia be entered? What about joint-venture articles where one reporter is in Asia and one reporter is outside the region?
Entries must show a strong focus on Asia, and substantial journalistic work must have been done in Asia. So work done principally from outside Asia, even if it has a strong focus on the region, is ineligible. However, articles that are reported partly in the region and partly outside the region are eligible if substantial journalistic work was done in Asia.
Q2. Can translated articles be entered in the awards?
No. Articles must be entered in the language in which they were published.
Q3. Is work from Afghanistan/Iraq eligible for entry?
For the purposes of the awards, Asia is defined to include Afghanistan
and the Central Asia republics, in addition to the Indian subcontinent,
North and East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific
Islands.
Iraq, Iran and the Middle East are not included in this definition and hence work from those places is not eligible for entry.
Iraq, Iran and the Middle East are not included in this definition and hence work from those places is not eligible for entry.
Q4. Must entries in the Excellence in Opinion Writing category be written by the publication's staff, or can they be from outside contributors?
They should be from regular contributors, although the authors need not be on staff.
Q5. Can opinion pieces be submitted in categories other than for Excellence in Opinion Writing?
Articles that have appeared on op-ed pages rather than on news pages can be submitted in reporting categories, but will be judged on their standard of reporting and writing.
Q6. What kind of photos is eligible to enter in the Excellence in News Photography category?
Entries in this category must be directly related to news events.
Q7. What kind of articles should be entered in the Excellence in Reporting Breaking News category?
Entries in this category must have been written and reported on deadline as part of coverage of spot news. So features cannot be entered in this category, unless written and reported as part of immediate spot coverage.
Q8. What kind of articles should be entered for The Scoop Award?
The Scoop Award is for an exclusive story on a topic of significance.
Q9. Can entries comprise both online and print articles and photographs?
Entries can contain a mix of online and print articles and photographs. However, please do not exceed the limit on the number of articles and photographs per entry. Also, note that entries that comprise more than a single article or photograph must demonstrate a clear theme of coverage articulated in the nomination letter.
Q10. Will there be a single Journalist of the Year award, or one in each of the three classes A, B and C?
The intention is to make this award in all three classes, providing that, in the opinion of the judges, entries are of a sufficiently high standard.