By Karen T. Braeckel
HSPA Foundation
In Indy we frequently associate May with racing.
But while cars run around the oval, Indiana newspapers recognize other signs of mid-spring.
Eugene S. Pulliam Interns report to their assigned newspapers, ad directors beat the bushes for the best ads created during the contest period, and editors anxiously await any Better Newspaper Contest rule changes.
The Foundation keeps its foot on the throttle.
Several weeks ago we placed a credit-only intern with the Rensselaer Republican. We offer students on the Pulliam intern alternate list the opportunity if they are interested and need the experience for graduation requirements or just for their résumés.
Javonte Anderson, a rising senior at Indiana University majoring in history, will commute from Gary for his internship.
He worked on the Indiana Daily Student in 2013 covering the IU campus and city of Bloomington. This past year he served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and will return to school in the fall.
The 10 Pulliam interns will participate in a multimedia workshop led by the program’s multimedia adviser Jim Brown, executive associate dean emeritus of the IU School of Journalism – Indianapolis.
Brown will divide the students into three groups to interview and shoot at different businesses near the HSPA office – Red’s Barber Shop, Edward E. Petri Co. Jewelers, and The Indianapolis Star, where they will talk with editorial cartoonist Gary Varvel.
John Strauss, adviser for the Ball State Daily News, will accompany one group. Brown will lead another, and the four students with the most experience will wing it themselves.
The Daily Reporter (Greenfield) hired a recent Pulliam intern who served his internship at the newspaper. Daniel Morgan just received his degree at IU.
Nelson Price, who serves as the writing coach for the Pulliam interns, saw Morgan’s parents recently and learned of the hire.
Editor Noelle Steele said, “We are so pleased to have him. Daniel did exceedingly well when he interned at the Daily Reporter two years ago, and he was only a sophomore at the time. We can’t wait to see how he has grown and developed in his writing.”
We love success stories.
Advertising Contest
Advertising directors received the revised rules for the ad contest. They will note major changes in the categories. The committee reduced the number of mail-in categories from five to two.
The digital program the Foundation uses as its judging platform now offers an e-publishing function called Realview that allows uploading of large documents.
Contestants no longer mail sections – cutting down cost for newspapers and HSPA. The two categories requiring mail-in entries allow t-shirts, media kits, poly bags, calendars and other items difficult to submit digitally.
Contest administrators will find directions on uploading large documents through Realview in the instructions they received by mail. The instruction packet also is available at www.HSPAfoundation.org.
Fewer contest divisions will create more competition.
Dailies have two divisions split at 6,000 circulation. For a flat fee of $125, nondailies may submit a total of 40 entries with a maximum of two per category.
Dailies may enter 60 with a max of three per category for $200. Any additional submissions cost $5, but are allowed only in categories that did not reach the maximum of two or three.
Click here to download contest materials.
Editorial Contest
The Better Newspaper Contest rules will remain basically the same with a few minor tweaks. However, no categories will be mail-ins.
Realview will allow even full newspapers for the Blue Ribbon category to be submitted digitally – again saving mailing costs.
Categories 4 (Best General Commentary) and 13 (Best Sports Commentary) will now allow only one entry per writer. Each entry consists of three samples of the writer’s work.
Although the rules specify an article or section may not be entered in more than one category unless noted in the rules, several newspapers submitted the same series for both Best Ongoing News Coverage (Cat. 4) and Community Service (Cat. 29) this past year.
Starting this year editors must decide which category is more appropriate.
In the Blue Ribbon and design category, entries must include editions from two required months and one month of the newspaper’s choice.
Editors will receive the rules packet by mail in the coming weeks. After newspapers have the packet, contest managers can find all information online under Contests on the menu bar of the Foundation’s website.
Submit entries by the July 31 deadline.
Karen T. Braeckel is director of the HSPA Foundation.
