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ENTRY FEES

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SPJ members: $40 per entry
Nonmembers: $60 per entry

Other payment stuff…

• For an entry to qualify for the SPJ member rate, at least one of the listed entrants must be a current, dues-paying member of SPJ. Insert the member number in the Entrant Last Name field, after the last name of the entrant who is a member. (Example: Smith – 123456)

To pay by check, please send payment to…

Green Eyeshade Awards
c/o Tim Dodson
780 NE 69th Street, Suite 807
Miami, FL 33138

Include a list of entries that the check will cover (including entrant name, entry title, news organization and check total). Make sure the envelope is postmarked by Feb. 11, 2013.

In addition, please email the contest administrator with the entrant’s name, entry title, news organization and check total. If the check will cover multiple entries, please include a list of the entrants and entry titles. Use the subject line Green Eyeshade Awards Payment by Check.

No fees will be refunded, and all entries become the property of Green Eyeshade Awards and/or SPJ.

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JUDGING

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Professional journalists and academics from outside the southeastern United States serve as judges. They can withhold awards if no entry meets judging standards, and they will reject entries that don’t comply with entry rules.

Judging criteria include but are not limited to:

• clarity
• style
• accuracy
• enterprise
• resourcefulness in overcoming obstacles
• service to the community
• contribution to the public’s understanding of issues and events
• adherence to SPJ Code of Ethics

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PUBLIC SERVICE CATEGORIES

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Entries will be judged on:

• significance of the service rendered
• evidence of courage and initiative against opposition
• presentation and results obtained

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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

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All entries must be submitted online at www.betterbnc.com.

Once logged into the Better BNC site, click Contest Info in the top navigation bar to view detailed entry instructions.

Set up your account in the BetterBNC system…

• Go to www.betterbnc.com and click Contestant Login (upper left) or the appropriate Contestant Login button on the right side of the page.
• Select the appropriate contestant type:
• If you are the single point of contact for your organization, select Contestant Manager. NOTE: Once you have submitted 2 entries, you will be receive an email validating your Contestant Manager account, enabling you to create Authorized Entrant accounts to make entries on behalf of your organization.
• If you have received an email authorizing you to submit entries for your organization, select Authorized Entrant.
• If you are an individual submitting your own entries (including freelancers), select Open Call, then enter your email and password. If you haven’t yet created an Open Call account, follow the on-screen instructions.

Contestant Manager and Authorized Entrant only…

• From the dropdown menu of contests, select “2013 SPJ Green Eyeshade Awards & Press Patriot Awards.”
• Select the appropriate News Organization.
• (Authorized Entrant only) Enter your email address.
• Enter your temporary Password: bnc (lower case), and click Login. When you first login, the system will prompt you to create a secure password and enter your contact information.

Follow the instructions (Click on Contest Info in the top navigation bar) to enter your work. Read the instructions carefully before starting your entries.

An entry may be submitted in only one category except where noted.

An individual may submit no more than two entries in the same category.

Cover letters are optional except where noted. If you decide you need one, limit to one page. A cover letter might include information about impact or community reaction. It should not try to “sell” the story to the judges.

All entries must be accompanied by payment.

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SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

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Corrections or serious challenges to an entry must be included with the entry. If judges or Green Eyeshade Awards administrators learn that a correction was not included, the entry will be disqualified.

Some categories have other specific entry requirements. Read everything carefully.

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DIVISION-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

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PRINT…

• In categories that call for a number of samples, it is not required that these samples be related; in categories that call for a series, stories in a series must be related and must have been labeled as such when published.
• Individual categories specify the number of articles that make up an entry.
• When uploading documents to the Better BNC website, only 6 file types are allowed at present: DOC, PDF, TXT, JPG, PNG, and GIF. File size limit is 5MB. For larger files (between 5-50MB), you may upload your file(s) to a third-party website such as www.issuu.com, and copy and paste the hosted item’s web address into the Website URL field.

ART AND GRAPHICS…

• Submit photo and graphics entries as PDF pages as they appeared in print.

TELEVISION…

• Submit entries as URL or hyperlink to your server that judges can access during judging period.
• Entries must remain intact and accessible until finalists are announced. Make sure the content is hosted online, either on your station website or a free hosting site (such as kiwi6 or wikiupload).

RADIO…

• Submit entries as hyperlink to audio files that judges can access during judging period.
• Entries must remain intact and accessible until finalists are announced. Make sure the content is hosted online, either on your station website or a free hosting site (such as kiwi6 or wikiupload).

ONLINE (affiliated or Independent)…

• All entries require cover letters summarizing the story and must refer to an active URL.
• Websites affiliated with print or broadcast organizations must include in the cover letter an explanation of how the entry differed from or enhanced print or broadcast coverage.
• Independent websites must describe in their cover letters their journalistic role in the community they cover.
• Denote on entry form whether site is affiliated or independent.
• Nominated sites must remain intact and accessible until finalists are
  announced.