Deadline Club

New York City Chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists

Submissions

The e-mail and postmark deadline has been extended to Monday, March 15, 2010.

We are now accepting submissions for the 2010 Deadline Club Awards, which honor the best in New York area journalism—printed, broadcast or otherwise distributed in 2009. Information on our 31 categories can be found on the Categories page. Here on the Submissions page, you can find entry guidelines, download the Entry Form, and access the PayPal link or the check payment information for the entry fee. The deadline for entries (e-mail deadline for e-mailed entries postmark deadline for mailed entries) has been extended to Monday, March 15, 2010.

The fee for each entry is $70, payable via PayPal or by check made out to “The Deadline Club Foundation” and mailed to the address below. All entry fees are received by the Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Information about The Deadline Club’s mission and journalism scholarships can be found on the About page.

Please submit your entries electronically via e-mail to: awards.submissions@deadlineclub.org.

If that is not feasible, you may mail entries to:
The Deadline Club
47 Fifth Ave.
New York, N.Y. 10003

Questions can be addressed to awards co-chairs Marea Pariser or Elise McIntosh at: awards@deadlineclub.org. Also, messages can be left on the club’s phone line, 347-637-8370.

General Rules

  • Entries must have been published/aired in 2009.
  • Entrants must be employees of or freelancers for news organizations with an office within a 50-mile radius of Columbus Circle in New York City.
  • Entries should be submitted electronically if feasible. If not, they may be mailed in.
  • For mailed clips and tear sheets, originals are preferred but duplicates will be accepted. Only one copy is needed.
  • An entry may be submitted in more than one category, but a separate copy, cover letter/entry form and entry fee must be provided for each category. Multiple entries also require separate entry forms.
  • Sidebars may be included as supporting material.
  • Print and online entries should also include an online archive link on the entry form when possible.
  • Content of entries may not be altered from original publication or broadcast, except for shortening as specified in radio and television sections.
  • Any corrections, clarifications or retractions made after initial publishing or broadcast must be submitted as part of the entry. Also, copies of any written challenges to the report’s accuracy sent to the entrant or the news organization by or on behalf of those mentioned — including but not limited to letters, e-mails or legal papers — must be included with the entry. Any responses by the news organization should also be included.
  • Judges may move an entry to another category if it fits better there.
  • Entries originally published or aired in a language other than English may be submitted if the original and an exact translation into English are supplied.

Guidelines for Electronically Submitted Entries

  • Unless otherwise noted, each electronic submission should be sent via a separate e-mail with attachments, including the entry file and entry form (with cover letter section), which can be downloaded from our Web site, then filled in. The entry form/cover letter is in Microsoft Word. When ready to submit, please do not save it in the newer Microsoft Word “.docx” format. Instead, under “Save As,” select an earlier version of Microsoft Word that uses “.doc”.
  • The e-mail subject line should contain the entry’s category number and story title. (Example: Category I, “Why Wall Street Collapsed.”)
  • Awards coordinators: In the body of each e-mail, please include a complete list of all the entries being submitted by your organization. Also include your contact information (name, organization, phone, e-mail) and that of a backup contact if available.
  • The body of each e-mail should include a summary of attachments.
  • All articles should be sent as PDF or JPG files with a minimum resolution of 150 DPI, unless already optimized for online use at 72 DPI. Email attachments--including PDF files of articles, series and sidebars, plus entry forms and cover letters--should not add up to more than 20 MB/20,000 KB in size per e-mail. If so, they should either be broken up and sent via separate emails or be sent by regular mail.
  • Sidebars submitted as supporting material should be sent as separate attachments to the e-mail.
  • Radio entries must be submitted in MP3 format with a minimum bit rate of 128kbps.
  • Photos must be submitted in JPG format.
  • Television entries should include an online archive link when possible. Otherwise, mail a clearly labeled DVD to The Deadline Club, 47 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003.
  • All online entries should include a complete URL under the story title on the Entry Form.
  • Payment options via PayPal and check are detailed below.

Requirements for All Entries

  • Each entry must include its own entry form (including cover letter section). If e-mailed, both parts of the entry form should be downloaded from our Web site, filled in, and sent as a single attachment with each entry. If mailed, a printout copy of the form should be attached to each entry. (Letter guidelines are noted on the form.)
  • The fee for each entry is $70, payable via PayPal or by check made out to “The Deadline Club Foundation.” If mailing a check for an electronic entry, please include a printout copy of an entry form with payment. All entry fees will be received by The Deadline Club Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. If using PayPal, indicate your organization and story title.
  • NOTE: Submissions that do not include the above requirements are incomplete and cannot be included in the judging.

Helpful Hints

  • Let your cover letter speak for you. Explain why you believe your entry is the finest example of journalism in its category.
  • Awards coordinators/all submitters: Please provide your contact information (name, organization, e-mail address, phone number) and that of a backup contact if available.

Judging

  • Entries will be judged on fairness, balance and accuracy; thoroughness, timeliness and clarity; news language and technical skills exhibited; enterprise, resourcefulness and obstacles overcome; effort involved in preparation; and the story’s interest and importance to the public.
  • Entries will be judged by experienced journalists. In some cases, they may decide that a category merits no winners.

Awards Dinner

  • Winners will be announced at The Deadline Club’s Annual Awards Dinner in New York City on Monday, June 7.
  • All members of the press and public are welcome to attend this event, where we will honor the finalists and present the winners with the Club’s distinctive statuettes.
  • If you would like to attend, please add your dinner contact to the entry form.