SAN FRANCISCO – Sept. 16, 2024  — The San Francisco Press Club will hold its 47th  annual awards contest to honor the very best journalism in the greater Bay Area region.

Entrants are encouraged to submit their work starting Sept. 23, 2024. Please scroll below for a list of this year’s categories and entry criteria.

Three big changes were made to this year’s contest:

1) The contest period is from January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. This 18-month entry period reflects the board’s desire to move the calendar forward to include members’ more recent work. In future years, the contest will cover an annualized calendar, starting in July the year prior and ending in June.

2) Professional members of the San Francisco Press Club will now be eligible for a discounted entry fee as a benefit of membership. More on that below. Become a Press Club member online here.

3) A new category: the “Special Award for Technological Innovation in News Reporting,” has been added to recognize news outlets that have found creative and responsible ways to enhance their work using tech. Details below.

Winners will be recognized on Dec. 4 at the winter gala and awards ceremony, the single largest annual gathering of Bay Area journalists and media pros. Stay tuned for details about tickets and exciting news about this year’s historic location.

Thank you for participating in the contest and good luck!

INSTRUCTIONS & CATEGORIES

ELIGIBILITY: Competition is open to full-time journalists, part-time journalists, freelancers and bloggers who are residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma or Yolo counties who have material published, broadcast, aired or online during the contest period from January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, inclusive.

UPDATE: In addition, the competition is open to all media professionals who are residents of an immediately adjacent county to the Bay Area  (such as San Joaquin, San Benito, Sacramento or Mendocino counties). For team submissions with reporters in multiple locales, at least one contributor must live in the Bay Area or an immediately adjacent county.

JUDGING: Entries will be judged by professional journalism organizations or individuals outside the contest area. No San Francisco Press Club members will judge entries. The Awards Committee reserves the right to change the category in which entries are submitted and to refuse entries not meeting eligibility. In the case of an entry dispute, the decision of the committee will be final.

College journalism students may enter professional categories for work published in professional media, however, if material is for student-based media (such as student newspaper) it must be entered in the appropriate student division.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received no later than 9 p.m. PT on Oct. 14, 2024.

AWARDS: First, second and third place awards will be presented in person at the SFPC awards gala.

DIGITAL MEDIA: Work exclusively online

DAILY NEWSPAPERS: Published a minimum of five times a week

NON-DAILY NEWSPAPERS

MAGAZINES/TRADE PUBLICATIONS

CATEGORIES

The following categories are available for the four divisions above.

Overall Excellence – Digital Media should submit entries via URL links to specific pages. (Judges will select a designated period to view all website entries.) Supporting material can be submitted via PDF. Original posting dates should be in the contest period • Daily and Non-Daily Newspapers and Magazines/Trade Publications should submit three complete issues.

Blog/Commentary

Breaking News – Story that breaks and is covered on deadline – single-day coverage. Include a description (one paragraph max) of deadlines and coordination of coverage.

Business/Technology Story

Column – News/Political Maximum three columns per entry.

Column – Features Maximum three columns per entry.

Column – Sports Maximum three columns per entry.

Environmental/Nature

Feature – Light Nature

Feature – Serious Nature

General News – Regular news coverage, non-breaking news.

Investigative Reporting – Single reporter or team. Brings hidden matter to light and shows initiative and depth of research. If a series, up to three examples may be submitted.

Entertainment review

Photography – Feature

Photography – News

Photography – Photo Series

Photography – Sports

Profile – Feature story on an individual

Series or Continuing Coverage – Single reporter or team. Non-breaking news or features on same topic not to exceed three submissions per entry.

Sports Feature – Sports reporting, not a column.

Cover Design

Editorial Cartoon

Front Page Design

Feature Layout Design – Best page design for feature story includes photos and /or graphics.

Headlines – Submit one headline sample.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Overall Excellence – Public Relations organizations should submit an overall sampling of materials for one campaign.

Newsletter– printed, email or online, submit three examples

Corporate Brochure

Annual Report

Press Release Writing – Submit one press release on a news item or feature story relating to any organization or event. Press releases promoting products are ineligible.

Video – Production seeking to explain or demonstrate a client’s product, event or area of influence.

RADIO/PODCAST – AUDIO ONLY – Commercial

Overall Excellence – Radio stations should submit three complete newscasts from the contest period.

Enterprise/Investigative Reporting – Single reporter or team. Brings hidden matter to light and shows initiative and depth of research.

Feature Story – Light Nature

Feature Story – Serious Nature

News Story

Podcast – General Interest

Podcast – News

Public Affairs Program

Series or Continuing Coverage – Single reporter or team. Non-breaking news on same topic not to exceed three submissions per entry.

Sports Feature

RADIO/PODCAST – AUDIO ONLY – Non – Commercial

Overall Excellence – Radio stations should submit three complete newscasts from the contest period.

Enterprise/Investigative Reporting – Single reporter or team. Brings hidden matter to light and shows initiative and depth of research.

Feature Story – Light Nature

Feature Story – Serious Nature

News Story

Podcast – General Interest

Podcast – News

Public Affairs Program

Series or Continuing Coverage – Single reporter or team. Non-breaking news on same topic not to exceed three submissions per entry.

Sports Feature

TELEVISION/VIDEO

Overall Excellence – Television stations should submit three complete newscasts from the contest period.

Feature Story – Light Nature

Feature Story – Serious Nature

Live Report – Live coverage on the scene of a single news story

News Story

Series or Continuing Coverage – Single reporter or team. Non-breaking news on same topic not to exceed three submissions per entry.

Investigative Reporting –Single reporter or team. Brings hidden matter to light and shows initiative and depth of research. If coverage resulted in action or change, include a brief description.

Public Affairs Program

Sports Feature

Videography

At LARGE — Division open to all media:

NEW: Special Award for Technological Innovation in News Reporting – Submit up to three pieces of work that illustrate innovative, creative and responsible use of technology in reporting. Examples could include the use of AI, databases, mapping, visualizations and more. This “AT LARGE” division is open to all media, including digital, print, video and radio. Entrants are welcome to include a comment or cover letter outlining (100 words max) how tech informed their reporting.

COLLEGE MEDIA
Best College Newspaper – Submit up to three editions from the contest period.

Best College Magazine – Submit up to three editions from the contest period.

Blog/Commentary

Breaking News – Story that breaks and is covered on deadline – single-day coverage. Include a description – one paragraph max – of deadlines and coordination of coverage.

Column – Maximum three columns per entry.

Feature – Light Nature

Feature – Serious Nature

General News – Regular news coverage, non-breaking news.

Investigative Reporting – Single reporter or team. Brings hidden matter to light and shows initiative and depth of research. If a series, up to three examples may be submitted.

Photography – Feature

Photography – News

Photography – Photo Series

Photography – Sports

Cover Design

Editorial Cartoon

Front Page Design

Feature Layout Design – Best page design for feature story includes photos and /or graphics.

Headline – Submit one headline sample


HOW TO SUBMIT

PLEASE NOTE: The contest entry portal will open at noon on Sept. 23, 2024.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure to use a recent version of Google Chrome for making contest entries.

There are two ways to enter the awards.

1. If you will be handling the entries for a media organization, follow the instructions for “Contestant”
2. If you are a freelancer or write for more than one publication, you will use the “Open Call” instructions below.

CONTESTANT INSTRUCTIONS: This is an account for a media company such as a magazine, newspaper or television station. One person may handle all entries for the company or the login information can be shared with colleagues who then make entries for themselves.

Log in to your account. Go to www.BetterNewspaperContest.com

Go to “Contestant Login” Choose “2024 Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards.” Select the appropriate media organization. (If your organization does not appear on the list, email the contest administrator and it will be added.)

Enter the temporary password: bnc (lowercase) then create a secure password for your organization. Please share your new password with others from your media organization making entries.

OPEN CALL INSTRUCTIONS: This is an account for freelancers or those who write or create content for more than one media organization.

Create your account: Go to www.BetterNewspaperContest.com

Click Open Call Login and click Create your Open Call Account. Fill in all info. You will see a message that a verification link has been sent to your email.

Present your credentials.

Once you receive the verification link message, click on the link, or copy into your browser. Complete the credentials portion. This step protects the entry process. Once you see the “Credentials Updated” message, click on Available Contests. Select the “2024 Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards.”

PREPARING ENTRIES

• On the Manage Entries page, click Submit Entry

• Select the “General” Division The system will automatically generate the correct Division, based on the media outlet you choose.

• If Open call, select the appropriate media outlet from the dropdown. If your publication, website or station is not on the list, please email the contest administrator to add it.

• Select the appropriate Category.

• (If applicable) Read the corresponding Category Note (directly below the Category selection box), describing what is expected for the category’s entry content. Complete the Headline/Title field.

• Based on the type of entry, add content:

• To add URL links to content, copy and paste the content’s web address into the provided Web URL field.

• To upload digital file attachments (other than audio/video), click Choose File, navigate to the desired file, select Open, and click Upload. Allowed file types are PDF, DOC, TXT, JPG, GIF, and PNG. If more than one attachment is desired for this entry, repeat these steps.

• For Audio or Video: To host your content online, either upload it to a free streaming content website (e.g. YouTube) or talk to your IT person about adding it to your station’s website. Make sure the content will be accessible online throughout the contest and awards judging process.

• Add Credits for those responsible for the entry content. Be sure to add your own name here.

• Add Comments (if applicable) but keep them brief (e.g. 100 words).

• Click Submit.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure that items are not behind a paywall or a password-protected area. If they are, you must provide username/password info in the Comments section of your entry. Judges may disqualify your entry if work samples are inaccessible.

This is your account – you can come back to it at any time during the call for entries time period – until the DEADLINE DATE.

Once you have completed all your entries, click on Entry Fee Calculator and check to be sure all your entries are included.

Click on the button to go to the payment page to pay online. Type the total amount due on the page and complete payment. You may also pay by check by sending a copy of your recap with a check to: 3335 21st Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.If you have any questions, call or email the awards administrator, Dustin Gardiner: gardiner.dustin@gmail.com.