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Contests for Student Journalists

Associated Collegiate Press
2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 121
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612)625-8335

Contests are free but open only to ACP member publications. Contests include the Pacemaker awards for college newspapers, online newspapers, yearbooks and magazines. ACP also awards individuals on categories such as Story of the Year and Reporter of the Year. College publications attending the ACP convention may also enter the Best of Show contest. The Pacemaker awards have no prize money attached; prize money for the individual awards varies. Deadline for the Online Pacemaker award is in early winter; the deadline for the yearbook/magazine Pacemaker award is in the late fall or early winter; the deadline for the Newspaper Pacemakers Award and the individual awards is in June each year.

Chronicle of Higher Education
1255 23rd Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
milleraward@chronicle.com

The David W. Miller Award for Student Journalists is an annual competition for excellence in journalistic writing. The award consists of a $2,000 prize and a certificate. The deadline is in June.

College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers
CNBAM sponsors an annual competition each spring that includes categories for marketing/promotion plans, incentive programs, display ads, classified pages/sections, rate cards and ad designer of the year. The deadline is in early February each year.

College Photographer of the Year
Rita Reed, director
Lee Hills Hall
Missouri School of Journalism
Columbia, MO 65211-1200
573-882-3746  

The college photographer of the year award recognizes outstanding student photographers in categories that include portfolios and online photograph. The winners of the first and second place portfolio receive a $1,000 or a $500 scholarship, respectively.   Other winners receive fellowships or other prizes. The annual deadline is in October.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Columbia University
Mail Code 5711
New York, New York 10027-6902
(212) 854-9400

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Awards recognize excellence in student media. Categories include newspaper, magazine, or yearbook. The Gold Circle Awards recognize outstanding writers, editors and photographers. It is the largest national competition for individual achievement in college and university publication in the U.S. The annual deadline for the Gold Circle Awards is November 1.

The Fund for American Studies
Thomas L. Phillips Collegiate Journalism Award
Traci Leonardo
Director
Institute on Political Journalism
The Fund for American Studies
1706 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 986-0384

The Thomas L. Phillips Collegiate Journalism Award recognizes "excellence in well-sourced news stories of analytical reports in collegiate publications that demonstrate an understanding of the basic ideas that support a free society, including freedom of the press, freedom of speech and free-market economic principles." Judges recognize stories or a series of stories that show initiative, original reporting and superior writing skills, and an appreciation for the traditional constitutional values of free speech and free markets. The deadline is late January for work published in a print or online student publication the previous calendar year. Entrants must be undergraduate students who are currently enrolled in a 4-year college or university in the United States. First-place winners receive $5,000; second-place and third-place winners receive $2,500 and $1,000, respectively.

Hearst Journalism Awards Program
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
90 Montgomery Street, Suite 1212
San Francisco, California 94105
(415) 543-6033 ext. 308

The Hearst Journalism Awards program includes six writing categories for feature writing, opinion, to spot news. Deadlines for entry vary from November to March each year. The awards range from $500 to $2,000, with the schools receiving matching grants.

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Excellence in Journalism
Black College Communication AssociationValerie White
School of Journalism & Graphic Communication
Florida A&M University
Tallahassee, Florida 32307-3200
(850) 599-3379

The contest awards student-produced newspapers at historically black colleges. The deadline each year is in December.

The Independent Press Association
The Campus Independent Journalism Awards
The Independent Press Association
2729 Mission St., Suite 201
San Francisco, CA 94110-3131
(415) 445.0230 ext. 116

The Independent Press Association's annual Campus Independent Journalism Awards recognizes socially engaged journalism on college and university campuses. This award includes progressive alternative publications as well as progressive writers at mainstream campus publications. Categories include political commentary, investigative reporting, and artwork/cartoons. The deadline is in May each year.

Institute for Humane Studies
The Felix Morley Journalism Competition
Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University
3301 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 440
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 993-4880

For several years, the Felix Morley Journalism Competition has awarded full-time students or young writers (under 25) whose journalistic writing is inspired by liberty. Application can include published articles, editorials, essays, or reviews. The winner receives cash prizes ranging from $250 to $2,500. The deadline is in December each year. The Felix Morley Journalism Competition will not be held for the 2006-07 school year. Please check back next year for updates.

Investigative Reporters and Editors
138 Neff Annex
Missouri School of Journalism
Columbia, MO 65211
(573) 882-6668

The IRE Student Award recognizes outstanding investigative reporting by a student in a college newspaper, magazine, specialty publication or internship. The winner receives a $250 cash scholarship for Outstanding Investigative Reporting. The deadline is in January each year.


National Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
3899 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110

The AAEC/John Locher Memorial Award recognizes undergraduate editorial cartoonists. The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to the AAEC convention. The annual deadline is in March.

National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
1420 K Street NW, Suite 910
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 588-9888

NLGJA's Excellence in Journalism Awards recognize outstanding coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. The annual contest includes a category for student journalism. There is a $500 cash award and trophy for first place. All second and third runners-up receive framed certificates.

Online News Association
PO Box 2022
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10101-2022
(646) 290-7900

ONA's annual contest includes a category for student journalism that honors excellence in digital journalism by a student or team reporting on a single story or issue. The work must have appeared originally in a student- or school-based Web site and have been created by people who were full-time student at the time of publication. Unpublished entries do not qualify. The deadline is in June each year.

The Robert F. Kennedy College Journalism Award
The RFK Memorial
1367 Connecticut Ave. NW. Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036

The Robert F. Kennedy College Journalism Award recognizes college journalism that includes accounts of the disadvantages in the United States and around the world. The deadline is in February each year. The winner receives $500 and a trip to Washington, DC to attend the awards ceremony.

Rolling Stone College Journalism Competition
1290 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10104

This annual competition for college journalists recognizes excellence in arts and entertainment coverage. Winning entrants in each category (Entertainment Reporting, Feature Writing, and Essays and Criticism) are awarded a $2,500 prize. Entries must be published in a college student newspaper or magazine. Deadline is mid June each year.

Scripps Howard Foundation
312 Walnut Street, 28th floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 977-3048

Scripps Howard Foundation and the School of Journalism at Indiana University offer the Roy W. Howard National Reporting Competition for in-depth reporting of campus or community issues. A newly revamped competition awards a 10-day guided study tour to Japan and South Korea to nine students. The deadline is March 31.

The foundation also offers a college cartoonist category for its National Journalism Award. The deadline for the college cartoonist category is in January.

Society for Collegiate Journalists
1584 Wesleyan Drive
Virginia Wesleyan College
Norfork/Virginia Beach, VA 23502-5599
Phone: 757-455-3419 | Fax 757-461-5025
E-mail: wjruehlmann@vwc.edu
This membership organization of student journalists hosts an annual competition with 23 newspaper categories; six for yearbook; five for magazines, online newspaper, and advertising; and four categories each in radio and television. All categories are judged by professionals working in print or broadcasting fields. All local chapters are eligible to participate; individual students may participate only if they are members of the society. Information about the contest is sent to the local chapters just prior to the contest deadline, which is usually December 15.

Society for News Design
Headquarters:
1130 Ten Rod Road, Suite F-104
North Kingstown, RI 02852-4177
(401) 294-5233

Student Affiliates of the Society for News Design:
University of Missouri--Columbia
203 Neff Hall
Missouri School of Journalism
Columbia, MO 65211-1200

The student affiliate of SND at the University of Missouri- Columbia hosts the national Society for News Design Student Design contest. Annual contest deadline is in April. Winners of the non-daily and daily designer of the year awards receive up to $750 to travel to the SND workshop.

Michigan State University
305 Communication Arts Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1212
(517) 353-6761

The student affiliate of SND at Michigan State University hosts the Design Contest for College Students. Categories include newspaper sections, art and illustration, infographics and advertisement. Annual deadline is in March. Any college student can send in design work done in a class, school publication, internship or job.

Society of Professional Journalists
Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Center
3909 N. Meridian St.,
Indianapolis, IN 46208
(317) 927-8000

The Mark of Excellence Awards offers 45 categories for print and online collegiate journalism. Entries are first judged on the regional level, then forwarded to the national competition. The deadline is in January each year. Entry forms are available in October each year.