Click the link below to download the word document file featuring the finalists for the 2020 Excellence in Journalism contest. Winners will be announced later this spring after judging has completed.
The Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists’ annual student contest will be open for entries April 1-May 15, 2021. The contest is for entries of work published or broadcast during the 2020-21 academic year. $5 for college SPJ members (membership ID number required)
$10 for non-members and college media outlets paying for entries
The next few days or weeks in Connecticut have potential to be heated and difficult for journalists out in the field.
The FBI has warned of armed protests in major cities across the country leading up to Wednesday’s inauguration, and we know the CT State Police have been working tirelessly with the governor’s office, Capitol Police and other agencies to ensure safety in Hartford.
The state police have also said they will provide a safe staging area for the media during Sunday’s planned protest in Hartford. If we get any more information, we’ll be sure to share it with you.
In the meantime, here are some tips from Poynter on how to cover safety and unrest. The Committee to Protect Journalists also offered safety guidelines on covering events leading up to the inauguration and has this handy risk assessment form to review in your newsroom.
Finally, here’s a PDF fact sheet from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on how to protect yourself when covering a protest.
Basic takeaways:
Put your safety first, not the story
Do not go alone
Have ID and credentials readily available, but be careful how/where you display them (lanyards are often discouraged)
Bring only the bare minimum equipment needed for the job
Be respectful and follow police orders
Stay in constant contact with your editor/newsroom. If you are an independent journalist, make sure a friend/colleague knows where you are & how long you plan to be there
Keep contact numbers for key editors/company lawyers/bail bondsman on a card in your pocket or written on your arm (do not rely solely on your cell phone)
Constantly scan your surroundings and plan an escape route
If possible, carry a bottle of water with you (to rinse eyes after teargas). A First Aid kit is good too.
Remember: Police do not have a right to search or seize your equipment
The RCFP offers a legal hotline at 800-336-4243 or rcfp@hotline.org. You can also get support from the SPJ Legal Defense Fund to defend freedoms of speech and of the press and to ensure access to government information.
Our hope is that all journalists will be safe this weekend (and in the future).
The 2020 Excellence in Journalism contest is now open for entries! The deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 16! Feb. 12, 2021. You can enter the contest at https://awards.connecticutspj.
Entry fees are $10 for members (with valid SPJ member number) and $25 for non-members or entries paid for by a news organization. Please contact national SPJ membership coordinator Caroline Escobar by email at cescobar@spj.org or by phone at 317-361-4132 if you do not know your member number.
Read more about this year’s contest here, including what categories are available and what circulation class your news outlet belongs in.
For questions about the Connecticut contest, please contact me at kathleenctspj@gmail.com.
The 2020 Excellence in Journalism contest is open for entries. The deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 16! Feb. 12, 2021. You can enter the contest here. The contest is open for items published or broadcast in 2020. New this year are four COVID categories for content related to the coronavirus pandemic. 
Entry fees are $10 for members (with valid SPJ member number) and $25 for non-members or entries paid for by a news organization. Please contact national SPJ membership coordinator Caroline Escobar at cescobar@spj.org if you do not know your member number.
For questions about the Connecticut contest, please contact contest clerk Kathleen Farmer at kathleenctspj@gmail.com.
Categories
All media outlets compete against each other in the top three special awards categories. For the rest of the categories (below), media outlets will compete in one of five circulation classes.
Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award
This is a special award open to all media for a story or stories having a significant impact in the public interest. Entries must include supporting documentation such as letters, editorials, evidence of a change in public policy, showing how the entry had an impact. Please include a cover letter with the entry.
Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting
This is a special award open to all media for a single story or formal series containing information, obtained through reporter initiative not readily available to the news media or public.
First Amendment Award
This is a special award open to all media for a single story, column or series which increases public understanding of the role of the press in a free society.
MAIN CONTEST CATEGORIES
COVID News | A single story that highlights the impact the pandemic has had on our lives and our society.
COVID Investigative | A single story containing pandemic-related information obtained through reporter initiative that was not readily available to the public.
COVID Series | Three to 10 stories in a formal series that highlight the impact of the pandemic on our lives and society.
COVID Photo | A single photo that highlights the impact of the pandemic on our current socially distance status.
Editorial Cartoon | A single cartoon online or in print
Single Editorial | Represents the opinion of the publication, station or news website as an organization
General Column | A single (other than sports or humorous) that expresses an opinion or point of view on an issues or event
Humorous Column | A single column on any topic with the purpose to entertain
In-Depth | A single story that helps audience understand situation beyond information provided in a normal news story
Investigative | A single story containing information obtained through reporter initiative that was not readily available to the news media or the public
Feature | Any story written for a reason other than timeliness. (Please note, this was omitted from an earlier list in error)
Religion | A story dealing with religious topics
Government | A story dealing with government topics
Courts/Crime | Any story dealing with issues of the criminal justice system, except for breaking news
Arts & Entertainment | A single story dealing with the arts
Business | A single story dealing with business
Leisure | A story dealing with travel, food, gardening, or other leisure topics
Continuing Coverage | No more than 10 articles that follow the same topic over time
Diversity Coverage | Single story on a diversity issue
Education | A single story on an education issue
Reporting Series | A formal series of no more than 10 articles, including investigative, in-depth or feature series
Local Reporting | A story that shines light on an issue important to a single town or region. This category is meant for those stories that fulfill the mission of community journalism.
Breaking News | A single story or package of stories and social media updates that involves coverage of a spot news event written under an immediate deadline.
Sports News | A single story on a sports news topic
Sports Feature | A single story on a sports topic, written for a factor other than timeliness
Sports Column | A single column on a sports topic
Sports Photo | A single sports photo
Feature Photo | A single feature photo
News Photo | A single news photo
Photo Essay | A collection of photos, either in print or online, that together tell one story.
Page 1 Layout | A category for the person who arranged the text and images, not for the writers or photographers of the materials on the page.
Non-Page 1 Layout | Any single page design that was not on page 1
Headline | A single entry is made up of three headlines, all the work on a single individual
Infographic Design | The design of a single static or interactive graphic
Infographic Reporting | The reporting of a single static or interactive graphic
Video Storytelling | Use of video to tell a story alone or bolster written reporting
Audio Storytelling | Use of audio to tell a story alone or bolster written reporting
Data | Effective use of data for reporting a single story or graphic
Health | A single story or broadcast regarding health issues, either local or statewide
CIRCULATION CATEGORIES FOR THE 2020 CONTEST
The following is the list of circulation categories for the Excellence in Journalism contest. If you don’t see your media outlet listed here, please contact contest clerk Kathleen Farmer at kathleenctspj@gmail.com, and we will add it.
These categories are based, in part, on media outlets’ advertised coverage areas and staffing levels. To petition for a change in circulation class, please contact CTSPJ President Viktoria Sundqvist at vickansundqvist(at)gmail.com. The CTSPJ Board of Directors will consider all requests, and any approved changes will take effect in the next year’s contest season.
Regional A
Regional B
Regional C (Magazines)
Regional D (Broadcast)
Hyperlocal
* Note: Any item that appeared in a higher circulation publication should be entered in that circulation class.
CT SPJ special meeting
Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m., via Zoom
MINUTES
Present: Lindsay Boyle, Mike Savino, Jordan Fenster, Mercy Quaye, Viktoria Sundqvist, Bruno Matarazzo, Ayah Galal, Jackie Stoughton, Jeniece Roman, Jodie Gil, Aaron Johnson
-Jordan Fenster moves for us as a board to make a vote of confidence in order to express solidarity with and support for our board leaders, Viktoria Sundqvist, Mike Savino and Bruno Matarazzo
-Jodie Gil seconds the motion
-Motion passes 8-0 (with 3 abstentions)
-Mercy Quaye moves to pursue signatures from our chapter membership on a letter in support of our current board leadership: Viktoria Sundqvist, Mike Savino and Bruno Matarazzo
-Jordan Fenster seconds the motion
-Motion passes unanimously
-Discussed; no action taken
4. Adjourn.
-Viktoria Sundqvist moves to adjourn at 3:42 p.m.
-Jodie Gil seconds the motion
-Motion passes unanimously
CT SPJ board meeting
Sunday, July 12, at 11 a.m., via Zoom
MINUTES
1. Call to order – Called to order at 11:02 a.m. by Viktoria Sundqvist
Present: Lindsay Boyle, Viktoria Sundqvist, Bruno Matarazzo, Mike Savino, Jordan Fenster, Ayah Galal, Jackie Stoughton, Aaron Johnson, Jodie Mozdzer Gil, Cindy Simoneau
2. President’s report
-Viktoria runs through her priorities of increasing membership, putting on the regional conference and finding someone new to own the contest
-Bruno Matarazzo is awarded a plaque for his two years of service as president
3. Treasurer’s report
-Bruno discusses the balances of the board’s accounts (checking, savings, scholarship) as well as the checks that were cashed since last meeting. Checking balance is up a bit because the board did not have its annual dinner as an expense.
4. Committee assignments
· Jordan: Dinner, ad-hoc website redesign, FOI
· Bruno: Contest, membership, finance
· Ayah: Communications, programming, dinner
· Mike: FOI, contest, programming
· Lindsay: Scholarship, ad-hoc website redesign, charter revision
· Jackie: Communications, programming
· Aaron: Programming, communications, contest
· Vik: Membership, contest
-Notes: Treasurer Bruno is chair of the finance committee, Communications Vice President Mercy Quaye is chair of the communications committee and Programming Vice President Mike is chair of the programming committee.
5. Conventions update
-The board discusses the national conference, which will be held virtually Sept. 12 and 13, and whether to allocate some money to help people cover registration costs as there will be no need for travel stipends.
-The regional conference is slated to happen virtually April 9 and 10 next year, with Roger Williams University serving as the hub of activity.
-Board agrees to watch the national convention closely and learn from the things people do and don’t like.
6. Scholarship update
-Board discusses whether to hold a virtual event for the winners and what to do with the donations that came in on behalf of late local journalist Jack Kramer.
-Board will offer a one-time $1,000 scholarship in his name in the spring.
7. Contest update
-Board discusses what was spent for website fixes related to the contest and votes on the clerk’s pay for next year.
-Bruno makes a motion to set pay for the contest clerk at $2,200, to be paid out in two installments ($1,000, $1,200)
-Mike seconds the motion
-Motion passes unanimously
8. Racism discussion follow-up – Aug. 20 virtual panel is still on and will feature Quinnipiac University’s Don Sawyer and Connecticut Mirror reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas as well as board members Mercy and Jordan
9. Programming ideas for the year – Board discusses ideas; Mike agrees to ask the national organization whether there is a shared Zoom account CTSPJ can join
10. Adjourn – Meeting adjourned at 12:02 p.m.
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
If you’re feeling tired and worn down from this seemingly never-ending election season, you are not alone. This has been a trying year, and the additional stress of journalism and journalists being under attack is exhausting.
We all need to take some time to breathe, look after ourselves, and be kind and supportive to one another.
Here are some resources that might help:
Critical Stress Help Sheet from the National Press Photographers Association
Johnny Webber’s Life Assessment Checklist
Doctors give advice on how to relax from election stress
How journalists can address their own mental health, from the International Journalists’ Network
The DART Center also offers lots of tips, resources and training for newsrooms
Finally, if you are a journalist who regularly covers traumatic or really stressful events or topics, you can apply to join the Journalists Covering Trauma Facebook group (yes, covering the pandemic counts as trauma).
Stay safe, and as always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local SPJ chapter with questions or concerns.