Contest resources available for your last-minute questions!
We’re getting down to the wire. The deadline to submit entries for the Better Newspaper Contests is Friday, October 13. All entries must be submitted and uploaded to the betternewspapercontest.com website by 4:30 p.m.; hard-copy examples must be postmarked on or before October 13. In past years, many entries were submitted in the 1-2 hours prior to the deadline, sometimes resulting in system slowness. To prevent any frustrations, which could be caused by internet speed, it is in your best interest to submit your entries as early as possible.
To view an online tutorial that was created to assist INA members in preparing and selecting contest entries, go to INAnews.com. In the top right corner, hover over the “Convention” tab, select “Contest” and “Entry Information”.
The contest entry guide contains detailed instructions on how to prepare and upload your entries. The call for entries contains all the entry categories and specific details for each. Both can be found in the Contest section of INAnews.com.
If you have additional questions as you submit entries call the INA between the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at 515-244-2145 or email ina@inanews.com.
Why we participate in contest…
As journalists we do not often take time to savor our work. There is always another story to write, another deadline to hit, another product to get out the door. Preparing entries for the INA contest each fall provides an opportunity to take a moment to look over the body of work we have done in a year’s time. Invariably, we are struck by the amount of great journalism we have produced. We enter nearly every category of the INA contest, including almost everyone in our newsroom. We celebrate once in December when we learn who is in the running for an award, and again in February after they are announced. No one gets into print journalism for the glamor. The hours are long, the pay’s not great, and we tend to tick people off sometimes. But journalists know the work we do is important, and our communities are better for the stories we tell. Once a year, to have our work recognized among our peers is one of the all too rare moments in community journalism when our work gets the acknowledgement it deserves. My favorite are the awards for young journalists — and we’ve had several winners over the years. That’s a real boost to an up-and-comer to be recognized with a statewide award. We don’t celebrate the outstanding work we do every day. But once in a while, it’s good for the soul to stand together and be proud of our noble profession.
– Amy Gilligan, Dubuque Telegraph
The Dubuque Telegraph Herald was awarded Newspaper of the Year for Contests 2022.