Northwest Scholastic Press Website

Student Media Olympics is an opportunity for you students to have their work objectivity evaluated and rated. It is also an opportunity for program recognition, and is a highlight of end-of-the-year staff recognition events. Be sure you enter by this year’s deadline, April 9.

It’s time to enter your staff’s best work of the year in the new, improved Student Media Olympics, now in its 31st year. Deadline for submission of entries is April 9, 2013. Work from March 1, 2012 through the deadline is eligible for consideration. Please follow the “How To Enter” instructions below.

Mail entries to: Dr. Karla D. Kennedy, Northwest Scholastic Press, George Turnbull Center, 70 NW Couch St., Third Floor, Portland, OR 97209. For questions, email Dr. Kennedy at kkennedy@uoregon.edu or contact her by phone at 503-412-3664 (office).

You must be a member to participate, and you may submit up to three entries per category per medium based on your membership (video broadcast, audio broadcast, website, newspaper, magazine, yearbook). To become a member, visit our Membership page. Membership runs from October 1 through September 30 of each school year.

We recommend setting aside time each day over a week to allow students to reflect, debate and discuss and decide which pieces represent the staff’s best work of the year. Reflection is one of the most important growth activities for writers and creators of content. You may want each student to keep a string book of their work to review or submit for the student media Olympics. Deciding the top three in each category — and the discussion that gets you there — is another valuable process that helps you and your students articulate what’s important and what is good and what is valued in the work your staff does.

Student Media:  __Video  __Audio  __Web  __Newspaper  __Magazine  __Yearbook

News:
1. Straight news
2. In-depth/analysis news: single article
3. In-depth news package: multiple articles/artwork/graphics/video/audio

Features:
4. Personality profile
5. Human interest
6. News feature

Sports:
7. Sports news
8. Sports feature
9. Sports opinion

Opinion:
10. Editorial–Staff opinion
11A. Column: single story
11B. Column, same author: set of 3
12. Editorial cartoon
13. Review

Photography:
(Send published photo, captions if available, and print)
14. News photo
15. Human Interest/Feature photo
16. Sports photo
17. Photo Story (Also use this category for Video Story/Radio Sound Story/Web Story packages)

Design:
18. Page 1 layout
19. Inside page layout
20. Double page layout

Advertising:
(Professional logos okay; no agency slicks or prepared slicks. Also use these category numbers for Video, Audio, Magazine and Web advertising.)
21. Single ad, student-produced: single
22. Series ads, student-produced: set of 3

Art:
23. Illustration, with story
24. Infographic

Issue:
(One issue per editorial staff; maximum 3 issues per school)
25. Single issue (print)
26. Single issue (web page)

Broadcast:
27. TV/VIDEO: News broadcast program (submit link on youtube or on DVD)
28. TV/VIDEO: Human Interest Package (submit link on youtube or on DVD)
29. TV/VIDEO: Sports Package (submit link on youtube or on DVD)
30. RADIO/PODCAST: News broadcast program
31. RADIO/PODCAST: Human Interest Package
32. RADIO/PODCAST: Sports Package

Web:
33. WEB: primary news portal/HTML
34. WEB: primary news portal/CMS (blog/Wordpress/Other)

How to enter:

➤ Select the best articles, photos, ads, cartoons, page layouts, illustrations and ­single issues from your school newspapers and magazines; best videos produced, shot, and edited; best radio podcasts; and best web site links that have been published since March 1, 2012

➤ Submit no more than three entries per category. 

Prepare your entries:

➤ Cut out each entry, including headline from each story; mark the issuedate of the entry; and mount it on an 81/2 x 11 sheet.

    For layout categories (18, 19, 20) and single issues, clearly label the page(s) you want judged – entries for all other categories must be cut out and mounted.

➤ Web Page/HTML site, and Web Page/WordPress blog categories: To enter, please print out a copy of your homepage, attach an entry form, and print the web address below the entrant’s name. We will review the web sites over the course of three weeks following the April 11 deadline.

➤ Attach a Student Media Olympics Entry Form with a staple (no paper clips) to the front of each entry so it is clearly visible, on upper left hand corner. If story is longer and/or wider fold story so no piece hangs over the edge of mounting paper. Copy forms from the other side of this poster.
The name on the certificate will be taken from the entry form. Print perfectly, or better yet, email nwsp@nwscholasticpress.org and we will send you a PDF version into which you can type the information.

➤ Completely fill out the school Student Media Olympics Spreadsheet Submission Form and email it immediately to kkennedy@uoregon.edu.

➤ Video categories: All entries must be produced, shot and edited by ­students. Videos must be submitted on VHS tape with a Publications Olympics Entry Form listing student’s names and their role in the ­ pro­duction of the video. Copy forms from other side of this poster. Include a stamped

self-addressed envelope to cover postage if you want your video returned.

➤Question? Call 503-412-3664

Awards to be made:

➤ Judges will evaluate entries and award Superior, Excellent, and Honorable Mention certificates. All entries will receive comments, highlighting
strengths and noting suggestions for improvement.

➤ Judges will select the best entry from each category to award a Best of the Northwest for each category in each divisionwithin each student media

➤ All entries, evaluations and certificates will be returned to your school in mid-May in time for special presentations.

Further recognition:

➤ Principals of schools with certificate winners will be notified and ­commended by Northwest Scholastic Press for this evidence of excellence in their journalism program.

Review your newspapers, magazines, yearbooks, videos, podcasts, and websites for your best journalistic work this year and mail your entries by April 9!

What is this contest? Publications Olympics is a mail-in contest of student journalists’ work published since March 1, 2011. Entries in 33 categories include web-based journalism, video-based journalism, audio-based journalism, and print-based journalism, including news, feature, sports and ­opinion writing, photography, design, advertising, art, single issues and video, podcast.

How much does it cost? You must be a member to enter. Your three entries in each category are included with your membership .

How many entries may each school submit? Up to three entries in most categories. The single issue category (on-line and print) is limited to one entry per editorial staff, three maximum per school.

Who judges the contest? Journalism professionals, college-level advisers, and award-winning student media advisers who are retired or work in other states.

What feedback is provided? All entries receive critiques listing strengths and areas ­needing improvement. Award certificates for Superior, Excellent or Honorable Mention entries will be mailed to schools by mid-May. Certificate winners are announced in may on the NW Scholastic Press website and in our email newsletter. Principals of schools earning certificates receive a letter commending their journalism program. Press releases will be send to school boards and professional educator organizations.

Please copy the entry form
Entries must be sent by first class mail by April 9, 2013.

~ Please copy these entry forms and display the classroom poster. ~

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Student Media Olympics Entry Form
Attach a copy of this form to each entry. Please print clearly.

Media (check one):  __Video  __Audio  __Web  __Newspaper  __Magazine  __Yearbook

Category number_________  Category name_________________________________

Entrant’s name(s) ____________________________________________________

School__________________________________  OSAA Class__________________

Website/Link________________________________________________________

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