Awards

2012 PRNDI Awards Entry Guidelines

Below are directions for preparing and submitting entries for the 2012 PRNDI Awards Contest. If you have questions, please contact PRNDI Business Manager Christine Paige Diers at 605-490-3033 or cpaigediers@gmail.com.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure to use a recent version of Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer for making contest entries.

The deadline for all entries is March 15, 2012

1.    Login:

a.    Go to www.betterbnc.com.

b.    Under "Are you a contestant?", click Login Here.

c.    Select the appropriate Contest.

d.    Select the appropriate News Organization.  If your station is not listed, you will need to contact Christine Paige Diers to add your station to the list.  We've tried to be as inclusive as possible, but someone may have gotten missed.  NOTE:  Each station has already been assigned a grouping (known here as "circ group") of either A, B, or C.  Group A are stations with five or more full-time news staff, group B are stations with 3 or 4 full-time news staff, and group C are those stations with 1 or 2 full-time news staff.  All full-time news and hosting staff, as well as all talk show personnel and contract employees (contracts lasting a year or more), should be counted when determining station size for PRNDI membership.  In turn, the station size determined through this calculation applies to award entries.  Local Journalism Centers, LJCs, should apply for awards as a regional network, and must compete in Group A with the largest stations.  News Directors should not count LJC reporters when determining station size. If your station is not grouped correctly for this year's contest, please contact Christine who will make the change before you submit any entries.

e.    Each station has already been assigned a grouping (known here as "circ group") of either A, B, or C.  Group A are stations with five or more full-time news staff, group B are stations with 3 or 4 full-time news staff, and group C are those stations with 1 or 2 full-time news staff.  If your station is not grouped correctly for this year's contest, please contact Christine who will make the change before you submit any entries.

f.    Enter your temporary password: bnc (lower case), and click Login. When you first login, the system will prompt you to create a secure password (one for each listed news organization). If you set the new password for your organization, please make sure to share it with others who may be making entries.

2.    Submit Entries:

a.    On the Manage Entries page, click Submit Entry (left side).

b.    All PRNDI Entries will be the same division, so you can skip the Division drop-down box. 

c.    Select the appropriate Category.

d.    Read the corresponding Category Note (directly below the Category selection box), describing what is expected for the category's entry content.

e.    Complete the Headline/Title field.

f.    Based on the type of entry, add content:

i.    To upload digital files (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. No supporting documents are required except in the Broadcast Writing category.  If you want to include documentation, only one supporting document is allowed.  Please use the "host intro" box to post your host intros.  For Best Writing, please upload the entire script with all actualities transcribed.

ii.    Click Next

iii.    To add web/audio/video content, copy and paste the content's web address into the provided Web URL field. If your content is not already available on your station's website, please upload it to a free hosting website (e.g. YouTube). Make sure the content will be accessible long enough to be viewed at the awards banquet.

g.    Please only credit "Staff" in the credits drop down box.

h.    Add host intro (if not already included through the url).

i.    Click Submit.

j.    When you have finished all entries for your station, return to your main account page and click "Calculate Fees."  If paying by credit card, click on the "Click here to pay online using your Visa or Mastercard.' link and enter the full amount and credit card payment information to make your secure online payment.  If paying by check, print the payment fees page and send it along with your check to PRNDI Awards, P.O. Box 838, Sturgis, SD, 57785.

PRNDI Awards Categories are as follows:

• Breaking News - One or more stories on an unscheduled breaking news event, aired within the first 24 hours.
• Call-in Program - One news/public affairs program with a call-in component.
• Commentary - One essay that presents a persuasive or creative viewpoint.
• Continuing Coverage - A series of stories those covers an issue or event as it evolves over time.
• Documentary - A stand-alone program that addresses one issue or topic.
• Interview - One interview segment. May be part of a news/public affairs program.
• News Feature - One feature on a news-related topic.
• News/Public Affairs Program - One regularly scheduled news/public affairs program.
• Newscast - One unedited newscast, produced any day of the year.
• Series - A scheduled series of stories on one issue or topic.
• Soft Feature - One feature on a cultural or "human interest" topic.
• Spot News - Best spot on any topic less than 2 minutes in length.
• Best Writing - One story that exhibits exceptional writing (include printed script w/actualities fully transcribed)
• Best Use of Sound - One story that shows a creative and effective use of sound to help tell the story.
• Enterprise/Investigative - a story or series of stories that demonstrates significant journalism that breaks new ground and/or approaches a story from a unique and compelling angle.
• Best Multi-Media Presentation - Best multi-media presentation on a single story or series of stories on a single topic.  Submit all applicable urls along with a narrative not to exceed one page.

STUDENT CATEGORIES: Stations are limited to four entries per category.

• Newscast - One unedited newscast produced any day of the year.
• Soft Feature - One feature on a cultural or "human interest" topic.
• News Feature - One feature on a news-related topic.
• Spot News - Best spot on any topic less than 2 minutes in length.

NOTE:  Up to three of the student award winners will receive a $500 scholarship and travel/lodging and registration to PRNDI's annual conference. The first and second place finishers in the student categories will be asked to write an essay about public radio. The PRNDI board will award the scholarships after reviewing the essays.

All entries must have aired during Calendar Year 2011.  All entries must be submitted by a local public radio station or regional public radio network.  SPECIAL NOTE ON LJC's:  LJC's will be allowed to submit PRNDI Entries as a regional network, but must compete in Group A with the largest stations.  Any LJC that wishes to submit entries must contact Christine Paige Diers (cpaigediers@gmail.com) prior to entering in order to be added to the contest database.

Each entry can be up to 60 minutes with the exception of Spot News which is limited to 2 minutes in length.  Stations may submit a story in more than one category.  Stations are limited to four entries in any given category.

Guidelines on what is considered local:

The intent of the PRNDI Awards is to honor the very best in local public radio.   As outlined below, the awards are not appropriate for the work done by stations and freelancers producing for a national network, or by a station that is producing material with the intention of it being national in scope. The PRNDI Awards Committee and its judges will follow these guidelines.  If you have any questions, please contact the contest coordinator - Christine Paige Diers at (605) 490-3033 or cpaigediers@gmail.com.

1) all work on the entry must be performed exclusively by the station.  (ex. edited by an NPR editor or produced by a network show producer would disqualify the entry from PRNDI awards.)  

2) entries distributed by a national distributor (NPR, PRI, APM) will be disqualified (ex. a piece that airs on The World or a show that is distributed by NPR would not be eligible) 

3) a show or piece that is produced and aired locally and is then shared with other stations is allowed. (ex. Local product that is distributed in its original form via PRX, a state network, or independently organized distribution is allowed) 

FEES: PRNDI member rate: $35 per entry. Non-member rate: $60 per entry. Student rate: $15 per entry. All payments must be made online or mailed with a postmark on or before March 15, 2012. If payment is not received within one week of March 15, entries will be disqualified.

PRNDI will accept payment by check or you can pay through our website using Visa or Mastercard.  When you have completed all of your entries, click "calculate entry fees" from your entries page.

If you are paying by check, print the entry fee page and send it, along with your check payable to PRNDI to:

PRNDI Awards

P.O. Box 838

Sturgis, SD 57785

If you are paying by credit card, click "Click here to pay with your Visa or Mastercard."  You will be taken directly to our secure online payment page.  Enter the entire amount due (from your "calculate entry fees" page), click "Check Out" and follow the instructions to check out.

To confirm your membership status, or to become a PRNDI member, call or e-mail Christine Paige Diers at (605) 490-3033 or cpaigediers@gmail.com.