APSE entries are in the mail -- how do you think you did?

A) I, too, think it's time for them to trust the contest entrants a little more and allow formats that don't require all this cutting and pasting but ...

B) Since APSE sees fit to accept online entities as members, but won't make provisions so we can put our writers in the contest -- at least to date -- it doesn't affect me anyway.

 

Excellent point EE. I can understand that, but the process is still ridiculous.

 

I'd imagine the optional sections will be strong, but I checked the mandatory dates and, umm, ouch.
A Monday section during football season and you don't have an NFL team in your area is a nightmare draw.
I know the metros with NFLs love it, usually a strong section, but those metros and others without, you end up with a ton of wire on your cover and inside so it doesn't really show off the strengths of the staff. Makes the whole section look weak as a result.

I almost wish that the APSE would redo how the divide up sections and instead of just circ mix in aspects of coverage. I just think it gives a distorted picture of the sections that don't have NFL. An Omaha or Birmingham, they have kick-ass, big-time sections, but they get hosed when a Monday is mandatory and they are compared to a Detroit News or Seattle Times, not saying that those aren't fine papers either.

 

We were helped out a bit that we had some good playoff runs in prep football -- playoff games on Saturday helped to give us lots of good, local content on mandatory Sunday. I suppose I'm optimistic, but usually everyone is. I do like our chances in special section, at least.

Curious, though ... how long did it take folks to cut and paste everything? It seemed to take forever for me, but I really don't know how it could have gone much quicker.

 

Our ASE takes care of it. So I guess it's out.

I'm getting less and less excited about them, mainly because it's such a crapshoot. We've had better sections NOT win than the ones that did.

 

An argument, maybe, for abandoning the current clips-only system: In cutting and pasting our entries, I found that one of our news stories was missing a line from the cover to the jump. I still entered it because the story was terrific, but I hope APSE doesn't damn the reporter because of a desk error.

 

Maybe your desk hopes APSE doesn't damn them for some of the copy.

 

I thought ours was a strong as ever, and we thankfully have been honored by APSE more than a time or two in the recent past. The daily mandatories meant U. of Podunk hiring a new coach to national fanfare AND the Monday after the U. of Podunk lost to cross-state rival Podunk U -- a section that had a four-page photo section we do each Monday as well as a full-page analysis of that Saturday's game.

Writing entries were pretty strong, too. My guys manage to crank out the goodness in between all the boring crap I make them do.

rb

 

We will lose on a spelling error in a headline that goes unseen until the final seconds of the fourth quarter, costing us the game.

Afterward our Sports Editor will be quoted ...

"It was a team effort," said Joe Blow, sports editor of the Dumbsville Daily Crank. "We gave it our very best and we were in it right up to the end. I'm proud of these guys. I couldn't have asked for anything more out of them. They left their heart, soul, blood, tears and sweat on those keyboards. This is just heartbreaking, but there's always next year. Go Cubs!"

 

So you work for the Tribune company?

The paper that I interned at should, once again, do very well. I just hope I was able to contribute to some of the sections.

As for my current shop, I didn't have a chance to look at the writing sections we entered. I checked out our sections and they will hopefully place. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

Don't feel too good about this year.

Too few people and too many demands to do much in the way of enterprise and explanatory.

Maybe APSE change with the times and instead of all those high-falutin writin' awards can add awards for best blog, podcast, video and 30-second live web story.

 

Church architecture pun. The rarest form of comedy. And rightly so.