Congrats to APSE writing winners

You'll have a hard time convincing me they dont mean anything. I'm 26 and picked up my first ever award this year. It just happened to be an APSE. It also just happened to be a first place winner. For nine years I've questioned whether I was good enough to do this for a living. I've always believed i'm very solid and what I do, but have looked for some kind of validation. This was my validation that I'm doing good things in my work. I've never written to win award and I never will.

But in a time where Im being told day in and day out that the appocalypse of the business is upon us, this was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day for me and my co-workers. For a day we didn't talk about the impending doom of our shop, we talked about my award and our papers daily section top 10 award showing us that even in a time of crisis for our business, were still doing our job well.

And on a more personal note, hearing my dad getting giddy as a kid in a candy store, braging to his friends about this accomplishment for his son and taking time to tell me how proud he is, knowing full well he's as stoic a man as I've ever known, that made me so happy that I nearly cried.

So don't bring me down because you're pissed at the world and the business. Is this going to mean anything in regards of potentially getting a new job, probably not. But, honestly, the day I found out that my peers respect what I do to this magnitude was one of the best days of my life. It's a privelege and an honor to be recognized with everybody who appears on this list.

I really hope the day never comes where I feel so bitter about life and the business that I forget what this feels like. Because it appears that far too many of us already have.

 

Did Mitch Albom get shut out? We're burying the lede here.

 

Well said, RHCP. And congratulations -- you earned it.

As far as drake's question, I can vouch for the fact that one of the writers who won an APSE from my paper is no longer employed here. I imagine there's probably a dozen or so, maybe even more, who fit the bill, for one reason or another.

 

RHCP - I'm out (at least full-time), and was at a shop where they laid off dozens and cut everyone else's pay.

And I was still giddy when my name showed up on the top 10 list this year.

Imagine the Ann Arbor guys. Third in investigative against all the big boys, and no their paper doesn't even exist any more.

 

Hey, congratulations, man. But I wasn't trying to bring anyone down. I was wondering, for real, if someone could tell me if there was any value. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

 

A lot of people who could report and write have left your trade, babycakes...but glad you're so puffed up. Go get 'em!!

 

And I should have made clear that my response wasn't directly related to you, just the question you asked.

I know you're not supposed to answer a question with a question, but why does any award have to mean anything other than what it means to the person who earns it? Why can't it just be the signpost of a solid piece of work that you can be proud of?

 

Of course, such recognition has value -- to those individuals who receive it, and certainly, if it can be included on a resume, or mentioned in a job search.

It's just like any other positive reinforcement, credit or validation that people might earn. I learned this the hard way, and now wish I'd been much more cognizant and proactive about such things.

In being assessed by an editor once, I actually had the fact pointed out to me that, "You haven't won any awards."

That wasn't entirely true, because I had, in fact, won an APSE award as part of a group project one year.

But other than that, to be honest/blunt, I'd been so busy working and doing my job that I'd never bothered to enter APSE contests, myself. Sometimes, I didn't even hear of entries being due until after deadlines had passed. And no one else ever entered any of my stuff for me, either.

I'd wager to guess that I'm probably not the only person for whom this might be the case.

I didn't bother to point this out to the editor. Still, I didn't appreciate what was said to me.

But the fact that such a thing was brought up at all ought to prove that such recognition absolutely does mean something -- and not always just to the person who earns it.

 

Rhody: Do you use AP at the weekly?

I assume all these papers are AP papers.

Also, unrelated, If you really want to find at least some fo the stories, go to the paper's website and search the person's name. Aking with his/her articles, you might find the piece announcing that he won, and that might include a link to the article.

 

As I have posted before, winning an APSE in 1977 absolutely and without question changed my life. Completely. Not even debatable.

But seeing my name in the state awards was cool, too. Especially when people I know were probably better overall were underneath it.

 

Yeah, I hear ya. I've never entered a contest myself. Closest was helping an SE pick out sections to enter.

But, yeah, congratulations to those who did and who were recognized. Always nice to know you are appreciated.

 

Make the time to enter.

The winners are busy, too. They aren't a privileged class. If it's important to you, find the time.