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What kind of stories win awards?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by forever_town, Jul 21, 2007.

  1. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    apparently, stories written by elizabeth albanese
     
  2. Shaggy

    Shaggy Guest

    Death. Interview someone other than the dead person, though.
     
  3. Sandoval

    Sandoval Member

    You sure you're not the parent of a seventh-grade swimmer on your days off?

    Not too be a total asshole (too late, I know--sorry I'm in a bad mood right now), but here's a novel idea: Print stories that get more people to read and/or buy your newspaper. There's your award.
     
  4. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    That ship has already sailed, I'm afraid.
     
  5. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    Day off? What's that? And besides, the closest thing I have to a child is the newspaper.

    Maybe I should get out more... that is, if my publisher would actually let me hire a damn reporter.
     
  6. IGotQuestions

    IGotQuestions Member

    Go here, click under Contest Winners and read some of the stories that won APSE awards and judge for yourself:

    http://apse.dallasnews.com/
     
  7. henryhenry

    henryhenry Member

    look for tearjerkers.

    adversity must be overcome.

    preferrably with a crippled person.

    or a substance abuser.

    domestic violence is effective.

    families torn apart.

    courage and moral fiber displayed.

    heartwarming climax.

    the judges will be in the palm of your hands.
     
  8. HoopsMcCann

    HoopsMcCann Active Member

    don't forget some sport that nobody cares about and the legless/armless deaf mute that loves it
     
  9. Andy Dufresne

    Andy Dufresne Member

    Well said. The submission deadlines always seem to come at the worst time for us, and management mandates everyone on the staff submit entires to three different contests. If it were up to me (and it's not), I would discontinue all these silly contests. Let the readers be the judge of how good your content is, not a panel of faceless "experts" who probably don't have the time to thoroughly judge content. I've been asked to judge entires from other states. I hardly had time to get the paper out, and they want me to judge content from some state I've never been to? The most disheartening part of the whole process, however, is when management convinces you that your work is award-winning caliber and you actually buy into the whole sham, only to see the top-billing go to some hack who can't even spell his name correctly in his byline. I fell for it once ... never again.
     
  10. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Yeah, but work ahead to get the dead guy, too.
     
  11. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Thank you, Mitch Albom.
     
  12. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    Having helped judge a couple of contests with the promise of free pizza and soda, but what I looked for is the unpredictable. The stories I liked were the ones I wasn't accustomed to reading in newspapers. In-depth profiles of interesting people, well-turned phrases etc. that kept me entertained in addition to telling me something I didn't know. People have been exposed to a lot of media in their lifetimes. The trick is getting them to stay engaged.
    I think too often, regardless of the media (film, tv, print) awards are given out of sympathy and respect to a person portrayed in a piece. There is a difference between a good story and a well-told story. Read Gary Smith's SI article on "Radio" for a well-told story. See the movie starring Cuba Gooding for a good story.
     
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