APSE Judging Thread

[Sic semper tyrannis]

Interesting. That SE must not have worked for the chain I did.
I never once put in an expense for a meal that big and I spent a ****load of time on the road. Never put one in as an SE either, nor did any of my writers. I would have loved to hear an explanation for that had something come across my desk.

I suppose some newspapers even a few years ago could have been so reckless with their money. Can't imagine that now.

Biggest meal I ever expensed was 90 bucks and that was with company permission when a bunch of us were on a 10-day roader that kept us away from home on 12/31/1999.

I wasn't an SE long but I never went to judging or the convention. Not knocking those who do. It just didn't interest me at a time when I was trying to figure out what I could cover with the money I was alloted. Had I been an SE 10 years earlier, I'm sure I would have felt differently.

Biggest meal I ever expensed was for 700 euros, in advance of Athens Olympics. Took our "team" out for a hell of a night, a prethanks for all the hours and effort they were going to put in.
Was pre-approved to do so by EiC
The goodwill that bought was worth the dough.
I never expensed a meal that didn't include someone on my staff - frankly, didn't do a lot of those.
In the grand scheme of budgeting, a meal here, beer there, is a drop in the bucket. But it goes a long way when "the boss" reaches for the check and says "I got it."
I know that because I've had my bosses do the same, and perhaps this is stupid, but its a way to tell someone they are valued enough to spend some money on just to enjoy a small luxury.

You guys are already on a working vacation.

Sickening.

How about the mother****ers who have to stay in the normal hellhole they work at for 45-50 hours a week, week after week?

Where is the $1500 dinner night for them?

Pathetic.

Because you asked, we would go out as a department after the Olympics and company would pick up the bill.
But don't fly off the handle or anything.

And as for covering an Olympics being a "working vacation", then you either haven't worked a Games, or didn't do it properly.

Not saying it can't be fun, but please, not everyone enjoys three to four weeks away from family etc.

 

[mb]

Mitch Albom named Red Smith Award winner

Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson, resplendent in their Michigan State green, were thrilled.

 

[SteveThePirate]

I don't know why they even bother with this charade anymore. Newspapers are going bankrupt, good journalists are losing their jobs left and right and we're worried about this bull****?

I've judged APSE, I've won APSE awards and it was a really big deal to me at the time.

These days, it means less than nothing.

WFFW. Other than the whole winning and judging thing . . .

APSE awards are not the shield against buyouts and layoffs that we would like them to be. So really, what is the point? To receive a nice pat on the back, make you falsely confident in your job security so you stay until the next round of buyouts/layoffs?

Oh, for chrissakes. What do you want us to do? All curl up under our desks in the fetal position, sucking our thumbs and sobbing hysterically? Nobody's "worried" about this ****. We've all got bigger things to worry about. But we should give up trying to write great stories and produce great sections because our business sucks right now? We should stop taking three measly days a year to acknowledge great work and give everyone something, however minor, to aspire to because our business sucks right now? Give me a break.

Contests are silly, yes. Overly subjective, sure. But they cost practically nothing, they're a nice bit of positivity in a job sorely lacking in it, and they're a nice piece of solace in an otherwise ****ty business where ****ty people like you spout ****ty **** about all the bad **** all the ****ty time.

I almost lost my job this year. My wife almost did, too. We both took huge paycuts and endured furloughs. Just like everybody else. Will a state contest or an APSE make up for any of that? No. But you know what? I, and a lot of other people, wouldn't mind a token pat on the back at this point, even if it's all we can get.

Some of us still love this business, dying or not. I hope you got out a long time ago.

Thank you, Max. Really, thank you. My God, the negativity on this board is alarming, and the reason I stay away for the most part. I didn't win, my paper did OK, but for chrissakes I'm not going to sit here and join in as this thread becomes another bash-the-industry, woe-is-us bitchfest. Here's a thought: Take a step back from the keyboard before your first instinct is to bash any- and everything that comes up. Geez, do your job, do it the best you can, and if you hate it so much go mow yards for a living (and see if they give out any awards for it).

Now cue all the responses from everyone done wrong by the industry.

Yes, I've had friends, co-workers and even family put out to pasture by it. I would be up shiit creek if it happened to me. But I prefer to take the high road and still take pride in what I do, and what our paper does, until that day comes. And I'll save the energy that might go with criticizing any attempt to honor or celebrate the good still being done out there.

 

[Birdscribe]

UNDER 40,000
EXPLANATORY
Top 10
Buck Frank, Altoona (Pa.) Mirror
Dan Goldberg, Antelope Valley Press (Palmdale, Calif.)
Chris Carlson, Berkshire (Mass.) Eagle
Patrick Schmiedt, Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune
Alex Ruppenthal and Matt Schiffman, Columbia Missourian
Tim McManus, Glens Falls (N.Y.) Post-Star
Justin Jarrett, Hilton Head (S.C.) Island Packet
Randy Whitehouse, Lewiston (Maine) Sun Journal
Todd Shanesy, Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald-Journal
Aaron Suttles, Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News
FEATURE STORIES
Top 10
Jim Owczarski, Aurora (Ill.) Beacon News
Rob Schultz, Capital Times (Madison, Wis.)
Alex Matthews, Glens Falls (N.Y.) Post-Star
Rick S. Alvord, Longview (Wash.) Daily News
Tony Blasi, Lewiston (Maine) Sun Journal
Corey Mitchell, Saginaw (Mich.) News
Jim Seimas, Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.)
Jeff Breer, Southeast Missourian (Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Tony Baranek, Southtown Star (Tinley Park, Ill.)
Dave Zeitlin, West Chester (Pa.) Daily Local News

PROJECT REPORTING
Top 10
Jeff Cochran, Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald
Cory Giger, Altoona (Pa.) Mirror
Eric Baca, Merisa Jensen, Alan Hendry, Eric Harding, Toby Carrig and Brian Golden, Antelope Valley Press (Palmdale, Calif.)

Gotta give well-earned kudos to Justin Jarrett in Hilton Head and my peeps at the Antelope Valley Press. Nicely done, folks.