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Archive December 2012

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Early Registration Available for 2013 Convention


 

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Gridiron Club Donates $10,000 to ASNE


 

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Title V Update


 

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ASNE Awards program accepting nominations

ASNE Awards program now accepting nominations!
 
Like the Pulitzers, the ASNE Awards is one of the few journalism contests in which news organizations of all sizes compete on equal footing. The awards, which encompass nine categories and honor the best in print, online and mobile content, do not include circulation divisions. So a small weekly newspaper, or a one-person blogger, competes head-to-head with traditional award-winning juggernauts like The New York Times and The Washington Post.

On one hand, that makes it more difficult to win an award. But it also makes victory that much sweeter, as editors and reporters at The Joplin Globe; The Bergen County Record; the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison; The News-Star, Monroe, La.; and Denton (Texas) Record-Chronicle can attest. Each of those organizations has been a winner in the ASNE Awards competition in the past six years. In the ASNE contest, good journalism finds its way to the top of the pile regardless of the size of the organization producing it.

The ASNE contest does take size into account, however, in calculating entry fees. There is a $70 fee for newspapers with circulations above 100,000 and a $40 entry charge for everyone else, including online-only news organizations. The contest is open to all newspapers, news services and news websites in the U.S., including those without an ASNE member on staff.
 
All participating organizations must have a contest-website login to submit entries. Emails are going out to the editor or main contact of news organizations with the single username and password that allows nominations from that specific organization. If your organization does not receive this information via email, please contact ASNE Finance Director Cindy Roe at croe@asne.org.
 
The deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 25. Winners will be announced shortly afterward and will be recognized at the ASNE convention in Washington, D.C., June 24-26 at the Capital Hilton. Go to our ASNE website for rules, and categories.

Free to Tweet Contest Update

More than 3,600 people nationwide participated in the second annual Free to Tweet scholarship
competition, a 15-day online celebration of First Amendment rights.

Students entered to win one of five $5,000 scholarships by tweeting a message of support — using the hashtag #FreeToTweet — for the First Amendment. A panel of educators and First Amendment experts are reviewing the entries, and winners will be announced in January. Updates on the event can be followed on Twitter at @FreeToTweet2012.

Sample tweets from the competition (not necessarily winners):

“The First Amendment applies to all speech, no matter how offensive; just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean you can stifle it.”

“Without the freedom of press I wouldn’t be able to research the colleges I want to go to.”

“I would like to thank my founding fathers for giving me the chance to speak in a world where people don’t always listen.”

“Gather together. Stand together. Together let’s make a change.”

“If you are unhappy with your government, you have the right to demand change. So many take the right of petition for granted.”

The initiative is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and organized by 1 for All, an educational and public service campaign that builds understanding of the First Amendment and its five distinct freedoms: speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. The American Society of News Editors is one of the founding partners in the 1 for All campaign. The Newseum, the First Amendment Center and Patch also supported the competition.

News organizations helped promote the campaign, including the Cincinnati Enquirer’s republication of the full Bill of Rights.

Read more about the contest


Free to Tweet Opinion Editorial by Ken Paulson

The price is right: It's FREE! The author is a noted First Amendment expert: It's Ken Paulson, president and CEO of the First Amendment Center in Nashville, Tenn., and former ASNE president. His editorial is a powerful piece that will educate your readers.

 

Celebrating the First Amendment

 

The Free to Tweet competition is currently underway now until December 15th. High school and college students nationwide can win one of five $5,000 scholarships through the "Free to Tweet" competition.

 

The initiative is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and organized by 1 for All, an educational and public service campaign that builds understanding of the First Amendment and its five distinct freedoms: speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. The American Society of News Editors is one of the founding partners in the 1 for All campaign.

 

Students can enter the scholarship competition by tweeting a message of support -- using the hashtag #FreeToTweet -- for the First Amendment. A panel of educators and First Amendment experts will review the entries and award the scholarships. Judging criteria and complete rules can be found at FreeToTweet.org. Updates on the event can be followed on Twitter at @FreeToTweet2012.
 

 

Media contact:

Ken Paulson

First Amendment Center

615-727-1301

kpaulson@freedomforum.org

 

Dallas Morning News to sponsor ASNE writing award

In honor of former executive editor and publisher Burl Osborne, The Dallas Morning News will generously sponsor the ASNE distinguished writing award for editorials for the next 10 years.

 
The Burl Osborne ASNE Award for Editorial Leadership will recognize editorial writing that is excellent journalism and makes a difference in a community.

 
Mr. Osborne died in August. He led The Dallas Morning News to national prominence and a string of Pulitzer Prizes during 21 years at the newspaper. He served as ASNE president in 1991 and later as ASNE Foundation president.

 
The gift to the ASNE Foundation was announced on Wednesday by James M. Moroney III, the CEO and publisher of The Dallas Morning News. The annual winner will receive $2,500.

 
Mr. Osborne was a reporter and managing editor at the Associated Press, and was executive editor and publisher at The Dallas Morning News. After leaving the News in 2001, he became chairman of the AP board.

 
The ASNE Awards, which encompass nine categories, recognize the best in print, online and mobile content. Inspired by former ASNE President Eugene Patterson and started in 1979, the contest is open to all newspapers, news services and online publications in the United States. It is one of the most prestigious journalism contests in the country, annually honoring excellent craftsmanship in journalism.

 
Other ASNE writing awards:
  • The Batten Medal, which honors the memory of revered reporter, editor and newspaper executive James K. Batten.The winner receives $2,500.
  • The Freedom Forum/ASNE Award, which honors distinguished writing on topics that deal with diversity; it is sponsored by The Freedom Forum, and the winner receives $2,500.
  • Distinguished writing award for commentary/column writing
  • Distinguished writing award for deadline news reporting
  • Online storytelling
  • Community service photojournalism award
  • Distinguished writing award for local accountability reporting
  • Distinguished writing award for nondeadline writing
"Burl Osborne was one of the finest journalists of his generation, in this country or anywhere," said Robert W. Decherd, chairman, president and chief executive officer of A.H. Belo Corporation upon Mr. Osborne's death. "He reinvigorated The Dallas Morning News as its executive editor in the early 1980s, and as publisher, Burl charted The News' emergence as one of America's truly distinguished newspapers.

 
"As chairman of The Associated Press beginning in 2002, Burl led the AP's transition to becoming one of the world's most influential Internet media organizations. Most importantly, Burl was a person of unquestioned integrity whose determination and personal strength set the standard for colleagues and friends throughout his life."

 
Mr. Osborne was named senior vice president and editor of The News in 1980. He was named president of the newspaper in 1985 and publisher in 1991. He retired as an executive officer of Belo Corp. on Dec. 31, 2001. In May 2002, he became chairman of the board of The Associated Press, where he served as a board member for a total of 14 years. In July 2009, Mr. Osborne was named interim chief executive officer of Freedom Communications Inc., serving until July 2010. He had served on the board of directors since 2004.

 
During his career, Mr. Osborne served as a member and co-chairman of the Pulitzer Prize Board, chairman of the American Press Institute, president and chairman of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, trustee of the Southern Newspaper Association Foundation, and director of the Newspaper Association of America and chairman of its Presstime Advisory Committee. In 1992, Mr. Osborne received the National Press Foundation's George David Beveridge Jr. Award for Editor of the Year. The next year, he received the Pat Taggart Texas Newspaper Leader of the Year Award.

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