RULES OF ENTRY

ELIGIBILITY

1-To be eligible, an entry must have been published first in 2009 by a Canadian daily newspaper - whether in print or online - in English or French.

2-Entries from magazines or magazine sections published by a newspaper are not eligible for the National Newspaper Awards if any entries from those magazines or magazine sections are submitted to any magazine awards.

3-To qualify, the entrant must not have received direct funding from anyone other than the employer of the creator of the entry or the newspaper in which the entry first appeared.

4 - (NEW) A story may comprise a main story and closely-related sidebars published on the same day.

5-An entrant is any individual or group of up to five individuals who submit(s) an entry and who is/are identified on the entry ballot; a team is a group from a newsroom which submits an entry, whose members are not identified on the entry ballot.

6- The same entry will not be accepted in more than one category, with one exception: Only in the Presentation category may editorial text and photos be entered in other categories. Text, photos and presentation components of a Special Project are not eligible in any other category.

7-If an entry does not comply with the restrictions of the intended category, the National Newspaper Award Board of Governors (“Governors”) may, in their sole discretion, amend the entry to bring it into compliance.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

8- The “uniform format” applies to the following 14 categories: Local Reporting, Short Features, Long Features, Investigation, Editorials, International, Breaking News, Beats, Columns, Business, Sports, Arts & Entertainment, Politics, and Explanatory Work. Three copies of each entry should be provided from a newspaper’s archival system in plain text on letter-sized paper showing the words and headline, but no photos or illustrations. Text should preferably be in 12-point Times Roman or equivalent with one-inch margins. This does NOT apply to Special Project, or to the six visual categories or Multi-media Feature.

9-In addition to the three “uniform format” copies of a submission, competitors must also submit one copy of the print entry in its original form, or in PDF, or a photocopy of the entry as it appeared in a newspaper. Entries in the Special Project and Presentation categories may be submitted as clippings or photocopies, showing headings if possible, or full tearsheets. Photocopied entries must be legible and full-size.

10-Entrants in the four photography categories and Editorial Cartooning must submit their works online. Each entry must be accompanied by a PDF showing proof of publication.

11-Entrants submitting in the new Multi-Media Feature category may send a covering letter and an Entry Ballot. The letter must include a working URL to the Multi-Media Feature on the newspaper’s website. If it’s an archived or subscription site, the entry letter must provide a username and password for the judges.

12- Special Project entries that have a multi-media element should include a working URL in the entry letter. If it’s an archived or subscription site, the entry letter must provide a user name and password for the judges.

13- Local Reporting and Breaking News categories allow video and audio submissions as part of the entry. Video and audio elements can be submitted on a CD or provided by a working URL that points judges to these specific elements.

14-Entrants may be sponsored and the entries may be forwarded by their managing editors or their equivalent and may be accompanied by memoranda (three copies) outlining the circumstances under which the story was obtained. It is not necessary to provide covering letters (with the exception of the Special Project and Beats categories, which require a supporting letter) unless they can be expected to add to the judges’ understanding. Unsponsored entries will also be accepted.

15-Except for online entries, each of the three copies of the entry must be accompanied by an entry ballot or form. Clip each entry ballot to the front of each copy of the entry. Place any supporting material (letters, memoranda) behind each ballot.

16-The entry must contain satisfactory proof by the newspaper or wire agency of the fact of publication and the date.

17-In order to assist the judges under Rule 21 below, the entrant must specify all resources provided by non-newspaper sources.

18-Entrants in the Short Feature category must state the word count (1,200 words or less) on the entry ballot in the space provided.

ENTRY FEE

19-Entry fee is $40 + GST per submission for large market newspapers and $25 + GST per submission for small market newspapers under 30,000 average daily circulation. Each entry must be accompanied by a personal or company cheque of $42.00 (large market) or $26.25 (small market) payable to the National Newspaper Awards. (Atlantic Canada entrants must apply HST to the basic entry fee.) Newspapers and/or entrants may issue single cheques covering all entry fees if they are submitting more than one entry.

JUDGING

20-Each qualifying entry will be considered in competition with all others duly entered in the same category by a panel of three judges selected by the Governors.

21-In evaluating the merit of an entry, judges shall consider – (a) the criteria for the respective categories; (b) professional journalistic ethics and commonly-accepted standards; and (c) the staffing resources available to the entrant to permit, to the greatest extent possible, entries from small newspapers to compete on the same basis as those from larger newspapers.

22- Judges will identify to the Secretary three entries in their category, which they found more worthy than the others they viewed, using guidelines provided. They will also distinguish among the three in terms of their relative worthiness. The judges’ recommendation will be accepted so long as the warranty of accuracy and originality has not been breached, nor the integrity of the program compromised. The Governors may at any time revoke an award if in their view the accuracy and integrity terms have been breached.

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

23-The person submitting the entry, and any sponsor, warrants that the representations in the entries submitted are accurate and that each entry is an original work and that in the case of an entry in a photograph category it has not been manipulated or adjusted so as to mislead the viewer or misrepresent the subject in any manner.

24 -Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable.

25 -Before an entrant is declared the winner of an award by the Governors, the entrant and any sponsor must sign a declaration of compliance with the rules, a release, and an indemnity and a licence to publish, record or present the entry. By submitting the entry, the entrant grants to the Governors the right to publish the entry in any manner and use the name and/or photographs of all award winners and sponsors without compensation in any advertising or publicity.

26 - The Governors accept no responsibility for any entry which is lost, stolen, destroyed, misdirected or delayed.