The pro contest is closed for entries. The college contest is now accepting entries. The deadline is Wednesday, May 7, at 11:59 p.m.

You'll need:

- Audio: .mp3
- Video: .mov, .mp4, .wmv, .avi
- Images: .jpg, .gif, .png, .pdf
- Print: PDF or JPG version of the page the article appeared on

The entry fees are:
- $5 for college SPJ members (membership ID number required)
- $10 for non-members and college media outlets paying for entries

If you're paying with a credit card, you'll be redirected to the third-party payment platform Stripe.

- Register for an account on the contest site here
- Log in to the site using your new account. 
- From the Main Category drop down menu, select "College Contest."

The work must have been published online or in print, or broadcast or streamed.

While the entries must be from the 2024-25 academic year, a technical error on the website makes it so that you MUST enter the year 2024 on the contest site. (Judges will verify that the work was published/broadcast during the 2024-25 academic year).

Contest winners will be announced on our Facebook page and on our website . Certificates will be mailed out to all winners through their school or can be picked up at the annual awards dinner on May 21.

  If you are a judge looking for the judging overview page, click here.

CT SPJ Excellence in Journalism Contest

You'll notice some changes to the list of categories, as well as the divisions your news organization falls into. More information about that can be found below.

The cost is $25 per entry for news organizations entering on behalf of their employees or freelances, and for individuals entering their own work who are not SPJ members.

Individuals who are SPJ members get a discounted rate of $10 per entry.

The money we raise from the contest helps us support the scholarships for college students interested in journalism, pays for programs and activities for Connecticut journalists through the year, and covers the costs of running the contest. If you are an individual journalist for whom the fee is a barrier to entering your own work, please email spjconnecticut@gmail.com and we can discuss options for discounts.

The work must have been published online or in print, or broadcast or streamed during the calendar year 2024.

 STEPS TO ENTER

- Register for an account on the contest site here (accounts do not carry over from year to year)
- Log in to the site using your new account.

You'll need:

• A working link to each entry, and a login and password the judges can use to access your entry if the link is behind a paywall
•   The category for your entry and the division your publication or station falls into. (We have moved from 5 groups to 3 this year: Large, Medium and Small.
•  A credit card number, or a check ready to send to CT SPJ (P.O. Box 5071, Woodbridge CT 06525). If paying by card, you will be redirected to the third-party payment platform Stripe.
• Cover letters and supporting material are required only for the First Amendment, Collins and Driscoll awards

Entries may be submitted in more than one category, but a separate entry fee is required for each category. Each entrant can submit no more than three entries per category. Each item can be submitted no more than twice in the contest. For Continuing Coverage and Headline categories, each entry is made up of multiple items. (Each group is considered a single entry for those).

The contest categories are:

The Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award
This is a special award open to all media for a story or stories having a significant impact in the public interest. Entries must include supporting documentation such as letters, editorials, evidence of a change in public policy, showing how the entry had an impact. 

Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting
This is a special award open to all media for a single story or formal series containing information, obtained through reporter initiative not readily available to the news media or public.

First Amendment Award
This is a special award open to all media for a single story, column or series which increases public understanding of the role of the press in a free society.  

General reporting

Arts, Entertainment, Food & Leisure – A single entry dealing with the arts, entertainment, food or leisure.

Breaking News – A single story or package of stories and social media updates that involves coverage of a spot news event written under an immediate deadline. Please note if the story has been updated from the time of original publication, and if so, what updates were made.

Business – A single story on a business topic.

Continuing Coverage or Series – A group of no more than 5 articles or broadcasts showing follow-through reporting on a single topic over time. For example, coverage of a trial or controversy. Can also be part of a formal series. Each individual may enter this category up to three times. Each article/broadcast should only be submitted once.

Courts/Crime – Any news article or broadcast dealing with issues of the criminal justice system, except for breaking news coverage.

Data Reporting – Effective use of data for reporting a single story or graphic.

Diversity Coverage – A single story or broadcast with an issue of identity, race, gender, sexual orientation or disability at its center.

Education – A single story or broadcast about educational issues, either local or statewide.

Government – Any news article or broadcast dealing with governmental issues.

Health – A single story or broadcast regarding health issues, either local or statewide.

In-Depth Local Reporting – A single general news story that helps the audience fully understand a situation and impact.

Investigative – A single story containing information obtained through reporter initiative that was not readily available to the news media or the general public.

Religion – Any news article or broadcast dealing with religious topics.

Broadcast TV Spot – A single broadcast (TV) spot that shines light on an issue important to a single town or region. Entries will be judged on depth of sourcing, delivery and reporter’s ability to put the news into context for the audience.

Broadcast Radio Spot – A single broadcast (radio) spot that shines light on an issue important to a single town or region. Entries will be judged on depth of sourcing, delivery and reporter’s ability to put the news into context for the audience.

Circulation Groups for Entries

A-Large - Any news outlet that covers more than five towns and statewide issues on a regular basis, has more resources and has a staff of more than 10 full-time reporters OR is affiliated with a larger news organization.  

Example outlets for this group: Hearst Connecticut, Hartford Courant, Connecticut Public, CT Mirror, NBC Connecticut, WFSB, WTNH, Fox 61, News 12.


B-Medium - Any news outlet that covers more than five towns and statewide issues on a regular basis, has between 5-10 full-time reporters OR is affiliated with a larger news organization. This group is for all magazines or smaller news organizations with fewer resources than those in Group A.

Example outlets for this group: Republican-American, The Day, New Britain Herald, Bristol Press, Hearst CT Dailies, Today Magazine, Connecticut Magazine, Hartford Business Journal, CT Newsjunkie.

C-Small - Any news organization that covers hyperlocal news only, no more than five towns, and has fewer than 5 full-time reporters.

Example outlets for this group: NewCanaanite.com, Shore Publishing weeklies, Westport Journal, NancyOnNorwalk, Hearst CT weeklies, Valley Independent Sentinel, New Haven Independent.

**Please note, if a story ran in a larger publication, it must be entered in the larger group category.*