Just the FAQs
Front Page, Guild Service Awards
(Entries Accepted Until 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 1)

The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild’s annual Front Page Awards and Guild Service Awards always seem to come up sooner than expected. When is there enough time in this multi-tasking world to assemble the clips to send for judging? When’s that deadline again? What do I get if I win?

There are other questions to be asked, so I’ve put together a list of questions that are likely to be asked, especially by those of you who have never before taken part in the competition.

FRONT PAGE AWARDS

I got laid off in 2009. Can I still enter?
Yes. Any work that you did for your employer can be entered.

I took a buyout in 2009. Can I still enter?
Yes. The same rule as above applies. Any work that you did for your employer in 2009 can be entered.

I’m not a Guild member. Can I still enter?
Yes – IF you were covered by a WBNG contract during the time that you did the work. Such work can win in any category, but it will not be considered for any of the grand prizes.

I’m a freelancer. Can I enter?
If you are an At-Large Member of the Guild, yes. Otherwise, sorry.

I’m a member, and I took some great photos for this travel magazine. Can I enter them?
No. You can only enter work done for your Guild employer.

How many items can I enter?
You can enter three items in each category. Judges, though, have the right to move submissions from one category to another.

How much does it cost to enter?
Nothing. Enter as many items as you like.

Do you need clips or tearsheets?
While judges prefer to see how your work appeared in the publication, we understand if that is not possible. We accept printouts of stories that appear on the web as well as in print – as well as work that
appeared only on your employer’s Web site and not in print.

Does a series count as one article or four or five?
It counts as one.

I co-authored an article with a non-member. Now what?
If the entry wins, you win for sure. If the non-member co-author was protected by a WBNG contract at the time it was published, he or she wins as well.

What can I win?
There are three major areas: Writing, Photography and Design. The grand prizes – named for past WBNG leaders in honor of their efforts to build the Guild – are awarded in each of these areas. Within each area, there are several categories (some also named after the Guild’s local legends). If you win in one category, you are automatically considered for the grand prize in its respective category. WBNG’s finances are such that it’s not possible this year to give cash awards for the grand prizes, but all winners will receive embossed certificates.

What are the categories?

Given that we have two dozen bargaining units, and members doing all kinds of work, we try to make it possible for as many as possible to be able to enter their work in the awards.

WRITING
Morton Mintz Award for Investigative Reporting
Bernie Harrison Memorial Award for Commentary
Frank C. Porter Memorial Award for Labor and Business Reporting
Criticism
Feature Writing
Headline Writing
International News Reporting
Local News Reporting
National News Reporting
Non-Daily Specialized Technical Reporting
Public Service Reporting
Sports Reporting
(Labor) Unit Publication

PHOTOGRAPHY
Feature Photography
Local News Photography
National News Photography
Picture Story
Portrait Photography
Sports Photography.

ART
Advertising Design
Editorial Cartooning
Illustration Design
Labor Promotional Campaign
Marketing and Promotion Design
News Graphics Design
Web-Site Design

A separate non-editorial Front Page Award is given for Customer Service Professional of the Year.

Individual Grand Prize winners will be selected from among the winners of the individual Front Page Award categories. You do not have to submit separate entries for the Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize for Writing, the Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize for Photography, or the John Albano Memorial Grand Prize for Art.

How do I enter?
Here’s a link to the printable entry form. Print as many copies as you need for the material you want to enter. Attach one form to each entry.

How many copies should I send of each entry?
One will do.

GUILD SERVICE AWARDS

What are the Guild Service Awards?
Guild Service Awards honor participation in Guild activities at the local level, sometimes for service that goes above and beyond the call of duty during a particular year, sometimes for a lifetime of service to the union.

Is there a printable entry form for these?
Nope. You actually have to write a letter saying who you’re nominating and praising the deeds and qualities of the nominee. (This also applies to the Customer Service Professional of the Year award
given as part of the Front Page Awards.)

What are the categories?
The Dan DeSouza Memorial Award for Member of the Year
The Nadine Grinder Memorial Award for Shop Steward of the Year
Unit Officer of the Year
Organizer of the Year
Herb Block Community Service Award
“Build the Guild” Award for Bargaining Unit of the Year

As with the Front Page Awards, the judges – a panel of WBNG Executive Council members – reserves the right to shift nominations form one category to another.

Where should entries be submitted?
Send entries to:

Front Page Awards
Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild
1100 15th St. NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20005

Talk with your unit chair or shop steward about the possibility of bundling entries from your shop or department to save on postage. If you’re being visited by your WBNG local representative, he’ll be happy to take your entries back to the office.

What is the deadline?
The deadline is Monday, Feb. 1. Entries need to be in the Guild office before the end of the business day – typically 5 p.m.

When will the awards be distributed?
We'll have a ceremony Thursday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m., at the Guild office in Baltimore ( 415 St. Paul Place, not far from the Baltimore Sun.)

This will be preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m. Winners and “Honorable Mention” recipients will be notified in advance.

I have a question that’s not answered here . . . What now?
Get in touch with Front Page Awards Committee chair Mark Gruenberg at either 202-898-4825 or press_associates@yahoo.com

Good luck. I hope to congratulate you as a winner in March.