Spring Competitions
2023-24 General Excellence Critique and Competition — Open Dec. 1, 2023 & Due by Feb. 15, 2024
IMPORTANT: ALL REQUIRED FORMS WILL NOW BE SUBMITTED VIA ONLINE FORMS.
On Dec. 1, 2023, GSPA will begin accepting entries for newspaper, newsmagazine, news websites, and broadcasting published between Feb. 1, 2023 and Feb. 15, 2024. All entries must be be submitted by Feb. 15, 2024.
Please note GSPA membership is required to enter all GSPA competitions.
ENTRY GUIDELINES:
1. The contest/critique entry form is available now. Submit General Excellence Critique and Competition Form here.
2. Submit:
Newspaper and Newsmagazine- Mail TWO COPIES EACH of your best two issues to GSPA, 120 Hooper St. Journalism 211A, Athens, GA 30602. Please do not mail checks to the College. See #4 below.
News Websites and Broadcasts - Provide links to publications on the entry form.
3. An entry form is required for each publication being critiqued/entered in the contest. It is optional, but recommended, that the adviser or EIC submit a letter (no more than one-page in length) outlining for the judges any challenges the staff faced or elements that the staff wishes to highlight as their publication is reviewed. This can be mailed along with newspapers or newsmagazines, or emailed to gspa@uga.edu for broadcasts and news websites.
4. The contest fee is $40 per entry. IMPORTANT: If planning to pay by check, please first email gspa@uga.edu to request an invoice. Please do not mail checks directly to the College, as our payment processing system has changed. Or, payments can be made online.
No refunds of GSPA contest entry fees will be given for any reason after the entries have been received by the GSPA office. See full refund policy.
Individual Awards—Open Dec. 1, 2023 & Due by Feb. 15, 2024
GSPA offers separate categories to recognize outstanding student work in journalism. Categories will be listed with the entry form, which will be available Dec. 1, 2023. Work published in newspaper, newsmagazine, news website and video broadcast may be entered in the spring competition, while yearbook and literary magazine entries are accepted in the summer.
On Dec. 1, 2023, we will begin accepting entries for individual student work published in a newspaper, newsmagazine, news website or video broadcast. Entries must be published between Feb. 1, 2023 and Feb. 15, 2024. ALL REQUIRED FORMS WILL BE SUBMITTED ONLINE.
Submit Individual Student Entry Form here.
ENTRY GUIDELINES:
Click to view/download the complete spring contest Packet.
1. There is $2 fee for each individual entry. One form is required for each individual entry.
2. Entries are limited to THREE PER STAFF per category. We will not accept multiple entries from one individual in the same category.
3. Staff members should work with their fellow staffers and advisers to select the three best individual pieces from your staff per category.
4. Individual entries for newsmagazine & newspaper should be in a PDF. The PDF title should be the following: Category #-Headline/Title-Publication Name-Student Name. The PDF should also include the title of entry and name of students in the document.
5.. Enter the URL below for individual entries submitted for the broadcast & news websites type of media.
6. Entries that do not follow guidelines properly will be disqualified.
7. Once you completed all entry forms, please compile all individual entries in a Dropbox folder and email link to gspa@uga.edu or a Google Drive folder and email the link to gspa@uga.edu.
IMPORTANT: If planning to pay by check, please first email gspa@uga.edu to request an invoice. Please do not mail checks directly to the College, as our payment processing system has changed. Or, payments can be made online.
No refunds of GSPA contest entry fees will be given for any reason after the entries have been received by the GSPA office. See full refund policy.
Achievement Awards - Due by Feb. 15, 2024
The GSPA Achievement Awards recognize "behind-the-scenes" work of staffs or individuals. Please submit an entry form for each entry. Entry forms are available now. There is no fee to enter Achievement Award categories. The deadline for entries is Feb. 15, 2024. Submit Achievement Award Entry form here.
Nominate for an Achievement Award
Achievement Award Descriptions:
Administrator of the Year recognizes an administrator who has demonstrated strong support for the journalism program.
Adviser of the Year recognizes a journalism adviser who goes beyond the “call of duty” in supporting his or her staff.
Community Service recognizes a staff that through its forum has initiated significant change within the community.
First-Year Adviser recognizes a new adviser who has demonstrated success and desire in strengthening the program.
Freedom of the Press recognizes a producer(s) of work that demonstrated solid reporting and/or insight, but was censored from student publication. Examples may include persevering through prior review and/or prior restraint.
Perseverance recognizes a staff or member that has overcome significant adversity to put out a quality product or who has overcome many obstacles to report on an important issue. Use of open records or “sunshine” laws is deemed particularly meritorious.
Start-Up recognizes a first-year publication/program that has demonstrated significant quality.
Turnaround recognizes the staff that has significantly changed the quality of its product from the previous year.
Enterprising recognizes a student who achieves success in publishing significant, quality journalistic work outside of school in local, regional or national outlets.