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2011 Better Newspaper Contest Rules

ELIGIBILITY

The 2011 Better Newspaper Contest is open to current OPA Business and Sustaining members in good standing, and all college newspapers.
Business Membership Newspaper Entries – Divisions 1-8
All entries must be published within a legal newspaper as defined by Title 25, O.S. 106. TMCs and free distribution products are not eligible as entries from Business Membership Newspapers.
Sustaining Membership Newspaper Entries – Division 9
All entries must be published within a newspaper of general interest that is distributed to the general public. Eligible newspapers must publish at least once per month and contain at least 25% local news content. Corporate and/or industry newsletters or publications are not eligible for participation in the contest.
College Newspaper Entries – Division 10
All entries must be published within a college or university newspaper. OPA membership is not required.
Eligibility Period
To be eligible, newspapers must have been OPA members for a minimum of six full months immediately preceding the final day of the contest period (since July 1, 2011). (Newspapers may submit entries from the entire contest period – Sept. 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2011 – even if they have not been members for the entire contest period.)

CONTEST PERIOD
The 2011 OPA Better Newspaper Contest period is from September 1, 2010, through December 31, 2011.

ENTRY DEADLINE
All entries must be postmarked by Monday, January 23, 2012. Mail, ship or deliver entries to OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499.

ENTRIES
Original tear sheets and issues are required for entries. Entries will be judged only in the event indicated on the label attached to the entry. Judges are not permitted to move entries to other events. All entries become the property of OPA and may be reproduced in print or electronic format as educational material and/or exhibits.

ENTRY PREPARATION
Place each event entry in a large envelope (preferably 9x12). The corresponding event label must be completed and attached to the top left corner of the front of the envelope. Tuck the envelope flap; please DO NOT SEAL THE ENVELOPE. Place all event entry envelopes into a single package or box to be mailed or shipped to OPA.

MULTIPLE PUBLICATIONS
Newspapers having multiple publications or editions under one ownership with the majority of pages in common (news and/or advertising) may only enter issues of the publication or edition having the largest circulation.

IDENTICAL MATERIAL
Identical material cannot be entered by separate newspapers in the same division.

STAFF PRODUCED
All contest entries must have been produced by the newspaper’s staff or regular paid contributors. Syndicated material will not be considered.

ALTERNATE ENTRY DATES
Newspapers not published during the month specified in the guidelines of an event should contact OPA for alternate dates and must write a letter to the judges explaining the alternate date.

LETTERS TO JUDGES
Comment letters to judges are required in Event 4, Sales Promotion, and Event 12, Community Leadership. Letters to judges may be included in other events but are not required.

TIES
There will be no ties within events.

DIVISIONS
There are (10) divisions. OPA Business Membership Newspapers, Divisions 1-8, are determined by newspaper total paid circulation as shown on the October 2011 U.S. Postal Service statement (PS Form 3526, line 15C) plus the number of paid electronic subscriptions as reported to OPA.
Circulation Divisions 1-7 will be determined when all entries have been received. Entries will be divided as equally as possible into three daily and four weekly divisions. If applicable, the lowest circulation division(s) will receive the fewest number of entries.
Semi-, Twin and Tri-Weekly newspapers will compete in Division 8.
Sustaining Membership News- papers will compete in Division 9.
College Newspapers will compete in Division 10.
A newspaper will compete against only the newspapers in its division.

ENTRY FEES
Entry fee for each event is $5.  

AWARDS
Every event will have first through fourth place winners. Each division’s Sweepstakes winner, which is determined by the amount of points accumulated in the contest, receives the Sequoyah Award – the highest honor in the contest. Sweepstakes and First Place winners receive plaques; second, third and fourth place winners receive certificates. Each winning newspaper receives the privilege of publishing the ‘Prize Winning Logo’ in its newspaper for the entire year. Awards will be presented at the OPA Convention at the Reed Center in Midwest City on June 8, 2012.

POINTS
Points in the contest are awarded on the following scale:
Events 1-3:
1st Place, 120 points; 2nd Place, 90 points; 3rd Place, 70 points; 4th Place, 50 points
Events 4-12:
1st Place, 100 points; 2nd Place, 70 points; 3rd Place, 50 points; 4th Place, 30 points

ENTER ALL EVENTS
Entering all 12 events improves your newspaper's chance of winning the Sequoyah Award.

Contact Information

3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

(405) 499-0020
(888) 815-2672

Toll-Free in OK