The Call for Entries is out for The Florida Bar’s 2016 Media Awards competition. The prestigious awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding journalism that highlights the system of law and justice as it affects the people of Florida.
THE FLORIDA BAR ISSUES CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR 61ST ANNUAL MEDIA AWARDS COMPETITION; CASH PRIZES AND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES –DEADLINE JUNE 27
May 16, 2016
CONTACT: Karen Y. Kirksey,
The Florida Bar
TELEPHONE: 850/561-5766; kkirksey@flabar.org
Since 1955, The Florida Bar Media Awards have honored top legal reporting. To sweeten the pot, monetary prizes were added last year. The winners were: Noah Pransky and Mike Deeson of WTSP-TV 10 News; Anna Phillips of the Tampa Bay Times; Michael E. Miller of the Miami New Times, and Larry Hannan of The Florida Times Union.
Work submitted for consideration may include news stories, series, features, editorials, blogs, documentaries, columns, special sections—anything produced by a news organization that deals with law and lawyers, courts, law enforcement, the delivery of legal services, the effectiveness of the justice system, the work of the organized Bar or related matters. Any newspaper, radio station, blog, television station, wire service or online-only media outlet located in Florida is eligible to enter. The entry deadline is June 27.
Entries must have been published or produced between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2015. Content of entries may be current or historical, objective or analytical in nature. Special consideration may be given to entries that demonstrate courage or tenacity on the part of the news medium or the journalists who produced the entry.
Reporters receiving first-place awards will take home $500, and those receiving second place will get $250. If multiple reporters are bylined on a winning entry, the cash award will be divided evenly among them. Reporters who choose not to accept the monetary prizes may opt to make a donation to the First Amendment Foundation. All winning reporters and their media outlets will receive plaques.
Media organizations large and small are encouraged to enter. Judging criteria are not based on the greatest amount of resources used, but whether those resources available are used well and to the fullest in the tradition of outstanding journalism.
Awards are presented in four categories:
Print:
Any nonopinion-based written news material whether presented on paper or online
Any opinion-based written material, including blogs, editorials and columns, whether presented on paper or online
Television:
Any broadcast story or series that investigates a single issue
Any broadcast story or series that continuously follows a single subject/trial
Radio:
Any broadcast story or series that investigates a single issue
Any broadcast story or series that continuously follows a single subject/trial
Online:
Any online-only story or series that investigates a single issue
Any online-only story or series that continuously follows a single subject/trial
The awards jury consists of an out-of-state broadcast journalist, an out-of-state print journalist, two Florida lawyers with substantial experience in journalism and/or media law, and one Florida educator of journalism or law. The determination of the awards jury is final and is not reviewed by The Florida Bar. The Florida Bar does not endorse the content of the winning entries.
In 2015, Martin A. Dyckman, who retired after 47 years at the St. Petersburg Times, became the first recipient of The Florida Bar’s Susan Spencer-Wendel Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Legal Journalism. The award recognizes a Florida journalist or media outlet for extensive coverage and/or commentary on the law, the delivery of legal services and the justice system. The award recipient will be selected by The Florida Bar’s Media & Communications Law Committee from nomination letters. The award will include a cash prize of $500 and travel reimbursement to attend the awards ceremony.
Spencer-Wendel was a longtime Palm Beach Post courts reporter who died in 2014 after a well-documented fight with ALS. She received a lifetime achievement award from The Florida Bar in 2012 and numerous media awards from The Florida Bar, the Florida Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists and others throughout her career.
The media awards will be presented by the president of The Florida Bar at the annual Reporters’ Workshop dinner on Sept. 19 in Tallahassee. Winners will be notified in advance.
For additional information on The Florida Bar’s 61st Annual Media Awards, please visit the home page at www.floridabar.org or contact Public Information Coordinator Karen Kirksey at (850) 561-5766 or kkirksey@floridabar.org