For a co-director, there are two challenges of the Arkansas Press Women (APW) Professional Communications Contest that must be overcome. One challenge is staying ahead of deadlines. The other is recruiting enough qualified judges.
Participants in the 2025 contest can help with the first challenge by double-checking each of their entries before they are submitted. The initial deadline for entries – noon on Jan. 29, 2025 – is approaching. Entries should consist of work published, posted or broadcast in calendar year 2024.
Here is what entrants can do on the front end to save time and to avoid common mistakes found on the back end:
☑ Read the general instructions for each functional area of the contest and the requirements for a specific category. The categories and category requirements are found on this page of the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) website.
☑ Complete an entry form in caps and lower case. This is because an entry form ends up on a spreadsheet that is used to print judges’ comments and award certificates, and to prepare news releases.
☑ Use a preferred name on an entry form because that is the name that will appear on an award certificate and in a news release.
☑ Make sure the name and e-mail address of a co-entrant on an entry form are accurate.
☑ Double-check the contact information for the primary entrant and submitter on an entry form. A contest director might have to contact an entrant with a question. A mailing address is needed if an entrant cannot pick up an award certificate in person. If contact information changes during the contest, the contest director should be notified.
Co-directors for the Arkansas professional contest are Kristin Netterstrom Higgins at zesty_krstn@yahoo.com and Richard S. Plotkin at rsplotkin@conwaycorp.net.
Common mistakes include:
☑ Submitting work in a format that cannot be opened by a judge.
☑ Submitting an online entry that is behind a URL paywall without instructions on how to access the entry. The categories and category requirements describe the procedure for an entry behind a paywall or that no longer is online.
☑ Uploading a scan of an entry that is difficult to read or view.
☑ Submitting a one-page statement that does not address all the points specified in the category requirements.
☑ Not providing the date of publication, posting or broadcast.
☑ Omitting a required title for each photograph submitted.
☑ Not providing a copy of an original photograph and an image of the photograph as published.
☑ Submitting more or fewer examples of work than a category requires or the same work in more than one category. The few exceptions to the latter are noted in the category requirements.
For entries submitted after the initial deadline, a one-time processing fee of $25 is charged in addition to entry fees. The final deadline for books is noon on Feb. 5, 2025; for all other entries, noon on Feb. 19, 2025.
Additional information is posted on the contest page of the NFPW website. This link is to the Arkansas contest home page, from which entries can be submitted in the professional or high school contests. There is information on this page about entry fees and deadlines, which differ in the two contests.
An entrant in the Arkansas professional contest does not need to be a member of Arkansas Press Women, but entry fees are lower for APW members. Individuals with entries that place first through third – or that earn honorable mention – in the Arkansas contest will be recognized at an APW event in spring 2025. Results will be posted on the APW website.
A first-place entry in the Arkansas contest is eligible to advance to the national tier conducted by NFPW, but the entrant must be a member of NFPW. For a non-member, the deadline to join NFPW for these entries is March 25, 2025.
Individuals with entries that win awards in the national contest will be notified in June 2025. Awards in the national contest will be presented during a banquet on Sept. 13, 2025, at the annual NFPW Conference in Golden, Colorado.