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WEAC School Bell Awards

Competition

WEAC invites you to enter its annual School Bell Awards competition designed to recognize Wisconsin reporters, broadcasters, school journalism teachers and students for excellence in reporting and analysis of public education news.

Awards are presented to Wisconsin journalists who made a significant effort to provide distinguished coverage of public schools and critical education issues.

Emphasis is placed on news coverage leading to improved public understanding and support of quality education consistent with the educational objectives of WEAC and its teachers and education support professionals.

Eligibility

Entries are judged on the basis of the effectiveness of sustained or continuing news or feature coverage of ONE educational issue published or broadcast between the dates listed below. Reporters are limited to no more than two entries in a given year. News media entries can be submitted by the news reporters or on their behalf by an editor or news director. Reporters and broadcasters may also be nominated for an award by a local education association or a regional UniServ affiliate of the Wisconsin Education Association Council. Entries must be postmarked by February 2, 2009. Winners may not be recognized in two consecutive years. Therefore, last year’s winners are ineligible for this year’s competition.

Categories

Awards are made in these media categories:

PUBLIC MEDIA (Jan. 2008 to Dec. 2008)

  • Daily Newspapers.
  • Non-Daily Newspapers/Newsletters.
  • Magazines/Periodicals.
  • Television.
  • Radio.
  • Web Sites.

SCHOOL MEDIA (2007-2008 school year)

  • School Television.
  • School Radio.
  • School Newspapers.
  • School-Sponsored Web Sites.

Preparing Entries

All entries must include a brief summary of the project and a statement of the project’s goals.

ENTRIES FOR PUBLIC MEDIA

  • Daily Newspapers – Each entry should consist of three or more news or feature stories by a reporter or team of reporters on a single educational issue. Entrants should submit tear sheets or reproductions with stories outlined and stapled to the entry form. Folding tear sheets is permitted.
  • Non-Daily Newspapers/Newsletters – The entry should consist of a sustained educational news or public service effort by the applicant. Entrants should submit tear sheets or reproductions with stories outlined and stapled to the entry form. Folding tear sheets is permitted.
  • Magazines/Periodicals – The entry should consist of a sustained educational news or public service effort by the public media applicant. Entrants should submit tear sheets or reproductions with stories outlined and stapled to the entry form. Folding tear sheets is permitted.
  • Television – Entries should consist of a CD/DVD of the education news, documentary or public service program or series of excerpts. Label CD/DVD with the station call letters or reporters’ names, title of entry and length of CD/DVD.
  • Radio – Radio entries should consist of a CD/dvd of a sustained education news or public service effort by the station. Label CD/DVD with the station call letters, date aired, and length of CD/DVD.
  • Public/District Web Sites – Entries should consist of laser printouts of the home page. Please include the Web address.

Awards / Judging

Award winners will be honored during the annual WEAC Representative Assembly in April. Public media awards are made to the reporter except when reporting teams are involved, in which case the award is made to the news organization. .

Winning entries are judged by a statewide panel of association members.

Questions?

Contact WEAC PR Committee Liaison Anne Egan-Waukau
262-789-6000
800-354-7816 or
waukaua@weac.org

Public Media Entry Form

PDF file of School Bell Awards brochure