Association for Women Journalists - DFW Chapter Return Home

Scholarships and Awards

Vivian Castleberry Awards CompetitionLine
Named for a longtime Dallas civic leader and features editor of the Dallas Times Herald, the journalism awards recognize quality work that fairly and accurately portrays women and their concerns in all walks of life.

In addition to the Vivian Castleberry Awards, a separate Courage Award will go to a person who, over time, has shown leadership, tenacity and integrity in working to improve conditions for women. Courage Award nominees may include journalists and nonjournalists.

AWJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with chapters in Texas, Illinois, Florida and Minnesota as well as members around the country. Membership is open to all women and men of the working press, newsroom support personnel, freelance journalists and journalism students and academics.

AWJ seeks to encourage the study and practice of journalism by women, to offer them support and to work for their advancement, to promote family-oriented newsroom policies and to foster fair and accurate portrayals of women by the news media.

Journalism Awards
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Entries must have been published or broadcast in calendar year 2005. Criteria for judging will include quality of writing, reporting and presentation; relevance to women; and courage and perseverance in reporting. Entries may include a short letter from a news organization supervisor explaining any significant concrete results of the work.

Entries must be postmarked by Feb. 28, 2006, and mailed to the Association for Women Journalists, PO. Box 2199, Fort Worth, Texas, 76113. Each entry must include two copies of the entry form, available by clicking on the link above.

The journalism competition is open to all members of the working press, individuals or teams. AWJ board members, contest judges and awards committee members are not eligible.

Only one entry per person or team is allowed in each category. However, if a team entry is submitted, individuals on that team are allowed to submit individual entries of work that is entirely separate from the team's submission. The same material may not be submitted in multiple categories. Each entry should consist of either a single article or broadcast, one or more photographs illustrating a single subject, or a set of no more than four articles or broadcasts that exemplify a larger body of work.

Each entry must be accompanied by a fee of $20 for AWJ members or $30 for nonmembers. News organizations paying on behalf of members may pay at the members' rate. Checks should be made out to the Association for Women Journalists.

Print media entries must be submitted in letter-size folders. Tear sheets are preferred, but copies are accepted. Photography entries should include tearsheets. Radio entries should be submitted as audio cassettes. Television entries should be submitted in VHS format in cassette boxes. In both cases, cassettes should be clearly labeled. Entry forms and any other printed material may be placed in the envelopes or videotape boxes. AWJ assumes no responsibility for loss or damage.

For the Web categories, entries can include online-only interactive stories and features or print and broadcast stories that are enhanced by online-only interactive elements. Entries will be judged on content, innovation, visual design, functionality and interactivity. Entries should include a one-page letter explaining the project and relevant URL(s) needed to view it.

For the Spanish-language categories, the articles must have been published originally in Spanish. Articles first published in English and then translated into Spanish will not be accepted in these categories. The entry form must be filled out in English, but an editor's letter explaining the piece may be written in Spanish.

Categories:

  1. News reporting in general interest newspapers and magazines with circulation of more than 100,000.
  2. News reporting in general interest newspapers and magazines with circulation of less than 100,000.
  3. News reporting in Spanish-language newspapers.
  4. Feature reporting in general interest newspapers and magazines with circulation of more than 100,000.
  5. Feature reporting in general interest newspapers and magazines with circulation of less than 100,000.
  6. Feature reporting in Spanish-language newspapers.
  7. Commentary, including editorials, columns and reviews, published in general interest newspapers and magazines with circulation of more than 100,000. Commentary entries may be a single column or editorial or may be a group of no more than three pieces from an individual author.
  8. Commentary, including editorials, columns and reviews, published in general interest newspapers and magazines with circulation of less than 100,000. Commentary entries may be a single column or editorial or may be a group of no more than three pieces from an individual author.
  9. Radio broadcasts of news stories.
  10. Radio broadcasts of feature stories.
  11. Television broadcasts of news stories.
  12. Television broadcasts of feature stories.
  13. Photography in a newspaper or magazine, any circulation. Entries may be portraits, photo stories or news images.
  14. Online interactivity for sites with over 1 million monthly visitors.
  15. Online interactivity for sites with under 1 million monthly visitors.
  16. Woman Journalist of the Year. For continued excellence in news gathering and reporting by a print or broadcast journalist. Please include no more than seven samples of work published or broadcast in 2005.

Winners will be chosen by respected journalists. AWJ retains the right not to name finalists or winners in a category. Decisions of all judges are final and cannot be appealed. Awards will be presented at the annual AWJ banquet in spring 2006.

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Courage Award
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To nominate someone, send us the person's name, address and an explanation no longer than two pages, detailing the nominee's efforts and accomplishments on behalf of women. Please include the names of other persons and organizations we can contact for more information.

No entry fee is required for Courage Award nominations. Send nominations to:
Association for Women Journalists
Box 2199
Fort Worth, TX 76113

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