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The St. Louis Press Club is for those who make, cover and influence the news. Its mission is to raise awareness and funding for student journalism scholarships and for enterprise
grants to working, independent journalists to spotlight under-reported topics in our region. It serves its members through professional development activities to bolster their
skills to address the changing needs of the global communications profession and to offer social activities that build a vital media community.

Press Club of St. Louis Announces Winners of First Writing Contest
From budding high school journalists to seasoned, veteran members of the news media, the winners of the St. Louis Press Club’s inauguralwriting contest showcase the depth and expanse of the current state of writing in the area. Press Club received fifty entries for its inaugural contest. “St. Louis has a rich legacy of literary leaders and journalists whose work has transformed the craft of writing,” Joan Lee Berkman, president of the St. Louis Press Club, said. “From Mark Twain, Eugene Field and William Burroughs to Joseph Pulitzer, Maya Angelou and Tennessee Williams, St. Louis has witnessed an unparalleled parade of writers whose influence continues to this day. Our contest is meant to honor not only their legacies but also those of today’s writers who are forging their own paths, in both traditional as well as new media.” “In this spirit, we are honored to award the winners of our first writing contest. Their entries reflect the critical issues facing us today as well as the everyday stories that color our lives. We congratulate the winners and we’re proud to be able to recognize their achievements.”
High School/College News story Elle Rotter, “The Second Pandemic: Mental Illness” Addie Gleason, “Digital Divide” In-Depth Reporting Nikita Bhaskar, “Transgender Rights in the Education System: A Closer Look at Title IX” Leah Schroeder, “Runoff Recap: What You Missed About the Georgia Runoffs” Feature Story Elizabeth Franklin, “The Pride and Culture of Black Hair” Elle Rotter, “ABCs of Covid” Commentary Grace Hu, “Making the Case Locally for Reparations” Mira Nalbandian, “Debunking Critical Race Theory” The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Parkway West Pathfinder Staff, A series of articles detailing the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of their lives, including “The Low-Down on Low Staff”. The Kirkwood Call, “14 Months Later”	Professional News story Sylvester Brown, Jr., “Spanky, COVID-19 and the Plight of Missouri’s Disabled” Danny Wicentowski, “Searching for the Real Inside a Police Training Simulator” In-Depth Reporting Before Ferguson, Beyond Ferguson, “63106: The Struggle to Survive the Pandemic in St. Louis’ Most Vulnerable Neighborhoods” Danny Wicentowski, “Inside the Missouri Tribe That Has Made White People Millions” Feature Story Denise Hollinshed, “A Grieving Reporter Rushes to Get Vaccinated as Her Subject Resists” Suzanne Corbett, “Purchasing Property-Promising Preservation - Uncorking the Hoffman Family’s Plan for Augusta’s Wine Country” Commentary Eric Mink, “Dedicated to the United States of America” The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Aisha Sultan, A series of columns on the impact of the pandemic on her family’s life, including “The Day We Thought My Husband Would Die of COVID”
Winners will have the opportunity for a virtual “meet-and-greet” with an established pro. “While we, as journalists, are supposed to be impartial and balanced in our writing, we cannot help but be impressed and even a little overwhelmed by the sheer quantity and quality of the writing that we reviewed for our contest,” Berkman said. “Thanks to everyone who entered our contest, it’s evident to us that St. Louis remains a home to a dynamic and vital community of writers.” More information on the contest is available at STLPressClub.org.

St. Louis Press Club Launches Contest for Writers

St. Louis Press Club is announcing the inaugural writing contest for local writers.
The awards will recognize the best writing for the past year among high schools, colleges and universities, and professionals.

“At its heart, the St. Louis Press Club is a membership association of writers,” said Joan Lee Berkman, president of the St. Louis Press Club. "Our members represent all forms of media found in the St. Louis region, and we all know that the heart of all media - print, broadcast, digital - is writing. With these awards, we want to celebrate the craft of writing and to honor those writers whose work represents the best in the profession in St. Louis.”

The awards will be open to writers in high school, colleges and universities and to professionals who make their living by writing. Entries are eligible in five categories:

● News story -- -- Judges will consider planning and general organization of story, initiative in obtaining story, news writing, readability and impact.
● In-Depth Reporting -- The articles should demonstrate the ability of entrant(s) to provide treatment of an issue that has had an impact on publication’s coverage area.
● Feature Story -- Judges will review interest and unusual aspects of the feature material itself and/or the handling of it, writing style, readability and comprehensiveness of coverage.
● Commentary -- Judges will review submissions of up to THREE columns, essays, analyses, think pieces or personal experience stories. The format can include editorials, columns, videos and cartoons.
● A fifth category will cover original writing based on a theme. This year, we want to know what was the biggest impact on a writer’s life from the pandemic.

“We’re excited to have this opportunity to recognize the writers in St. Louis whose words help influence and inspire their readers to achieve greater things and to better understand the world in which they live,” Berkman said. “We hope that through these awards, we can help the winning writers reach a greater audience who can enjoy and benefit from their craft.”

Judges for this first annual St. Louis Press Club Writing Contest will include some of the best and the brightest journalists from the St. Louis market. Finalists will be announced by December 31, 2021. Winners of each category will receive a prize of a virtual “meet and greet” with a well-known pro.

Rules:

An entry may not be submitted in more than one category.
Entries must have appeared in one of the following after January 1, 2020: Online website (may include blogs), print publication, television, or radio.
Entries must have been locally published or broadcast within the Press Club's representative counties.: Boone, City of St. Louis, Cole, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Lincoln, Osage, St. Charles, St. Louis, and Warren Counties in Missouri; and Bond, Clinton, Jackson, Jersey, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair Counties in Illinois.
Entries may be submitted by individuals, news “teams,” or media outlets. Team entries with more than three names may be considered “staff” entries on plaques, certificates and in published winner lists.
Judging will be based on significance, clarity, writing, enterprise, effectiveness, originality and other criteria deemed appropriate by the judges.
Judges normally will award first through third place from entries submitted, but may decline to name winners for all places at their discretion.
Judges reserve the right to move any entry to a more appropriate category.
Judges reserve the right to withdraw an entry that does not meet the contest criteria.
All entries become the property of the St. Louis Press Club and will not be returned.
Entries should be emailed to info@stlpressclub.org
Entries must be submitted by November 15, 2021.
Members of the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Press Club are not eligible.

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Press Club of St. Louis Announces Winners of First Writing Contest

St. Louis Press Club Launches Contest for Writers

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Press Club of St. Louis Announces Winners
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