Each year, the SPJ DC Pro Chapter honors the best in print, broadcast and online journalism for coverage of the D.C. area. This year’s 2024 Dateline Awards contest has attracted new and old entrants. In light of industry news and to allow for more time to submit clips, the deadline is now SUNDAY, MARCH 17.
Submit your best work from 2023 at https://betternewspapercontest.com/DCDatelineAwards.
The contest is open to journalists who cover the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland. You do not have to be an SPJ member to enter.
Finalists and winners will be announced in June at the chapter’s annual Dateline Awards and Hall of Fame dinner at the National Press Club.
Resources for the 2024 Dateline Awards
Review this post on submission tips for helpful information on creating or accessing a profile on the contest submission platform and best practices.
Download this PDF to get step-by-step instructions on using the BetterBNC portal, which is how the chapter accepts submissions.
Access a listing of each division and associated categories on this PDF.
General Guidelines
Work published, posted or broadcast between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023, is eligible. For a series, the majority of the work must have appeared in 2023.
All entries shall be in their original form as published or broadcast. Subsequent corrections or clarifications to the work must be included in the entry or it will be disqualified.
Work by journalists based in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia qualifies. Submissions must be of local interest (specific to the contest area) or about the workings of the Washington D.C., metro region for a wider audience.
More than one entry may be submitted in each category, but each separate entry must be accompanied by its own entry fee. Please do not submit the same entry in more than one category.
If you are a Washington correspondent for a media outlet or publication outside the D.C. metro area, you may qualify to enter the Correspondent Award competition. Entries for this should not be entered in other categories. Contact the awards coordinator for more details.
There is a fee of $30 per entry. (Note: A fee of $2 per entry is added to online payments.) Payment is accepted via Paypal or credit card only.
Separate Awards
Correspondent Award
This is a category for distinguished coverage of the Washington area by a correspondent based here, whose work is published or broadcast for an audience outside the Washington, D.C., area. This category may be a good fit for a journalist’s work that doesn’t qualify in another category. Submit up to five samples.
Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Journalism Award
The Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Award will be presented to a finalist in any award classification whose entry best exemplifies journalism aimed at protecting the public from abuses by those who would betray the public trust. No direct entries are accepted for this category. There is a cash prize of up to $1,000 for the winner.
Have questions about entering? Contact:
Ijeoma Nwatu
SPJ Dateline Awards contest coordinator
at datelinecoordinator (at) gmail.com