SPJ Colorado Pro Announces 2023 Top of the Rockies Winners

The Colorado Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has announced the winners of the 2023 Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism Contest.

The contest for professional journalists has been administered for more than a decade by the Colorado Professional Chapter on behalf of SPJ chapters in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. 

Top of the Rockies is a regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations in the four states. The contest grew from a Colorado-only contest on the heels of the closure of the Rocky Mountain News in 2009 to ensure a robust and competitive field. 

The 2023 contest had more than 1,750 entries from more than 100 news media outlets and freelancers, a 12% increase over the number of entries in 2022. The entries were judged by journalists in Illinois and Ohio.

“We are pleased to see so many news media outlets competing in Top of the Rockies,” said Deb Hurley Brobst, the contest’s coordinator. “We are seeing top-notch journalism from journalists throughout the region, no matter what the staff size.”

Entrants compete in four divisions based on newsroom staff size: extra-large newsrooms, large newsrooms, medium newsrooms and small newsrooms. 

To view the full list of winners, click here.

SPJ Colorado presents “A Call to Action” panel, April 22 at the Denver Press Club

Join the Society of Professional Journalists Colorado Pro Chapter at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Place, for “A Call to Action: A panel discussion on how to foster diversity and inclusion in journalism.”

You’ll hear from journalists and community leaders about how diversity impacts local journalism, the importance of representation and updates on ongoing efforts to tackle these issues.

Panelists include:

Joie Nikita Ha, founder of CORE: Community Organizing for Radical Empathy and vice chair of Colorado Asian Pacific United

Linda Shapley, Colorado Community Media publisher

Tara McLain Manthey, owner and principal of Returning Light Consulting and a citizen of the Osage Nation who serves on the Editorial Board of the independent Osage News

Laura Frank, executive director of COLab, the Colorado News Collaborative, which is guiding the Voices Initiative in collaboration with Colorado Media Project

Marla Jones Newman, vice president of people and culture at Mother Jones and treasurer of the Colorado Association of Black Journalists.

The panel will be moderated by journalist and SPJ board member Lisa Schlichtman.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact spjcolorado@gmail.com.

Media Literacy Panel Planned at Colorado Mesa University

A Media Literacy panel is planned April 12 in Grand Junction that is open to the campus and the public, spearheaded by the Colorado Mesa University student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. 

Media Literacy: Sifting for Objectivity
6 p.m. April 12, 2023, in the Escalante Hall 3^rd Floor Foyer at CM U(There will be a Zoom option as well — info to come.) 

The panel features area media professionals and moderator Doug Bell from the Colorado Pro Chapter of SPJ. We will look at fake news, some free speech issues, and also how area media actually deliberate about objectivity and coverage to help dispel myths about how reporters/editors shape and choose the news. 

SPJ Colorado seeks nominations for annual awards

Update: The deadline for nominations for Journalist of the Year and the First Amendment Award has been extended until noon, April 2.

The Colorado Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is seeking nominations for outstanding Colorado journalists who exemplify the highest standards of professional excellence for its 2023 Top of the Rockies individual awards. 

Nominations for Journalist of the Year, First Amendment Award, Keeper of the Flame and Educator of the Year can be submitted online by March 26. 

Nominees should meet the following criteria: 

Journalist(s) of the Year: A journalist or journalists who have produced extraordinary work in the last calendar year, embodying the SPJ Code of Ethics to seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be accountable and transparent. 

Keeper of the Flame: A lifetime achievement award recognizing a longtime journalist, their contributions to the profession and for leading and mentoring young journalists. This journalist has displayed extraordinary dedication to ethical, responsible journalism and professional integrity.

Educator of the Year: This award is given annually to recognize the outstanding work of an educator at a Colorado school.

First Amendment Award: This award recognizes journalists who embody the exercise of a free and fair press and go above and beyond to hold governments accountable and speak truth to power. 

Winners will be honored at the SPJ Top of the Rockies awards reception, 5-9:30 p.m. April 22 at the Denver Press Club.

Colorado Pro Chapter Announces Top of the Rockies 2023 Contest

The deadline has been extended until end of day, Jan. 30, 2023.

Administered for more than a decade by the SPJ Colorado Professional Chapter on behalf of SPJ chapters in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming.

For more information and questions: Email contest chair Deb Hurley Brobst at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com for answers to contest-related questions.

Website: https://betternewspapercontest.com

Top of the Rockies is a regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The contest grew from a Colorado-only contest on the heels of the closure of the Rocky Mountain News in 2009 to ensure a robust and competitive field. It is sponsored and managed by the SPJ Colorado Pro.

Contest opens: Wednesday, Dec. 14
Contest closes: 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30

Awards will be announced at the reception in April at the Denver Press Club.

Cost: $15 per entry

Note 1: You do not need to be an SPJ member to enter the contest, but we always welcome new members.

Note 2: The SPJ Colorado Professional Chapter board of directors does not allow entries in which content was subsidized by private businesses with an interest in the covered topic.

Contest rules:
• Entries must have been published (print or online)/broadcast in the 2022 calendar year.
• An entry may be placed in one writing category and one visual category. The entry also may be placed in the Public Service and/or Multimedia Story.
• Media outlets are limited to three entries per category.
• All categories are open to news media outlets in all platforms. You’ll be up against the best from all platforms in the region.

Divisions: Top of the Rockies has four divisions based on newsroom staff size: small newsrooms; medium newsrooms; large newsrooms; extra-large newsrooms. News organizations are allowed to compete in a division with a larger staff size; they are not
permitted to drop a division. If your news organization has not been placed in one of the divisions, contact Deb Hurley Brobst at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com.

How to enter:
There are two types of contestants in the website. Which one are you: A media outlet or a freelancer?
If you are a media outlet:
Visit the betternewspapercontest.com website.
Click on “Contestant Login.”
Select 2023 Top of the Rockies under “Select a Contest.”
Check to see if your media outlet is listed under “Select Media Organization.” If you DO NOT see it, contact Deb Hurley at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com.
If you see your media outlet, select it and type in your password. If you DO NOT know your password, contact Deb Hurley Brobst at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com.
Then place your entries. When your media outlet is done placing entries, pay your bill by clicking on “Calculate Entry Fee” in the top right corner and follow the directions. You can print a receipt after you pay your fees.
If your media outlet’s website has a pay wall, please make sure your entries are available to the judges. Either make sure they are free content or submit a PDF instead. Nothing frustrates judges more than not having access to entries because they are blocked. Blocked entries may be disqualified at the discretion of the judges.
If you are a freelancer:
Visit the betternewspapercontest.com website.
Click on “Open Call Login.”
If you have entered before, put in your e-mail address and password. The contest coordinator DOES NOT have access to your password, so click “forgot password” and follow the directions if you need to reset it.
If you are new to our contest, click on “create your Open Call account” and follow the directions.
Email Deb Hurley Brobst at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Place your entries. When you are done placing entries, pay your bill by clicking on “Calculate Entry Fee” in the top right corner and follow the directions.
If your media outlet’s website has a pay wall, please make sure your entries are available to the judges. Either make sure they are free content or submit a PDF instead. Nothing frustrates judges more than not having access to entries because they are blocked.

About the awards process
Colorado SPJ hosts a free winners’ reception with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at the Denver Press Club, and a list of winners will be available on our website, coloradospj.wordpress.com. Certificates will be available to pick up at the reception. All remaining certificates will be mailed to entrants.
All judges’ decisions are final in category placement as well as entry evaluation. Entries will be judged on overall excellence, service to the community, balance and contributions to the public’s understanding of issues and events. Judging criteria may also include depth of research, quality of presentation, and difficulty in obtaining information. Deadline pressure is a factor only in those categories identified as “deadline.”
If, in the opinion of the judges, none of the entries in a given category meets the standards of excellence, no award will be made in that category. Judges may reject entries that do not conform with contest rules.

2023 Top of the Rockies contest categories.
WRITING CATEGORIES
News Reporting, Single Story: Single news story (and related sidebars, if applicable).
Breaking News Story: A single story or package of a breaking news event occurring over a 24-hour period.
General Reporting, Series or Package: A series of stories on one topic or a package of stories that runs simultaneously (submit all stories).
Enterprise Reporting: An article or a package or series of stories on one topic that demonstrates exceptional enterprise or investigative effort.
Extended Coverage: A package of stories exploring one issue in depth. This could be a special section.
Feature Writing — long form: Includes profiles, analysis and other stories written in a feature format that are more than 1,500 words or longer than 3 minutes in length.
Feature Writing — short form: Includes profiles, analysis and other stories written in a feature format that are fewer than 1,500 words or shorter than 3 minutes in length.
Best Solutions Journalism: A story or series that includes in-depth reporting on a response/s to a problem.
Podcast: Enter up to 3 episodes.
Social Justice Reporting: A story, series or package of stories on social justice issues.
Climate Reporting: A story, series or package of stories on climate change, global warming or other similar large-scale changes affecting local areas.
Obit Writing: A feature story about someone who has died.
Beat Reporting: A collection of up to six stories from one reporter on a particular beat. Attach a one-sentence description of your beat.
Personal/Humor Columns: Submit up to 3 columns per entry.
News Columns: Submit up to 3 columns per entry.
Editorials: Submit up to 3 editorials per entry.
Public Service: An article or a package or series of stories on one topic that demonstrates exceptional coverage on a topic or issue that is important to the community.
Multimedia Story: A cohesive web package that can include words, photos, graphics, audio, video and/or graphics.
Sports News: Single story, package or series.
Sports Feature: Single story, package or series.
Sports Columns: Submit up to 3 columns per entry.
Business News: Single story, package or series.
Business Feature: Single story, package or series.
Business Enterprise Reporting: An article, or a package or series of stories on one topic that demonstrates exceptional enterprise or investigative effort.
A&E and Food Reporting News or Feature: A single story or a series on dining and nightlife, film, television, music, art, architecture, theater or dance.
A&E and Food Criticism: Submit up to 3 columns or reviews.
Education News: Single story, package or series.
Education Feature: Single story, package or series.
Politics News: Single story, package or series.
Politics Feature: Single story, package or series.
Legal News: Single story, package or series.
Legal Feature: Single story, package or series.
Science and Technology News: Single story, package or series.
Science and Technology Feature: Single story, package or series.
Agriculture or Environment News: Single story, package or series.
Agriculture or Environment Feature: Single story, package or series.
Health News: Single story, package or series.
Health Feature: Single story, package or series.
Mental Health News: Single story, package or series.
Mental Health Feature: Single story, package or series.
Religion News: Single story, package or series.
Religion Feature: Single story, package or series.
Headline writing: Submit 3 headlines with the accompanying articles.
VISUAL CATEGORIES
Front Page Design: A front page or cover of your publication.
Single Page Design: A single page or a section cover of your publication.
Feature Page Design: A single page or feature cover of your publication.
Information Graphic: Submit the graphic with the accompanying article.
Editorial Cartoons: Submit up to 3 cartoons that show the point of view of the cartoonist.
Illustration: Artwork accompanying a news or feature story to enhance the story’s meaning.
Spot News Photography/Videography: One or more photos or videos on a breaking news story.
News Photography/Videography: One or more photos or videos on a news story.
Feature Photography/Videography: One or more photos or videos on a feature story.
Sports Photography/Videography: One or more photos or videos on a sports story.
Climate Photography/Videography: One or more photos or videos on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Social Justice Photography/Videography: One or more photos or videos on a social justice story.