Entry Rules

All Pennsylvania reporters, editors, broadcasters and publishers are eligible to enter the competition by submit­ting material published or broadcast between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, in a newspaper or other media outlet with at least 50% of its coverage area located within the state. 

The first-place winner in each category receives $400 and an engraved plaque and the second-place winner in each category receives $100 and a certificate.

ENTRY CATEGORIES:

There are six categories for judging:

  • Newspapers: 30,000 or more circulation
  • Newspapers: Under 30,000 circulation
  • Editorial/Commentary
  • TV: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Markets
  • TV: All Other Markets (not including Philadelphia and Pittsburgh)
  • Radio and Podcasts: All Markets

JUDGING:

The PBA Media Awards Competition Judging Committee is composed of lawyers, judg­es, journalism professors and print media repre­sentatives. The committee will choose the winning entries for each category based on the following:

  • Informational/Educational Value
  • Thoroughness
  • Organization
  • Writing/Reporting Effectiveness
  • Excellence in Writing/Reporting

ENTRY RULES

Each entrant may submit up to three articles in any category. An entrant submit­ting more than one article must submit a separate entry form for each article.

Only the creator of an entry or an editorial of­ficer of the media organization that published the entry may submit a nomination.

Members of the Pennsylvania Bar Association may submit names of reporters who pro­vided notable coverage about legal issues. PBA staff will contact reporters and/or their editors directly to request that article(s) be entered into the competition.

If the total number of allowable entries per cat­egory is exceeded, the reporter and/or editor will be required to select which entries will be judged.

Each entry must include a completed official entry form and a brief summary of the entry. Get the online entry form. The deadline for entries is Aug. 22, 2024.

Any attachments to be judged may be submitted via the online entry form or emailed to: [email protected]. Article URLs to non-password protected content may be included in the description of entry field on the entry form or emailed to [email protected]. If a password is required to access content, please provide that on the entry form. Contact the PBA Communications team at 800-932-0311, ext. 2216, with any questions.