President’s column: Being a judge is the toughest assignment you’ll ever love

 

Something I’ll never forget is receiving the news, more than 20 years ago, of my first APSE award.

 

Back in those days, there were fewer categories and circulation divisions. I was the sports editor of a 10,000-circulation daily, so being named among the Top 10 in column writing in the 50,000-and-under division was an accomplishment that made me proud.

 

That’s because I knew that my work was rigorously judged by my peers and then, as now, that is what distinguishes APSE’s annual recognition of the nation’s best work in sports journalism.

 

Like most sports editors across the country, you’re probably cramming to prepare this year’s entries. The deadline is Jan. 24. Unlike virtually every other professional contest, there is no entry fee for APSE’s. Being a member is the only requirement, and one member at an organization makes the entire staff eligible. You can still join.

 

Of course, as with all journalism contests, APSE’s is and should be criticized and scrutinized. It is an imperfect measure of excellence.

 

Just as our industry continues to evolve, so too does the contest. In my three years of national office, we’ve added the website contest, expanded it from two to three groups, changed the circulation breakdowns for the four print section divisions, added a multimedia category and, this year, added a new category for beat writing — a craft that has undergone dramatic change since game stories were first put into the contest as a way to recognize the best at day-in, day-out reporting.

 

We’ve worked to streamline and modernize many rules, and I suspect we’ll be discussing more ways to do so in Orlando. (As a reminder, a story can be entered in only one category, which includes the beat-writing category. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about that).

 

This year will be the first website winners are eligible for the Triple Crown (three Top 10’s among the website or three section categories). And, surely, more changes are in store.

 

Digital journalism will continue to grow in importance. Recognition of the best tablet editions are undoubtedly ahead. Editors will want to honor those who are so expert at utilizing social media, a critical component of today’s sports journalism toolbox.

 

And the mechanics of the contest will change, too. What about an offsite judging process? That’s a question at least a few people ask every year.

 

I can tell you that although APSE has done a great job of developing an offsite process for website judging, an overwhelming number of editors have told me how much they value our annual winter conference.

 

There’s no other time when you will sit in a room studying for three days the best work in the land, let alone doing so with the expertise and experience offered by your fellow judges. I’ve been told frequently that that time, the many conversations with colleagues about stories and sections, the shop talk in the evenings afterward can be more valuable than more formal professional development opportunities.

 

If you want to be a judge this year in Orlando, there remains time to sign up. We are meeting beginning the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 18 and concluding by noon on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Please contact me or Gerry Ahern, contest chair and first vice president, for details.

 

I promise it’ll be an experience that makes you a better editor.

You’ll never work harder, or learn more.