Onsite Competition

SEJC 2009 ON-SITE COMPETITION CHAMPIONSHIPS
Contest Coordinator: Dr. Amber Narro, Southeastern Louisiana University

Categories and Guidelines for 2009 Onsite Competition

Copy Editing: Students will be provided a story that contains errors of judgment, facts, AP style and grammar. Participants will be asked to edit a story for AP style, spelling and grammar, brevity, correctness, cliches, one word or two, getting words in the right order, punctuation, as well as sexism and racism. In addition, participants will be asked to answer a brief current events quiz on state, national and international news. Entrants may use an AP Stylebook, grammar book and dictionary that they bring with them; no reference books are provided. (Limited to first 15 entrants.)

Entertainment Writing: When they register, students in this event should pick up an assignment and other materials. At the competition site, entrants will be allowed to bring in only notes and ancillary material. (Limited to first 15 entrants.)

Photography: When they register, students should pick up a feature photo assignment sheet that they will cover on a specified deadline. This category requires that participating students bring a digital camera with a removable memory device. (Limited to first 15 entrants.)

Feature Writing: When they register, students in this category should pick up a sheet containing a feature story assignment that they will research prior to the designated competition time. At the competition site, participants will be allowed to bring in only notes and ancillary material (i.e., no complete stories); students will have one hour to write stories. (Limited to first 15 entrants.) 


First Amendment Writing: Students will have one hour to write an essay responding to a specific question or situation. The question or situation will be provided at the time of competition. At the contest site, entrants will be allowed to bring in only notes and ancillary material. (Limited to first 15 entrants.)

Page Design (Newspapers): Students will be positioned at campus computers with InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator software and will have 75 minutes to design a tabloid newspaper page(s) based on instructions provided. Stories and art will be provided for importation onto the page. Cutlines will be provided; however, students must write their own headlines (Limited to first 9 entrants.)

Page Design (Magazines): Students will be positioned at campus computers with InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator software and will have 75 minutes to design a magazine page(s) based on instructions provided. Stories and art will be provided for importation onto the page. Cutlines will be provided; however, students must write their own headlines. (Limited to first 9 entrants.)

Media Ethics: One- to three-member teams will review an ethical scenario and spend an hour writing an essay on what their response to the situation would be. (Limited to first 15 teams.)

Media Law: Media law explores First Amendment issues related to the gathering and dissemination of information by the press through a study of the cases and legal principles established to protect freedom of the press and further the public’s right to know and individual rights of freedom of expression. Students will take a one-hour 100-question multiple-choice, true-false test on media law. (Limited to 20 entrants)

News Writing: Students will attend a news conference and will be given access to additional sources they may interview. They will then have one hour to write a news story. Students may bring reference books such as the AP Stylebook with them; no reference books will be provided. (Limited to the first 15 entrants) 


Public Relations: One- to three-member teams will study a fact sheet of a company/organization and a small budget for a PR campaign. They will then spend one hour writing a short report describing a proposed campaign and how to spend the money. (Limited to first 15 teams.)

Sports Writing: Students in this category should pick up instructions at registration. The event or press conference has not yet been determined. (Limited to first 15 entrants.) 


Video Reporting: Students, in either one- or two-person teams, will attend a news conference where they will learn the details of a campus news event. They will then have three hours to conduct additional interviews; shoot b-roll; and write, voice, and edit a 1:30 to 1:45 video news package. Participants must be able to edit with Final Cut Express or, as an alternative, use similar editing programs on their personal laptops. Participants will be responsible for bringing their own compatible photographic equipment (not HD) (Limited to first 8 entrants.) Two additional entrants can be accommodated if they are able to bring their own laptops with necessary software.

Editorial Cartoon: Students will be given subjects/issues to choose from to draw an editorial cartoon. They will have one hour to sketch the assignment. Students must bring their own drawing tools. Drawing paper will be provided. No computer illustrations may be used. (Limited to 20 entrants)

Multimedia Package: Students, working in one-two- or three-person teams (all members must be from same school), will create content in any combination of print story, audio, video and still photography and use it to develop a multimedia package suitable for an online media site. Tools available will include SoundSlides Plus, Photoshop, iMovie, Final Cut Express, any online products such as Google applications, etc. (Limited to 6 teams). Four additional teams may be accommodated if they are able to bring their own laptops with necessary software.