SDHSAA sponsored Journalism Activities 2001-02
All Journalism events sponsored by the South Dakota High School Activities Association are open to all member schools of the SDHSAA

First Edition Newspaper Contest
Deadline - October 1, 2001
Newspaper advisors, send in the first edition of your school’s newspaper in order to enter this contest. The contest results are announced during the High School Press Convention. All entries submitted by the deadline due date will be judged by professional newspaper journalists using the guidelines established in the Newspaper Contest Guidebook. Special emphasis will be placed on layout, design, content, photography, cut lines and headlines.. Award certificates will be presented to the top three school newspapers in each of the two enrollment classes.
1. Enrollment of 350 and over
2. Enrollment of under 350

On-the Spot Contests
The "On-The-Spot Contests" are an attempt to recognize individual student accomplishment in a controlled setting. Certificates of Recognition are awarded to the top four students in each contest area. The judges are High School Press Association staff members or members of the SDSU journalism department faculty.
On-The-Spot News Writing Contest This contest is held for one hour during the
morning session of the annual High School Press Convention. Students will be provided compiled information on a topic. The student should select and prepare the information into a news story. Students are judged on how well they write and organize the information in the story. The judging criteria include:writing an effective news story lead, organizing the story in an inverted pyramid format. Writing Contest will be announced during the afternoon awards session of the Convention.
On-The-Spot Yearbook Design Contest The contest is held for one hour during the morning session of the annual High School Press Convention. Students who enter are asked to design a yearbook layout for the student life section of their book. The graphic design established in the layout will be used throughout the section. Directions for what is to be included in the design and the materials to complete the assignment are provided. Students will be given a specific assignment sheet and will be judged on how well they carry out the specifics of the assignment. Judges will be looking for designs which follow basic rules including: the use of dominant photo, consistent interior spacing, uniform copy and caption column width or the use of a column plan or grid system for the entire spread, whether the design established on the spread will be workable for an entire section of the yearbook. Results of the Yearbook Design Contest for the top layouts will be announced during the afternoon awards ceremony of the Convention.
On-The-Spot Feature Writing Contest This contest is held for one hour during the morning session of the annual High School Press Convention. Students will be provided compiled information on a topic. The student should select and prepare the information into a feature story. Students are also provided with paper upon which to write the story. Students are judged on how well they write and organize the information in the story. The judging criteria include: feature lead, smooth and logical paragraph transitions, effective use of direct and indirect quotes, theme development, consideration given to grammar, spelling and neatness. Results of the Feature Writing Contest will be announced during the afternoon awards session of the Convention.
On-The-Spot Photography Contest Students who enter this contest have the entire day of the annual High School Press Convention to complete the assignment. Students must provide their own camera and film. All photos that are entered in the contest must be pictures taken of the annual Convention activities during the day. Students entering must provide identification of subjects in the pictures they take.An entry consists of either six pictures from 35mm film OR six digital images. Photos that are entered in the contest can either be glossy or matte finish suitable for reproduction. The developed prints of the photos entered in the contest must be submitted to the High School Press Association within two weeks following the High School Press Convention. The Photography Instructor in the Department of Journalism at SDSU will judge the entries based upon the completeness of the coverage of the annual Convention, the composition, quality and imagination demonstrated in the photos. Results of the Photography Contest will be announced within a few weeks following the conclusion of the Convention.

Annual Publication Contests
The annual SDHSAA Publications Contest is designed to critique and reward high school newspapers, miscellaneous publications and yearbooks in South Dakota. The contest is structured to fulfill two goals: improving those entered publications in the future and providing a recognition of excellence in high school publications. Each year, high school publications advisers may enter their publications from that year in the Contest; Newspapers and Miscellaneous Publications are due in May and Yearbooks are due the following September. A team of professionals will judge the publications based on the set of criteria listed below and award All-State, First Class, Second Class and Third Class honors. The awards for each school year are presented during the annual High School Press Convention, which is held during the fall of the following school year.

Newspaper Contest
Offset newspapers: papers that are reproduced on an offset printing press but are not a page in the community newspaper. There are three classifications for such papers, depending upon the enrollment of the school:
Class 1 - enrollments of 401 and higher,
Class 2 - enrollments of 251 to 400,
Class 3 - enrollments of 250 and under
Newspapers in this category are judged on such criteria as: News and feature coverage, editorials, sports, photography, in depth reporting, column writing, headlines, page design and layout and advertising.
Self-Published Newspapers: papers that are reproduced on in-house copiers (i.e. photocopy machines, risographs, etc.). All such newspapers, regardless of school enroll-ment, are entered into this category. (Class 4) These publications are judged on such criteria as content and coverage of school events; writing and editing; headlines; page design and layout and advertising.
Departmental Newspapers: papers that are a page or two published in the community newspaper. All such newspapers, regardless of school enrollment, are entered into this category. (Class 5) These publications are judged on such criteria as writing, editing, photography, coverage of school events, page design and layout.
Submissions: A newspaper entry must consist of four successive issues from the school, sent no later than May 15th.

Miscellaneous Publications Contest
This division of the Annual Publications Contest is specifically designed as a category for magazines which can include, but is not limited to, literary magazines, books of poetry and books of essays. All such publications, regardless of school enrollment, are entered into this category. These publications are judged upon such criteria as writing, editing, design, layout, coverage, and printing. A total of 100 points is possible.
Submissions: The publications which are entered in the contest should be mailed no later than May 15th.

Yearbook Contest
Entries in this contest are judged on the basis of criteria established by the Journalism Advisory Committee and the Journalism Department of South Dakota State University. These criteria include writing, editing, design, layout, advertising, photography, coverage and organization. A total of 1000 points is possible.
Scoring and Ratings
All-State (Superior) - 850-1000 points
First Class (Excellent) - 700-849 points
Second Class (Average) - 500-699 points
Third Class (Below Average) - below 500 points
Divisions
Advisors may enter their yearbook into one of the following classifications, according to their school’s enrollment:
Class 1 - 651 and up
Class 2 - 201-650
Class 3 - 101-200
Class 4 - 66-100
Class 5 - 65 and under
Submissions
Entries are due September 15 except for books which have been delayed through accident or unavoidable circumstances. Yearbooks submitted after December 31 will be critiqued but will not be eligible for an award.
Annual Awards
Judges shall rank publications in honor ratings as follows:
All-State: Superior
First Class: Excellent
Second Class: Good
Third Class: Fair
The "All-State" and "First Class" awards winners selected in each classification will receive plaques and certificates respectively.

Top of Class Awards
Newspaper: This award will be presented to the school that receives an All-State rating for its newspaper and whose score is highest in all the Newspaper contest Divisions. (In case of ties, duplicate awards will be given.)
Yearbook:This award will be presented to the school that receives an All-State rating for its yearbook and whose score is highest in all the Yearbook Classes. (In case of ties, duplicate awards will be given.)

Sweepstakes Award
This award will be presented to the school that receives an All-State rating in both it’s yearbook and newspaper and whose combined scores for yearbook and newspaper are the highest. (In case of ties, duplicate awards will be made.)

Spring Writing Contest
The Spring Writing Contest is a high school writing and photography contest sponsored annually by the South Dakota High School Activities Association and the South Dakota State University Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. Schools may enter material published in their school newspaper during the current school year. Deadline: March 1
Writing
Includes the following Sub-Category groups:
a) Newswriting
b) In-Depth News Feature
c) Feature Story
d) Sports Story/Sports Feature
e) Sports Column
f) Editorials
g) General Interest Column/Opinion Article
h) Arts Review
Each school is allowed toenter three items in each of the writing sub-category groups.
Photography
Includes the following Sub-Category groups:
a) Photo:School Activities
b) Photo:Sports
c) Photo:Portrait
d) Photo:Story (three or more photos that tell a story)
e) Photo:Non-School Subject
Each school is allowed to enter three items in each of the photography sub-category groups.
Advertising
Each entry consists of two samples of ads designed by the student. Each school is allowed three entries in the Advertising category.
Cartoons
Each entry consists of two cartoons by a student. Each school is allowed three entries in the Cartoon category.
Front Page Layout
Entries must include the three best issues of a newspaper’s front page layout. Papers will be divided into offset, self-published and departmental. Each school is allowed only one entry in this category.
Infographics
An infographic is a chart, map, graphic or other illustration meant to provide information. Each entry consists of two infographics by a student. Each school is allowed three entries in the Infographics category.
Special Edition
This category involves a single issue or section of an issue of the newspaper that gives special, in-depth treatment to a single subject or contemporary issue. Entries should include a minimum of three articles addressing different facets of a subject or issue. All articles should appear in one section of the paper. A school may enter as many special editions as it produces in the school year.

Spring Writing Contest Sweepstakes Awards
Awards will be presented to the top three entries (and "honorable mention" entries, if merited) in each of the two enrollment classes. The results will be announced in April.
Enrollment of 350 and over
Enrollment of under 350
Highest Points Student
Provides a means of recognizing the outstanding contribution of individual students. These awards are determined by combining the points earned by each student on entries submitted in the various categories of the Spring Writing Contest.
Writing Sweepstakes
Provides a way to recognize both the students and the schools who produce the best writing entries. It reflects the highest total scores received by combining the points earned on entries submitted in the writing categories, contest areas.
Overall Sweepstakes
Reflects excellence and balance throughout all the areas of competition. The award is based upon the combined scores which a school receives in the writing categories, in the photography categories, and in advertising, cartoons, front page layout and the special edition categories of the Spring Writing Contest.

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