Record Contest Entries Judged by Ann Heinrechs

PenPoints April 2009 / 5

Judges Review a Record-Breaking Number
of Communications Contest Entries
By Ann Heinrichs, Communications Contest Director

IWPA members submitted a record number of 148 entries in this year’s Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest. Award winners will have their day in the sun at IWPA’s prestigious Awards Luncheon May 16 at Chicago’s Union League Club.

Professionals from a broad spectrum of specialties pored over members’ entries, offering constructive observations to aid in the entrants’ professional development. Judges commented on the high quality of the entries, often struggling to decide how to rank them.

A total of 36 entries received first-place awards in their respective categories. First-place winners go on to compete nationwide, joining approximately 1,500 other contestants. National winners are announced at the National Federation of Press Women’s annual convention, held this year on September 10–12 in San Antonio, Texas.

Here is our lineup of judges for the Illinois state competition:

Print Media (News and Features) — Steven Walters is
the Madison Bureau Chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin’s largest daily newspaper, where he oversees coverage of state politics as well as Capitol politics. Previously, Steve was managing editor of the Waukesha Freeman and assistant city editor and state Capitol bureau chief at the Des Moines Register &
Tribune. Steve is also a tenured lecturer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism.

Web Writing—Janice Castro and Jill Blackman.

Janice teaches interactive storytelling, reporting, magazine
publishing, and media management at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where she is senior director of graduate education. For more than 20 years, Janice was a reporter, writer, and editor for Time magazine. She headed Time's interactive operations for fi ve years, managing online news for Time Inc. magazines including Time, People, Fortune, Entertainment Weekly and Sports Illustrated.

Jill teaches online journalism at Medill and previously worked as a reporter, producer, and editor for the Chicago Tribune’s online edition for eight years. She won several awards from the Society for Professional Journalists for her work producing multimedia presentations for the Chicago Tribune. Jill is a past board member of the Online News Association and has been a presenter at many journalism conferences.

PR/Publicity/Promotion—Cheryl Procter-Rogers is president of A Step Ahead Public Relations in Lincolnshire, IL. She counsels clients in integrated marketing communications, community relations and public affairs, strategic planning, and special events planning. Previously, Cheryl was a member of the corporate affairs team for HBO and director of public relations and advertising for Nielsen North America.

Photography—Eric Jamison is the owner of Studio J Inc., a commercial, architectural, advertising, and editorial photography studio based in Las Vegas. Eric is an intense and creative photographer who has made a name for himself within the dynamic, fast-paced Las Vegas market as a first-rate photographer of people and places.

Books/Short Stories/Speeches — Russell Primm is president of Editorial Directions, Inc., a book producer and consultant providing editorial services such as concept development and project management, as well as marketing and sales consulting. Russell’s 20-year publishing career has included positions with Scholastic and the University of Chicago, and he is a member of the University of Chicago Publishing Program Advisory Board.

Television —Lillian Williams is the director of the Broadcast Journalism program at Columbia College Chicago. She is also a Teaching Fellow for Indiana University’s Freedom Forum and a Fellow with the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation’s Excellence in Journalism Education Program. Previously, Lillian was a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times and a broadcast reporter for WKYC-TV in Cleveland. She is a past president of the Association for Women Journalists in Chicago.

Plan now to attend May 16
Annual Awards Luncheon

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 16 when Anne M. Burke, Illinois Supreme Court Justice, First District, will be our guest speaker. Find out who won the Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest and High School Journalism Contest awards and enjoy an elegant meal.

Watch your email for further information.