RTDNA - Radio Television Digital News Association - Awards

Awards

RTDNA/UNITY Awards

RTNDA/UNITY

RTDNA honors outstanding achievements in the coverage of diversity with the RTDNA/UNITY Award. The award is part of the covenant the association has adopted with UNITY: Journalists of Color, to achieve diversity in the newsroom through developing news content and editorial staffs that reflect the changing face of communities. The purpose of the award is to encourage and showcase journalistic excellence in covering issues of race and ethnicity. It is presented annually to news organizations that show an ongoing commitment to covering the diversity of the communities they serve.

Enter your radio, television or online news organization in the RTDNA/UNITY Awards and showcase your ongoing commitment to covering diversity issues. This prestigious award will bring recognition to your news team and increased respect from your audience.

New in 2010! Online News Organizations are welcome to enter the RTDNA/UNITY Awards. This means that audio and video that appeared exclusively online is eligible to win in each of the categories. Entrants will be identified as Small Market Radio Station, Large Market Radio Station, Radio Network/Syndication Service/Program, Small Market Television Station, Large Market Television Station, Television Network/Syndication Service/Program and Online News Organization. Click here for specifics on each of these designations.

--All entries must be submitted online. All accompanying media must be uploaded. DVDs/CDs will not be accepted. If the accompanying media can be found online, links to that media can be provided for judging. However, that media is subject to the same entry requirement as if it were uploaded --i.e. if the entry media provided goes over the time limit of 60 minutes, the entry will be disqualified. For technical requirements for upload, click here.

--Upon completion, instructions to upload your entries will be emailed to the address on file of the person entering. If technical assistance is needed, please submit a trouble ticket to deal with technical personnel directly.

What Do I Need To Know to Enter?

The news organization must submit an entry that demonstrates journalistic excellence in covering issues of race and ethnicity in the community it serves. That coverage may include but is not limited to, an examination of racism, race relations, problems confronting indigenous groups, issues of language, and/or explorations of social conditions common to racial or ethnic groups in the community served. The entry may be a single story or a compilation of work. A written presentation is required and should include a list of material on the entry.

Entries may be edited and must not exceed 60 minutes (all commercials breaks must be removed).
Entries will be pre-screened.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A written presentation is required (it can be entered into the description box) and should include a list of material on entry and an explanation of the news organization's philosophy related to the coverage of diversity issues.
Judging will be based on the original work samples and not on the way the entry is submitted.

Entry Deadline

Entries should be complete and media uploaded no later than March 12, 2010.

Eligibility

Entries may be submitted by stations, networks, syndication services, program services and online news organizations. Entries without appropriate station, network or company authorization will not be accepted. You do not have to be a member of RTDNA to enter the competition or win an award. International entries are accepted.

Entry Process

To start your entry, click here. Once you’ve finished the entry and provided payment, you will receive an e-mail from RTDNA that your entry is complete. It will contain instructions on how to upload the media that accompanies your entry.

Entry Requirements

AUDIO REQUIREMENTS: All audio files must be .mp3. No audio in any format other than .mp3 will be accepted.

VIDEO REQUIREMENTS: All video files must be one of the following formats: .flv, .avi, or .mpg.

The preferred format for video files is .flv. If your media is not in flash video, it will automatically convert when uploading from the following formats: . .avi or .mpg. No video in any format other than .flv, .avi, or .mpg will be accepted.

Please click on the link in your confirmation e-mail and follow the steps for uploading.

The material may be shortened but may not be altered in any other way, including chronological rearrangement.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece that appeared.
Time limits are strictly enforced.
A written presentation is required and should include a list of uploaded material and an explanation of the news organization's philosophy regarding coverage of diversity issues.
Non-English-language entries are encouraged but must be accompanied by a written English translation or subtitles.

Entry Fees

Small Market/Large Market Station/Online News Operation
	Member*	Nonmember
Audio	$65	$115
Video	$115	$215

Radio/Television Network/Syndication Service/Program Service
	Member*	Nonmember
Audio	$165	$315
Video	$165	$315
*To qualify for member rates on entry fees, a member of your full-time news staff must be an RTNDA member through March 1, 2010. Not sure of your member status? E-mail membership@rtdna.org

If entering at the member rate, you must give the name of the RTDNA member and member number. The member must be paid in full through March 1st, 2010. If you are unsure of your member status or can’t remember your member number, contact RTDNA staff at 202.834.1270 or e-mail us at membership@rtdna.org.

Payment for entry fees can be made online by credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) when you submit your entry or by mailing a check. If payment is made by check, please include a copy of the invoice received via e-mail or note the invoice number(s) directly on the check to ensure proper credit to your account. Entries must be paid for in full by the time judging starts or they won't be judged. Checks should be made payable to RTDNA. All checks can be sent to:

RTDNA
4121 Plank Road, #512
Fredericksburg, VA 22407

Disqualification

An entry that does not follow competition rules as outlined in here will be disqualified. Entries that are longer than 60 minutes will be disqualified. Entrants will not be notified of disqualification, nor will entry fees be refunded.

Judging of Entries

Entries are judged by a panel of journalism professionals representing UNITY: Journalists of Color, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists, Asian American Journalists Association, Native American Journalists Association and RTNDA. An award will be given in each category unless, in the opinion of the judges, no award is deserved. The decision of the judges is final.

Notification

RTDNA/UNITY Award recipients will be announced in late June 2010.

Awards and Recognition

Recipients of an RTDNA/UNITY Award will receive a custom-designed award, which will be presented at the RTDNA Awards Dinner in October 2010 in New York.