Cassels Award

QUICK LINKS:
DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM (Microsoft Word version)
DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM (PDF version)
AWARD PLACEMENTS & VALUES
RULES
COPY PREPARATION
ELIGIBILITY
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Award Placements & Values

• 1st place: $750 and citation
• 2nd place: $500 and citation
• 3rd place: $250 and citation

Awarded to the religion writer of the year for small publications.
Entry fee: $25 for members / $45 for non-members.
Deadline: Feb. 1, 2008.

Contest Rules

• Submit exactly five (5) articles on religion written by one person and printed in the year prior to the contest. (Stories published only in the 2007 calendar year are eligible for the 2008 RNA contests.)
• Stories from the printed publication or its online adjunct are allowed. Stories may include the main text, infographics and charts. All materials must be published on the same date and reported and written by the same author. No photos or audio allowed.
• No multiple bylines.
• No sidebars.
• Publications with weekday circulations of 50,000 or less.
• RNA reserves the right to limit the presentation of awards for insufficient entry numbers.

Copy Preparation

• Submit letter-size, computer printouts, hole-punched on left margin (do not obscure text). All entries are anonymous (NO photos, headshots, bylines, editor's letters, photographer credits, URLs or other identifying credits). Include publication dates. Infographics allowed.
• If you enter more than one contest, each entry must have its own entry form. Clearly mark all entries with the appropriate contest name, and note on your payment all contests you are entering.
• Failure to adhere precisely to contest rules will lead to disqualification.
• Entries must be postmarked on or before Feb. 1, 2008.

Eligibility

It is the intent of the Religion Newswriters Association annual contests to recognize journalism excellence in general circulation newspapers, news magazines and news wire services. The contests are designed to measure a journalist's grasp on a diversity of religion issues. Religious media, including media whose goal is to support or promote a particular religion, faith community or religious group, are not eligible to participate in RNA contests. In addition:

• All journalists who write for general circulation media outlets are eligible to enter.
• RNA membership is NOT required for entry.
• RNA's president and contest chair are not eligible to enter individual contests.
• Entries will not be returned.

If you have questions about your eligibility, please call (614) 891-9001, ext. 2# or e-mail McCallen@RNA.org.

About the Award

The Cassels Award for the religion reporter of the year at small newspapers was named in 1974 following Louis Cassels’ death earlier that year. Cassels was an accomplished author as well as a journalist. He was the United Press International senior editor and a religion columnist. In addition to his journalistic duties, he also served on an Episcopal Church committee that famously decided how to deal with “heresy” charges within that denomination in 1967.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: CASSELS AWARD

ENTRY PREPARATION & PAYMENT QUESTIONS
ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS
GENERAL QUESTIONS

CASSELS ENTRY PREPARATION & PAYMENT INFORMATION

What are “letter-size, computer printouts?”
The ideal submission is plain text, printed out portrait-oriented on 8.5” x 11” paper, with a 1.5” left margin, three-hole punched on the left side. Most entrants either print stories directly from their paper’s Web site archives and then blacken out any identifying information, or they copy and paste the text of their story into a word processing program and cut any identifying text before printing out the story. Either way, be sure your printed version still has its headline and publication date.

Because all entries are submitted to judges without identifying information, we take extra care to assure no pages come out of order. To help do this, entries are put into three-ring binders before going to the judges.

May I send clips cut out from my newspaper?
We accept clips. Please still trim or blacken any identifying information (ie: photographer credit, paper name, etc.), and remove any photos. We request a 1.5” margin so none of the story is obscured when it is put in a three-ring binder for judging.

What identifying information IS allowed on my entry?

• Text of the story, headlines/subheads, datelines, publication dates
• Informational graphics (blacken graphic credit)

What identifying information is NOT allowed on my entry?

• Bylines, photographer/designer/graphic/editor credits, URLs with the paper’s name in it (be sure to check the bottom of your printout), headshots/photos, newspaper name
• Editor’s letter

Tip:  Correction fluid works best to cover up identifying information.

May I hand write information such as publication dates on my entry?
Yes you may.

May I use markers to cover up identifying information?
Yes you may. Correction fluid also works well to cover up information.

May I submit more or less than five (5) stories for the Cassels contest?
You may submit up to five stories, however, most entries are comprised of the full five stories.

Should I include sidebars with my entry?
No. Sidebars aren’t allowed in the Cassels contest.

May I submit a story with more than one byline?
No. Cassels allows only one byline (one author) per entry.

What is the publishing date range to enter stories in the 2007 RNA contests?
Stories published Jan. 1, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2007 are eligible for the 2008 Cassels contest.

Do I have to number the pages in my entry?
No.

Should I submit personal comments or a letter from my editor with my Cassels entry?
No. All such letters are removed before entries are sent to judges.

May I copy the entry form if I enter more than one contest?

Yes. BE SURE to write the contest name on the top of each of your entries, and include an entry form with EVERY entry.

May my newspaper use one check to cover multiple people’s entries for many contests?
Yes. Include with the check a list of all the people and contests the check covers to make certain proper credit is given. 

May payment checks be sent separately from entries?
Yes, just note on your entry form that the check will arrive at RNA under separate cover. Be sure the check’s memo includes who and what contest the payment covers.

What forms of payment do you accept?
Check, credit card (VISA, MC, DISC, AMEX), cash, money order. Checks and money orders should be made payable to RNA or Religion Newswriters Association.

Will I receive confirmation that RNA received my entry?
No. You are welcome to call 614-891-9001, ext. 2#, if you’d like to verify that RNA received it.

Should I staple my entry form to the entry?
Please do not staple the form to your entry. You may use paperclips if you like, but they are not necessary. Entries will be placed into notebooks for judging.

I’m sending my entry via FedEx, UPS or DHL. What RNA address should I use?
Send your entry to: RNA: Contests, 99-A North State Street, Westerville, OH 43081.

CASSELS ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS

What constitutes a “small” newspaper?
For the Cassels contest, papers with weekday circulations of 50,000 or less are eligible.

May full-time students (high school, undergrad or graduate) enter Cassels?
Yes, full-time students may enter Cassels. However, full-time students many not enter both Cassels and Chandler. Cassels entries from students must be from a general circulation publication (Articles from student media are not allowed in Cassels).

Do I have to be a member of RNA to enter Cassels?
No, but you are welcome to use your entry form to join RNA.

Do I have to be a religion beat reporter to submit an entry?
No. Any journalist may enter provided the stories were published in an eligible publication.

I’m a columnist who writes about religion. May I enter Cassels?
Yes. If your column is syndicated, its total circulation should not exceed 50,000. Syndicated columnists may also enter Supple and Templeton Reporter of the Year.

I work for a newspaper outside North America. May I enter RNA’s contests?
No, only U.S. and Canadian outlets are eligible to enter RNA’s contests.

Are religious publications eligible to enter Cassels?
No. Religious media, including media whose goal is to support or promote a particular religion, faith community or religious group, are not eligible to participate in RNA contests.

I’m a freelancer. May I submit articles from more than one outlet?
Yes. You must list all the outlets included in your entry on your entry form (use the back of the form if you need more room). If you’re entering Cassels as a freelancer, make sure all the outlets meet the circulation requirements (weekday circulation of 50,000 or less).

Are broadcast outlets or online-only outlets eligible to enter Cassels?
Cassels is for print-primary publications. However, articles that also appeared on a newspaper’s Web site are eligible as well.

Why would an entry be disqualified, and what is the process for disqualification?
An entry could be disqualified for the following reasons: 1) Didn’t follow contest rules. 2) Doesn’t meet eligibility requirements. 3) Didn’t follow entry preparation guidelines. The contest chairperson contacts the entrant to let him/her know their entry is disqualified and why. The entry fee is returned.

CASSELS GENERAL QUESTIONS

May I submit more than one entry for the Cassels Award?
Yes. You may enter Cassels as many times as you like, provided the stories for each entry are different.

May I enter other contests too?
Yes. You may enter as many contests as you wish, provided you meet the eligibility requirements for each contest.

If my entry (computer printouts) is anonymous, how do you know who won?
We assign each entry a unique number. We write that number on the entry form and the entry itself. The judges list the winners by entry number. The RNA staff then matches the entry number to the entry form to reveal the winners’ names.

Who judges the contest?
Judges include former contest winners, religion writers or others with specialized knowledge of religion reporting. Judges are not allowed to judge contests in which they may have a conflict of interest.

How many finalists/winners will the judges choose?
Judges generally select 10 finalists and three top winners. 

When will I know if I’m a finalist?
RNA posts the finalists on its Web site, www.RNA.org, by May 15. The list is also published in the RNA newsletter.

When will I know if I’m a winner?
The contest chairman will contact winners in June. Winners are revealed to the general public at the Awards Banquet at RNA’s Annual Conference.

What are Cassels’ cash awards?
First—$750, Second—$500, Third—$250

Do I have to collect my prize in person to receive it?
No. Most winners do try to attend the Awards Banquet, however, because the event is so enjoyable. There is no cost to you and one guest to attend the banquet. If you are unable to attend the banquet, we will mail you your check and plaque.

May I get a copy of the judges’ comments about my entry?
Only winners receive judges’ comments, if the judges provide them.

Do you publish past entries?
At www.RNA.org, we link to stories from the first, second and third place entries in each writing contest (when possible).

Do you return entries?
We are unable to return entries.