In 2020, the Texas APME will add a new contest category: Newsroom of the Year. This sweepstakes award was created because of the Texas APME board’s desire for an honor that goes beyond a Newspaper of the Year award, which is currently based on printed editions for only three dates during the year. The Newsroom of the Year award will take into account all 35 categories to better reflect a newsroom’s entire body of work and to recognize that a newspaper’s work in the 21st century includes much more than a printed product. The Newspaper of the Year award’s first-, second- and third-place winners will count the most in the points system but all other first, second and third places also will count toward the award.
Here is the points system:
Newspaper of the Year:
1st place: 30 points
2nd place: 20 points
3rd place: 10 points
All other categories
1st place: 3 points
2nd place: 2 points
3rd place: 1 point
The newspaper with the most points will win Newsroom of the Year. In case of a tie, the newsroom with the most first-place finishes will be the winner. If there is still a tie, the newsroom with the most first- and second-place finishes will be the winner.
Newspapers will NOT upload any material for this category. Texas APME contest coordinators will tabulate the points when all categories are judged.