Many of the conference’s partner organizations hold news reporting contests each year and four of the groups announce their winners at the Midwest Journalism Conference. Entry deadlines are usually in January and judging takes place in February and March leading up to the conference. They include:

• The SPJ Region 6 Mark of Excellence Awards
• The NATAS-Upper Midwest Student Production Awards / Upper Midwest Emmy® Awards
• The RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards
• The Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association Eric Sevareid Awards

Each contest offers a wide variety of categories in which to enter and the chance to compete against news organizations in similar markets around the region.  The Eric Sevareid Awards draw entries from the conference’s entire six-state region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Iowa and Nebraska.  The Edward R. Murrow Awards announced at the conference cover RTDNA’s Region 4, which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.  Iowa and Nebraska are part of RTDNA’s Region 5 and those awards are presented in Kansas City each spring.  Each region and state hosts its own SPJ awards on various dates and locations throughout the spring.  The Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences holds a separate awards ceremony for professionals in the fall each year.

To enter any of the news reporting contests, visit the websites of the individual groups for more information.