APSE | Associated Press Sports Editors

Failed vote to re-organize judging categories leaves most sports editors feeling disappointed

Small-paper sports editors expressed disappointment and frustration following the failed vote that would have changed the APSE contest divisions and created an under-25,000 circulation category.

The APSE Executive Committee stalemated 6-6 on a vote to change the four circulation categories in the contest, causing the proposal to fail.

"The decision looks bad. Very bad," sports editor Jeff Kidd of The Island Packet in Hilton Head, S.C., responded in an e-mail. "The appearance is that the largest newspapers are a small club with an even smaller regard for folks such as myself."

Added Mike Kays of the Muskogee (Okla.) Phoenix: "Leadership said they wanted to reach out to small papers. In this small step toward that, it stumbled and chipped a tooth. The result isn't attractive, and for that matter, we'll have to have substantial reason given to us to renew our membership in 2009."

While most sports editors who responded to an e-mail to more than 100 sports editors at newspapers under 40,000 circulation indicated they expected to renew their memberships, many also wanted to see an additional circulation division to help the smaller papers receive recognition in the contest.

Kevin Weaks, the one-man sports department of the Mayfield (Ky.) Messenger, a 6,000 circulation paper recognized by the Kentucky Press Association, wrote, "Going up against 40,000 circulation papers in a national contest is as unfair as putting my daughter's third-grade Upward team against the Celtics. And I like to think I do pretty good work. But I'm simply not on a level playing field here."

Others who responded also wanted to see the inclusion a cover letter to explain a newspaper's market as well as a department's mission and challenges. Alan Greenwood of the Nashua (N.H.) Telegraph noted that not all under-40,000 paper are the same in regard to what they cover with some papers in suburban areas covering pros, some located in college towns and some more rural papers emphasizing high schools.

Of APSE's membership of more than 396 newspapers (and news organizations), 182 are in the under-40,000 division. The circulation class for the largest newspapers, over-250,000, has 38 members, including four papers with circulations below 250,000. Those newspapers pay annual dues of $300, while the under-40,000 newspapers pay $95.

Former Third Vice President Greg Brownell of the Glens Falls (N.Y.) Post Star is among those working on another proposal. Of the vote, he wrote, "I think it's a shame and I hope we come back to this during the summer."

Current Third VP Larry Vaught of the Danville (Ky.) Advocate-Messenger also was disappointed with the outcome of the vote.

"While I feel it was a blow to small papers, I certainly hope that will not discourage anyone from continuing to belong to APSE," Vaught wrote.

"There is much more to APSE than just the contest. It's not time to give up on APSE because it still has great benefits for papers of all sizes."

"(The proposal) would not solve what, in my view, is the biggest problem with the section judging: the fallacy that all under-40,000 markets are pretty much the same, and that all sections in such markets should pretty much share identical missions. ... One size does not fit all newspaper sports sections, even newspapers with identical circulations.

"Judges are in no position to second guess an editor's judgment on how his or her market is best served. Maybe this could be solved by including a cover letter with each section entry explaining the market demographics and the mission that has been set for the sports department.

"At least there would be a chance that judges would consider what a paper is trying to accomplish and judge it on that basis rather than on the basis of what they think a paper should be doing because its circulation falls within a certain range."

"Would I be happy competing with a 59,000 circulation paper with a staff – and resources – likely much larger than ours? Probably not.

"I certainly understand the frustration of smaller papers, such as our (10,000 circulation) sister paper in Winona, Minn. It's nearly impossible for them to pump out an award-winning section with their three-person staff competing with papers with staff sizes two, three and four times as large.

"Why not create another category in and of itself? What about a 20,000 and under?"

Based on fairness, the proposed breakdown made sense. However, I never heard a target figure for attracting new members or a projection on how many smaller papers would no longer be members if the proposal failed.

"And without either of these pieces, it seemed the change was simply for the sake of change with no benefit to the current, loyal members."

"The current structure doesn't afford the smallest of the small papers a fair shot, and while our purpose shouldn't be to only win awards, it sure would be nice to get a little recognition now and again.

"The small papers have an overabundance of multi-taskers. We write, take photos, edit, copy read, design pages, write headlines, blog and – holy cow – do all of the above with two or three staff members.

"There are a few of us who have to pay our own freight when it comes to dues. It's not inconceivable that membership will suffer in that regard."

— ANGELA DAIDONE, sports editor of The Jersey Journal in Jersey City, N.J.

"Speaking as a former judge, it seems only fair to establish a circulation category for newspapers below 25,000 due to staffing, budgets, news holes and other issues. Sure, there might be a few that can rise to the occasion, but overall it's tough to compete.

"One thing I learned from my experience is that our (16,500 circulation) newspaper could not compete with the big boys in our circulation group because we do not have the graphics capability, in-house knowledge or desk consistency to win as a section. As a result, I have not entered our section into the contest since I judged.

"The writing categories, that's a different story. A good story is a good story."

"We use Quark but print out pages to paste up. I am the entire sports department. With my limited resources, there is no way I can compete with papers that are three and four times my size and have separate staff members for reporting, editing, photography and design.

"I don't know if any of the people who voted against the change have ever paid any dues at a very small daily or even a weekly, but they should take a little time to understand what we go through on a daily basis and show a little more appreciation for the work and a little more respect for the people doing it.

"A change in the contest rules was needed, and when it was rejected in a tie vote, we were very discouraged. With the largest group of newspapers being the under-40,000 papers, and within that group a vast contrast in staff membership, I'm sure my song is being sung in many offices.

"We're the minor leagues and we recognize it. Yet, even rookie ball has special award honors. Either that or give us critiques. The desire to do well here is no less than at a paper 10 times our size."

"I was disappointed but it is not going to discourage our newspaper from being an APSE member. There are too many good people who are part of APSE who do good work for all of us in terms of providing practical tools in sports journalism. I would like to hear more explanations why the vote was turned down.

"For a paper our size (16,500 daily), it is tough to compete with papers more than double our size in contests. That also drives me to figure out ways to make the section aspire to be like our circulation category winners.

"I think it would be useful for sports editors to provide a cover letter. It may give judges an idea what smaller papers cover and how they do it with the staffs they have."

"I think there is a simple solution. Add another category. Why not have 20,000- or 25,000-and-under be the first division and leave the others the same? I think this would make everyone happy."

"The part of me that is small and selfish was disappointed because I imagined, perhaps incorrectly, that we would be among the handful of dominant newspapers in the smallest circulation category. But then I thought of what a joke our state press associations have become – too many categories and not enough vetting by judges have rendered them meaningless as an Elks Lodge door prize.

"Conversely, I'm proud of the few APSE awards my staff and I have won and relish the fact we've beaten out some papers twice our size to do so.

"With only 34 members in the largest category, they have only to be better than just more than one-third of their competitors to garner some type of recognition in the largest circulation category. That's an absurdly low bar for a contest that ought to confer some prestige."

"The failure of the vote won't affect my renewal. It might make it more difficult to recruit some of my colleagues in South Dakota, though."

2008 APSE WINTER JUDGING CONVENTION

• Small papers feel no satisfaction (3/10)

• Stories from the Judging Contest (3/5)

• Closing Minutes (3/1)

• A motion to change APSE contest stuffed (2/29)

• Kansas City Star hosts a barbecue (2/28)

• Four newspapers win coveted Triple Crown at APSE contest (2/27)

• Writing results (2/26)

• Section results (2/26)

• Slideshow: Days 2-3 (2/25)

• Judging off to a fast start (2/25)

• Opening Minutes (2/24)

• Slideshow: Day 1 (2/23)

• Complete index