News and Events

The O.C. Press Club is pleased to announce the 2012 Journalism Awards.

To qualify, stories must have been published in an O.C.-based publication
or website/blog, or written by an O.C.-based writer
(local writers in national publications allowed).

Only stories/photographs published or posted between
January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 will be considered.

Entry deadline: EXTENDED to Friday, May 25, 2012.

Award Categories

Best News story or feature

Best Investigative story

Best Public Affairs or Education story or series

Best Feature story

Best Round-up or ‘Best Of’ feature

Best Business story, feature or column

Best Sports story, feature or column

Best Arts or Culture story, review, feature or column

Best Music or Entertainment story, review, feature or column

Best Food or Restaurant review, story, feature or column

Best Travel story, feature or column

Best Broadcast about OC (radio/TV)

David McQuay Award for Best Columnist

Marjorie Freeman Award for Best Humorous Story

Best Entertainment blog

Best Lifestyle/Family blog

Best Food blog

Best News/Political blog

Best Photo

The Real O.C. award: for the story, review, feature, blog, column or photo that best captures something special, surprising, telling or essential about Orange County

(Following awards not for entry; selected by the judges/Press Club)

Watchdog Award, single story or a series

Best College Journalist (scholarship award)

Sky Dunlap Award for Lifetime Achievement

O.C. Press Club 2012 Journalism Contest
Rules and Procedures:

Daily, weekly or monthly, print or digital publications qualify for all the topical awards.  

Entry is via PDF as published/posted, or by link to the online/digital edition as originally posted. No hard copies. Email entries to OCpressclub@gmail.com.

Please do not alter the PDF from how the story/post actually ran. The press club reserves the option to review all winners to assure compliance via hard copy or Internet records (i.e. archive.org).

All entries due by midnight on Friday, May 25, 2012.  

Entrants must be current members of the Orange County Press Club. Dues of $25 (journalist), $50 (public relations) or $10 (student) must be received along with entry fees from new/past members to compete.

Each individual entry is $5. There is no limit on the number of entries per category or for the competition per journalist, but please submit a particular story in only one award category. For Best Columnist, Best Blogs and Best Series categories, please submit 3-5 samples, for a $5 total fee per category entry. Other than the categories noted above, please submit only one story per entry. For example, a Best Feature or Best News Story entry may not be multiple stories or posts combined and entered as one story.

Please be courteous to our judges who read the entries in abiding by these rules. The Press Club reserves the right to not award a winner in any category with fewer than five entries, or at the discretion of the judges.

Fees paid via PayPal are preferred (see below).

If you or your publication must pay by check, please email us for instructions at ocpressclub@gmail.com.

Please include in the body of your email your name, address, publication(s) and dates of stories corresponding in a clear way to your attached PDFs or links.

Please include OC PRESS CLUB AWARDS ENTRY in the subject line.

Awards dinner and distribution of certificates/trophies will be held this July. Date and location to be announced.  

Good luck!