The 2008 APME First Amendment Awards will be given to journalists or newspapers for work that advances freedom of information, makes good use of FOI principles or statutes, or significantly widens the scope of information available to the public. Other distinguished efforts will be honored with First Amendment citations.

The objective is to honor journalists and newspapers for significant or breakthrough work that protects or advances the First Amendment or federal and state FOI statutes. A story or project that makes good use of an FOIA law does not necessarily meet the criteria for the APME First Amendment Award, and may be deserving of consideration in the APME Public Service competition. Judges in the First Amendment contest will give preference to entries that break ground in the use of freedom of information principles or overcome significant official resistance to legal application of the First Amendment or FOI laws. Newspapers must choose whether to enter their projects in the First Amendment or Public Service contests.

Nominations will be made by individuals, newspapers, professional societies, schools of journalism, state AP associations and others.

There shall be three awards: one for newspapers with average daily circulation to 39,999; one for newspapers with average daily circulation of 40,000 to 149,999; another for newspapers of 150,000 average daily circulation or more, according to the latest audited figures. One Sweepstakes Award will be given to the winning entry that best exemplifies the spirit of the First Amendment. APME reserves the right to decline to award a winner in any category.

Individual staff members of The Associated Press or Canadian Press member newspapers, or the newspapers themselves, are eligible. Specific articles or actions cited for recognition must have been published or have occurred between July 1, 2007 and May 31, 2008. However, an individual or newspaper may be nominated for contributions to freedom of information over the years.

All entries will be accepted online at www.omnicontests3.com/apme/omnicontests

The objective is to honor newsmen, newswomen and newspapers for efforts to obtain information to which the public otherwise would not have access. It is important that entries emphasize and document those efforts. Electronic images of pages must include publication dates. A total of 20 files may be uploaded and can be a combination of published pages, documentation and/or multimedia files. A detailed explanation of the entry to be submitted as a document file to your online application should discuss significant challenges to the accuracy or the approach of the entry, and steps the newspaper took to address those concerns. The entry must include all published corrections.

Questions should be directed to:

Entries must be submitted online by June 2, 2008 to be assessed the normal entry fee, or by June 9, 2008 for an additional $10 assessment.

A $75 contest fee ($50 for current APME Supporting Members) will be assessed entries submitted by June 2. Entries submitted between June 2 and 9 will be assessed an $85 fee.

Follow information on the online application to submit payment by credit card or to send a check.

(For more on APME Supporting Membership go to the APME Web site www.apme.com/membership).

Nominations will be judged in late June by members of the APME Executive Committee, the chairman of the APME First Amendment Committee and distinguished experts on public access issues. Winners will be recognized at the APME annual conference in Las Vegas Sept. 8-11, 2008.

Over 150,000 circulation

San Francisco Chronicle for "Balco Steroid Investigation."

40,000 to 150,000 circulation

The Post-Standard of Syracuse, N.Y. for "What Happens when Tax Breaks are For Sale."

Under 40,000 circulation

Record Searchlight of Redding, Calif., which won a 2½-year battle to bring to light an investigative report on harassment and bullying by the superintendent/principal of a small high school district.