DEADLINE: JULY 6, 2009 (Late deadline: JULY 13, 2009)

The APME Innovator of the Year Award recognizes innovation in print, online, management, structure or other area that demonstrates a bold, creative effort to improve a news or information product and increase audience. Demonstrable success is not essential but could improve the entry's standing.

The competition is open to any editor or staff member of an AP member newspaper, a team from a member newspaper or a newspaper.

Entries must have been published or launched between June 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. (Eligibility period restores one month reduced in 2008 competition due to earlier convention that year.)

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

A total of 20 files can be uploaded with each entry. This can include a combination of documents, published pages and multimedia files, if applicable.

• Online innovation: The entrant is responsible for making the site available to judges through a Web link. URL should be submitted with the application.

• Print innovation: Submit electronic files of published tearsheets.

• Online and print: Combinations are welcome, and should be submitted according to rules for both.

• Management, structure or other: Explain thoroughly the innovation and how it improved or increased efficiency, effectiveness, coordination and audience or enhanced the newspaper's competitiveness or ability to improve content. Provide examples of resulting content as appropriate.

Entry questions should be directed to:

Mark Mittelstadt, APME
The Associated Press
19 Commerce Court West
Cranbury, NJ 08512

Phone: (212) 621-1838

E-mail: mmittelstadt@ap.org

Entries must be submitted online by July 6, 2009, to be assessed the normal entry fee, or by July 13, 2009, for an additional $25 assessment.

A $100 contest fee ($75 for APME members) will be assessed entries submitted by July 6. For entries submitted from July 7-13 the fee will be an $125 ($100 for APME members).

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

(For more on APME membership go here).

A panel of APME board members will judge all entries and select three finalists. The finalists will be presented to attendees of the APME conference in St. Louis Oct. 28-30, 2009, and a vote of attendees will determine the winner. A representative of each finalist will be asked to present his or her newspaper's entry at the conference. Attendance is not required to win.

The APME Innovator of the Year will be honored at the APME conference in St. Louis and will receive a trophy recognizing the winning effort. Also, APME's quarterly magazine, APME News, will feature the winner in a cover story in its next edition.

Top award, as voted by 2008 APME conference attendees:

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for its investigative and watchdog reporting in print and on the Internet.

Finalists:

Florida Today, Melbourne, Fla., which was a test site for Gannett's video production training and which helped the company develop the company's concepts for the newsroom of the future.

The Las Vegas Sun for transforming its online presence from a Web site largely replicating the print newspaper to a high-tech local news site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bob Heisse
APME Innovation Committee chairman

Phone: (814) 231-4640

E-mail: bheisse@centredaily.com