Each year some of the very best journalism produced throughout the Western Hemisphere is part of the IAPA Annual Awards Contest.
The IAPA is an organization with more than 1,300 editors, publishers and other professionals who, for more than 60 years, have dedicated themselves to defending and nurturing press freedom in the Western Hemisphere.
The IAPAs annual awards competition is like no other in our industry.
Newspapers and news agencies from more than 33 nations in the Americas and the Caribbean submit their strongest published works in English, Spanish and Portuguese to IAPAS Miami offices by the annual February 1st deadline.
Judges working in three languages review entries and select winners at the spring, "midyear" meeting of the IAPA. Winners are awarded certificates and cash prizes at the annual meeting in the fall or early winter at the general assembly.
Your newspaper does not have to be an IAPA member to compete, although we do urge you to study our mission and consider membership. Our professional network is a formidable one, and professional associations often grow into lifelong friendships.
Our conventions are noted for their attractive venues and strong programs. Sites throughout the hemisphere are chosen for the two annual meetings. Next years midyear meeting will be held in San Salvador, El Salvador, in March of this year, while the general assembly will be staged in Chicago in October.
Despite the IAPAs great traditions and broad reach, many newspapers fail to enter the annual awards competition. Many U.S. newspaper editors, in particular, wrongly assume that only the work focusing on Latin America is eligible to win.
Any published work focusing on our hemisphere qualifies. Please visit our web site at www.sipiapa.org for the contest guidelines, rules and registration sheet, and a list of the IAPA board of directors. We hope to see your entries.
Sincerely,
Juan Luis Correa,
Awards Committee Chairman
La Prensa, Panama City, Panama
William E. Casey
Awards Committee Vice Chairman
Dow Jones & Co., New York, N.Y.