Online Journalism Awards entry deadline extended to July 21

The deadline to enter the Online Journalism Awards has been extended to Wednesday, July 21 at 8 p.m. ET.

During the last few days, we’ve received several requests to extend the deadline, so we’ve added five days (three business days). Screening will now begin the week of July 26.

Now that you have more time, here is what you need to know to enter the OJAs and make the process go more smoothly:

• Read the 2010 Rules and Guidelines carefully. There are new changes for this year.
  
• The 2010 categories have been expanded. They are:
  • The Knight Award for Public Service
  • General Excellence in Online Journalism
  • General Excellence in Online Journalism, Non-English
  • The Gannett Foundation Award for Technical Innovation in the Service of Digital Journalism
  • Breaking News
  • Specialty Site Journalism
  • The Gannett Foundation Award for Innovative Investigative Journalism
  • Multimedia Feature Presentation (new student sub-category)
  • Online Topical Reporting/Blogging
  • Online Commentary/Blogging
  • Community Collaboration Award
  • Outstanding Use of Digital Technologies on the Web (new student sub-category)
  • Outstanding Use of Emerging Platforms
  • Online Video Journalism (new student sub-category)
    
• Entry fees are $100 per entry/per category for ONA members; $175 for non-members. Fees for students and sole practitioners are $50 per entry/per category for members; $125 for non-members. Please read the definition of student and sole practitioner work in the 2010 Rules and Guidelines.

• The OJA online entry system is a separate database from the ONA website, Journalists.org. Once you create an account on the OJA entry system, you will be asked to enter your ONA username and password to verify your membership and get the reduced fee.

• If you are not an ONA member, you can become one at Journalists.org. Once your membership is approved, please allow at least 30 minutes for your login credentials to sync with the awards site.

• A media outlet may enter multiple projects in multiple categories.

• Finally, to enter, or to find our more about the OJAs, go to JournalistAwards.org.

If your question is not answered above, please contact us at awards@journalists.org.

Launched in May 2000, the OJAs are administered by the Online News Association, in partnership with the University of Miami’s School of Communication. This year’s honorees will be announced on Oct. 30, the final night of ONA10, the Online News Association Conference and Awards Banquet, held Oct. 28-30 in Washington, D.C.