Frequently Asked Questions
GETTING STARTED:
How should I approach the competition submission process?
PART 1 - Register
Register an account on the Official Submissions Hub.
- Use your email or our integrations with Google, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.
PART 2 - Gather
Make a list of URLs for the journalism you want to enter.
- Be sure to include the names and emails of the journalists associated with each piece. Remember, the Loeb Awards encourages self-submissions, too!
Evaluate the list and see if the work can be grouped.
- Can the work be grouped by topic, event, series, etc.? Or does each piece stand independently?
Compare the list of work with all our competition categories.
- Look to see where the would fit best. Remember, you can enter different pieces into more than one category. And you can enter the exact same pieces into up to two categories.
Give your work a title.
- Choose a short title that fits the group or each stand-alone piece you consider entering.
PART 3 - Answer
Review the questions on the NEW Questionnaire that replaces the cover letter requirement.
- The new Questionnaire will be the first thing the judges will read to give them information about the work they will begin to evaluate. If any of the questions do not apply to your submission, please write “N/A” in the answer field. List of questions (250-word limit answers):
- Provide a summary of this submission.
- Describe how this submission relates to this category.
- How did this news team discover and report out this story/series?
- What partnerships, including across an individual newsroom, were involved in the reporting of this entry? How did those partnerships meaningfully contribute to the reporting?
- Is this entry part of a project that began before the current award year? If so, summarize the previous reporting (provide links where possible).
- If this entry is presented as service or solutions journalism, please describe how it helps the intended audience navigate a situation or solve the problem that is the focus of the reporting.
- Describe how the work in this submission is distinguished from competing reporting on the subject or how this submission broke key aspects of this coverage.
- What obstacles, if any, were overcome in the reporting for this submission?
- Describe any innovative techniques, platforms, technologies or data used in this reporting or storytelling.
- Describe any significant impact or change resulting from the journalism contained in this submission (provide links where possible).
- Please note any significant challenges to the honesty, accuracy or fairness of the work in this submission, and provide any responses to the challenge (provide links where possible). Published letters of complaint, corrections or retractions are examples of items relevant to the judging process.
NOTE: Text in the answer fields can be formatted, including URLs as hyperlinked words or phrases.
PART 4 - Combine
Combine everything into a text document.
- You'll use this document to cut & paste for each group or stand-alone piece you're entering. This document should include the following:
- URLs to your work (Elements)
- Names & emails (Authors & Contributors)
- Competition category selection
- Title of the work (Submission Title)
- Answers to the questions for the judges (Questionnaire)
If entering in the Audio or Video categories, you'll need to submit transcripts.
- There will be a file upload field for transcripts for each Element in those two categories.
PART 5 - Submit
Login to the Official Submissions Hub.
- Select Start Submission. Tip - create a test submission first to get a feel for the tabs on the form.
Complete the five (5) tabs of the entry form.
- From the information that you already gathered in the text document, type or paste that information into the following tabs:
- Start Tab - Category Selection, Submission Title and Duplicate Acknowledgement
- Outlet/Organization Tab - Name(s) and Twitter Handle
- Authors & Contributors Tab - First Name(s), Last Name(s), Phone and Twitter Handle
- Questionnaire Tab - Questions with answer fields
- Elements Tab - URL(s), Publication Date(s), Paywall Indication, Paywall Username, Paywall Password and Transcript Upload for the Audio or Video categories only
NOTE: Remember, the submission form will autosave, so if you need to stop in the middle of the process, you can start again right where you left off.
Take a few minutes to review everything.
- Double-check the information you've inputted in all the required fields in each tab.
Add the submission to your cart, pay the entry fee and complete checkout.
- Your work will be officially entered for the Loeb Awards!
Need a little extra help, send us an email with your contact information, and we'll guide your through the submission process.
AWARDS COORDINATORS:
I'm coordinating all the submissions for an organization; can I pay for them in bulk?
Once you've fill out the submission forms for each of your organization's entries, just add as many as you'd like to your cart and pay the entry fee for all of those submissions at the same time.
COVER LETTER:
Am I required to submit a cover letter to the judges?
DUPLICATE SUBMISSIONS:
My submission fits the criteria for multiple categories. Can I enter the same submission into more than one category?
You will be asked to identify the submission as a duplicate on the submission form (to help with our internal tracking).
ELEMENTS:
What is an element?
The categories in the competition group accept submissions with elements in all journalistic forms (including those produced for mobile distribution) and in any combination of forms
ELEMENTS:
Can I submit podcasts in any competition category?
Video and audio (broadcast, streaming, etc.) can also be submitted as elements in any category.
ELEMENTS:
How many elements can I include in each submission?
The following categories have a maximum of five (5) elements per submission:
Beat Reporting, Breaking News, Commentary, Explanatory, Feature, International, Investigative, Local, Personal Finance & Consumer Reporting, and Visual Storytelling
The following categories have a maximum of three (3) elements per submission:
Audio and Video
ELEMENTS:
Are all elements in my submission required to have a common theme?
Most submissions we receive seem to have an underlying theme - by topic/subject or by the primary author. However, we do receive submissions containing a collection of the individual's or organization's best work with no underlying theme.
ELEMENTS:
Is there an advantage to including the maximum number of elements in my submission versus only one or two elements?
The submission should be a representation of your best work. If your submission is best showcased by multiple elements, then you may include up to the maximum number of elements. However, you are not required to submit more than one element.
ELEMENTS:
Is my submission judged as a whole or is each element judged individually?
The elements will not be judged individually.
ELEMENTS:
I would like to submit a series I wrote, but the number of articles in my series exceeds the maximum allowed elements. What should I do?
ELEMENTS:
Our article includes sidebars. Does each sidebar count as an element?
Sidebars will only be read and included in the material to be judged if designated as an element on the submission form. Alternatively, you can mention or hyperlink a sidebar in answers on the new Questionnaire. Judges view hyperlinks at their discretion.
FEES:
What is the entry fee? Do all submissions require an entry fee?
There is a $100 submission fee per entry in each competition category. There is no submission fee required for Lifetime Achievement Award or Minard Editor Award nominations.
FEES:
Where does my entry fee go? What does it support?
The second way the foundation receives operating money is from the sale of ticket (individuals) and table (usually news outlets) to the annual awards event in New York City.
The G. and R. Loeb Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Loeb Awards were established in 1957 by the late Gerald Loeb, a founding partner of E.F. Hutton. UCLA Anderson has been the steward of the G. and R. Loeb Foundation since 1973.
FOUNDATION:
Is the Loeb Foundation a nonprofit? Is my entry fee tax deductible?
The Loeb Awards were established in 1957 by the late Gerald Loeb, a founding partner of E.F. Hutton. UCLA Anderson has been the steward of the G. and R. Loeb Foundation since 1973.
INTERNATIONAL OUTLETS:
Our outlet is headquartered internationally, but we have a US based bureau. Can we still submit an entry to the Loeb Awards?
As long as the elements of the submission were published or broadcast in the United States no matter where your outlet has operations.
JOURNALIST SAFETY:
Our journalists are reporting on extremely sensitive topics or based in high-conflict locations. Do we still have to list their names on the entry form?
NATIONAL, REGIONAL OR LOCAL OUTLETS:
We are a US-based outlet and collaborate with international outlets. Can we still submit an entry to the Loeb Awards?
As long as the elements of the submission were published or broadcast in the United States no matter if you collaborated with an internationally based outlet.
PDF:
Do I need to include a PDF with each submission?
QUESTIONNAIRE:
What is the questionnaire and is it required for all submissions?
Yes. All competition entries must include a completed questionnaire...
The questionnaire will provide background information on your submission for the preliminary and final judging panels.
QUESTIONNAIRE:
What if some of the questions don't apply to my submission?
If any of the questions do not apply to your submission, please write “N/A” in the answer field.
QUESTIONNAIRE:
What are the questions?
Here are the questions on the form...
- Provide a summary of this submission.
- Describe how this submission relates to this category.
- How did this news team discover and report out this story/series?
- What partnerships, including across an individual newsroom, were involved in the reporting of this entry? How did those partnerships meaningfully contribute to the reporting?
- Is this entry part of a project that began before the current award year? If so, summarize the previous reporting (provide links where possible).
- If this entry is presented as service or solutions journalism, please describe how it helps the intended audience navigate a situation or solve the problem that is the focus of the reporting.
- Describe how the work in this submission is distinguished from competing reporting on the subject or how this submission broke key aspects of this coverage.
- What obstacles, if any, were overcome in the reporting for this submission?
- Describe any innovative techniques, platforms, technologies or data used in this reporting or storytelling.
- Describe any significant impact or change resulting from the journalism contained in this submission (provide links where possible).
- Please note any significant challenges to the honesty, accuracy or fairness of the work in this submission, and provide any responses to the challenge (provide links where possible). Published letters of complaint, corrections or retractions are examples of items relevant to the judging process.
QUESTIONNAIRE:
Is there a word limit to the answers for each of the questions? Can I format my answers and include links?
Yes...
The answers to all questions are limited to 250 words. Text in the answer fields can be formatted, including URLs as hyperlinked words or phrases. The judges do not have a preference for hyperlinks or URLs. You may include whichever option is easiest.
QUESTIONNAIRE:
Does the questionnaire replace the cover letter?
Yes. A separate cover letter is not required.
SUBMITTERS:
I'm a working journalist, can I submit my own work into the competition?
Yes! All journalists can submit their work whether they are freelance or employed by an outlet...
A longstanding Loeb Awards rule is allowing ANY journalist to self-submit entries into all competition categories. Over the past 65 years, journalists who have self-submitted have become Loeb finalists and winners!
SUBMITTERS:
Do the judges see the name and information of the individual that is submitting an entry?
Judges do not see the name of the individual that fills out the submission form or pays for the entry.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Do I need to include a transcript with submissions in the Audio or Video categories?
A single file upload field is provided on the submission form for these categories.
MORE QUESTIONS:
I still have more questions, what should I do?
We're here to help Monday-Friday from 10am to 5pm Pacific Time...