Please contact AJPA headquarters at (480) 403-4602 with any questions regarding the competition. We do not recommend contacting BetterBNC directly. 

I am a freelance/individual member of AJPA but I do not see my name listed under Contestant Managers, what do I do?

Freelance and Individual members of AJPA must create an Open Call Contestant account in order to enter the Rockower Awards. For instructions on how to create an Open Call Contestant account, please refer to pages 15-17 of the competition packet. If you have already created an Open Call Contestant account, go to http://betternewspapercontest.com/open_contestants/login to log in.

We are a newspaper, how do we submit our affiliated magazine?

Please contact Amirah Rogers at AJPA Headquarters to have a separate account created. If an affiliated magazine is submitted incorrectly (under a newspaper account), the entry will be considered as a newspaper entry and will be disqualified. The entry fee will not be refunded. If all entries compete in the same division, an additional account is not needed for that category.

How much does it cost to enter the Simon Rockower Awards?

The AJPA member cost of each entry for publications, web-based outlets and affiliate members is $30. The AJPA member cost of each entry for freelance/individual members is $25. Thus, if you submit a total of five entries, your entire payment will amount to $150 if you are a publication, web-based outlet or affiliate member, and $125 if you are a freelance/individual member.

When can I submit entries?

Entries can be submitted starting Friday, January 3, 2025.

All entries must be uploaded and completed by FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2025, 7:00 P.M. ET. Entries received after this date will not be eligible. Payment must also be received by JANUARY 31, 2025, 7:00 P.M. ET for your submission to be eligible.

I am a current member of AJPA but I do not see my organization, publication, or subsidiary listed under Contestant Managers, what do I do?

Contact Amirah Rogers at AJPA Headquarters at amirah@ajpa.org, or (480) 403-4602.

I am not a current member of AJPA, how do I become eligible to submit entries to the Simon Rockower Awards?

In order to be eligible to submit entries, you must become a member of AJPA. You can apply for membership through our website at https://ajpa.org/Become-a-Member or contact Amirah Rogers at amirah@ajpa.org.

How do I know if I am an AJPA member in good standing and eligible to enter the Simon Rockower Awards?

AJPA member publications, affiliate members, and individual members must be in good standing to be eligible. To check if your dues are up to date, email amirah@ajpa.org. Good Standing is defined as:

(1) The member's dues must be paid through May 1 in the year which the awards will be distributed (e.g., if the awards are distributed at the AJPA Annual Conference in 2025, the membership expiration date must be on or after May 1, 2025); and

(2) The member's dues must be paid for all previous years in which the member was required to pay dues, unless there has been an action taken by AJPA to forgive or otherwise not collect such dues.

If a member has not paid the dues described in (1) and (2) prior to January 24 of the year in which the awards will be distributed, then any entry submission from that member will be disqualified and ineligible to be considered for a Rockower Award in that year. In such instance, there will be no refund of all or any portion of the payment for the submission.

Are non-journalist AJPA members allowed to submit entries?

Affiliate members in good standing are eligible to submit entries. Please contact Amirah Rogers at amirah@ajpa.org if you are a prospective or current AJPA Affiliate member and wish to enter the competition.

I am logged in to my account and I am trying to submit an entry, but none of the categories are appearing in the drop-down menu, how do I select a category?

Once you have clicked on ‘Submit Entry’, there is a ‘Division’ drop-down menu; please make sure ‘General’ is selected before you proceed to select a category to enter.

I am having trouble uploading my entries; can I just mail my entries in to AJPA Headquarters?

AJPA Headquarters will only accept hard-copy entries for category 12. For any other uploading issues, please contact Amirah Rogers at amirah@ajpa.org. All hard-copy entries must be received by the deadline January 31, 2025, 7:00 P.M. ET.

Once an entry is submitted, can I go back and make edits?

Yes, to edit an entry already submitted please login to your account. Once logged in, you will see an ‘Entries’ table, listing all of your entries submitted. To edit an entry, click the ‘Edit’ link on the right side of the entry listing within the table. If the entry is no longer listed in your ‘Entries’ table, please contact Amirah Rogers at amirah@ajpa.org.

How do I update my Contestant Manager Account information (contact information, passwords, etc.)?

Go to www.betternewspapercontest.com/login to login to your Contestant Manager Account:

a. If you participated in last year’s competition, please use the same password you created last year to login. If you forgot your password, simply click the ‘Forgot Password?’ link on the login page to reset.

b. If you did not participate in last year’s competition, please login using the temporary password ‘bnc’ and click ‘Login’.

Once you have logged in to your Contestant Manager Account, click the first link on the left side, ‘My Account’, to edit all account, password and contact information.

Can I submit Q&A pieces?

Unless specifically prohibited, you may enter question and answer pieces. However, it is recommended that the Q&A is accompanied by a strong introductory text to compliment it.

How do I know which division I compete in?

The divisions are divided by type of publications. Definitions are included below.

• Weekly Newspapers: Papers published weekly or more frequently
• Biweekly Newspapers: Paper published twice a month or every other week
• Monthly Newspapers: Papers published monthly or less frequently
• Magazines: All magazines regardless of frequency
• Website: Organizations who publish their content online only
• Digital Publication: Organizations who produce a regular publication that only appears digitally
• Wire Services: News syndicate agencies

Please confirm your circulation group is accurate in BNC before you submit entries. This information is displayed in the right-hand corner in bold font once you are logged in. If you believe you are in the wrong circulation group, contact Amirah Rogers at AJPA Headquarters to have it changed before you submit any entries.

In BNC my circulation group is listed as NOT ASSIGNED?

If we do not yet have your division information, your circulation will appear as NOT ASSIGNED. Please contact Amirah Rogers at amirah@ajpa.org.