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 Post subject: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 2:30 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2003 1:01 am
Posts: 309
Location: Upper Midwest
I'm just curious. Last May I received a first-place award for headline writing from the state newspaper association in the 16,000+ daily circulation category. Others at my paper were also similarly honored — a variety of first-place to third-place finishes — yet I'm willing to bet this didn't matter too much when it came to evaluation and/or raise time.<p>So, are awards more or less just a "feather in the hat" that look good on resumes, rather than realistic considerations when it comes to pay raises and whatnot?<p>Gatekeeper<p>P.S. How many folks here are members of Kappa Tau Alpha, the national journalism honor society? (I am, but as the promotional material said, members likely won't hear much of anything from the group after being inducted into it.)<p>-30-


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 2:42 am 
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Location: Bethesda, Md.
The proliferation of contests is one of many tactics employed to avoid giving people more money.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 9:58 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2002 12:01 am
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Location: New Brunswick, Canada
A byline and a buck will buy you a cup of coffee - but not at one of the designer coffee joints. Want a raise? Go for the Guild card.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 3:42 pm 
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Location: Upper Midwest
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by blanp:
The proliferation of contests is one of many tactics employed to avoid giving people more money.<hr></blockquote><p>Heh. Well, now that's just a little bit depressing. I did get my usual 3 percent raise, though, afterwards.<p>Gatekeeper<p>-30-


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 3:44 pm 
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Location: Upper Midwest
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by KfitzR:
A byline and a buck will buy you a cup of coffee - but not at one of the designer coffee joints. Want a raise? Go for the Guild card.<hr></blockquote><p>Problem is, I kind of like my home state, which is one of those right-to-work states. Besides, the wages aren't half bad for a rural area. Maybe once I get at least 10 years experience I might take a crack at a larger newspaper in a more urban area ...<p>Gatekeeper<p>-30-


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:54 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2002 1:01 am
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Location: Cusp of retirement, grave or both
Truths spoken in this thread:<p>Blanp: Awards were devised to avoid giving people more money. Absolutely a fact, especially at small papers.<p>Kfitz: Go for the Guild card. People grouse about the Guild, but I'm a true believer. I've been in this business since I was a teenager; college didn't interest me. I have been fortunate enough to be at Guild papers for the past 17 years of my "career." <p>I come to work every day knowing I won't be fired on a whim, that I won't be harassed by managers, that I won't have to "stick around a little" and work for free. I'd give up my library card, driver's license and credit cards before I'd give up my union card.<p>Sorry to hear that you are in a right-to-work state. Good luck escaping.<p>Congrats on your award. The money is nice, but it does have that taint to it.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 3:10 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
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Location: San Jose, CA
Second what he said about the Guild. <p>I haven't paid a health insurance premium in over 10 years.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 7:10 pm 
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Location: Upper Midwest
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tom mangan:
Second what he said about the Guild. <p>I haven't paid a health insurance premium in over 10 years.<hr></blockquote><p>Hmm ... is there a monthly "charge" of sorts for being part of the Guild (i.e. any funds withheld from the paycheck)?<p>Gatekeeper<p>-30-


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 8:12 pm 
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Location: San Jose, CA
There is a membership fee, it varies from paper to paper. Mine's less than $20 a week. I've probably paid at least 5 grand in union dues over the past 10 years, but I've probably gotten 50 grand in pay/benefits. <p>So it's a good tradeoff.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:57 pm 
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Location: N 36° 57' 9", W 121° 24' 2"
If there were standards, awards might have some meaning. Since the grading is on a curve, they don't.<p>They do look kinda nice on the wall, though. (Well, sometimes. A few years ago, I got first-place sports story from the CNPA while a co-worker got first-place sports photo, but they transformed our names on the plaques. I sent mine back to be fixed and it came back the same way. It's probably in a box around here somewhere. And, no, I didn't get a raise for it, and neither did the photog.)<p>[ April 02, 2004: Message edited by: Oeditpus Rex ]</p>


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 2:13 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2003 1:01 am
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Location: Upper Midwest
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tom mangan:
There is a membership fee, it varies from paper to paper. Mine's less than $20 a week. I've probably paid at least 5 grand in union dues over the past 10 years, but I've probably gotten 50 grand in pay/benefits. <p>So it's a good tradeoff.<hr></blockquote><p>Sounds like it. *shrug* Well, if I ever get desperate to leave the Upper Midwest, maybe I'll be fortunate enough to sign on with a paper like that ...<p>Gatekeeper<p>-30-


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 2:15 am 
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Location: Upper Midwest
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Oeditpus Rex:
If there were standards, awards might have some meaning. Since the grading is on a curve, they don't.<p>They do look kinda nice on the wall, though. (Well, sometimes. A few years ago, I got first-place sports story from the CNPA while a co-worker got first-place sports photo, but they transformed our names on the plaques. I sent mine back to be fixed and it came back the same way. It's probably in a box around here somewhere. And, no, I didn't get a raise for it, and neither did the photog.)<p>[ April 02, 2004: Message edited by: Oeditpus Rex ]<hr></blockquote><p>That's kind of funny. The paper received a nice plaque for the first place headline writing award, but it has yet to be inscribed with my name or anything. It just says something along the lines of "First Place for Headline Writing — So-and-so Paper."<p>Gatekeeper<p>-30-


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 3:29 pm 
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Location: Cusp of retirement, grave or both
I pay about $15 a week for union dues.The best money I spend.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 10:38 pm 
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Gatekeeper:
That's kind of funny. The paper received a nice plaque for the first place headline writing award, but it has yet to be inscribed with my name or anything. It just says something along the lines of "First Place for Headline Writing — So-and-so Paper."<hr></blockquote>Now that you mention it, the transposition happened on personal plaques that the paper paid for in a rare display of generosity. The plaques given by the CNPA were not personalized.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 2:54 am 
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Location: Upper Midwest
Damn. Oliver Stone *was* right. It's a conspiracy! ---


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 3:33 pm 
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Next time your paper congratulates you on your award, tell them you tried to use the plaque as a car payment and they wouldn't take it.


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:39 am 
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Location: Upper Midwest
I dunno. Isn't that too subtle? *LOL*


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 Post subject: Re: Do Awards Have Any Value?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 7:40 pm 
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Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 1:01 am
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Location: La Conner, Wash.
"If bankers gave themselves prizes ('the most reckless Third-World loan of the year') with the same abandon as journalists, you may be sure that the public ridicule would soon force them to conduct the proceedings in secret." <p>-- Alexander Cockburn


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