General Information
- Student media outlets must be a paid KCM member to enter.
- Entries can be submitted via between Jan. 29 and Feb. 19. (The entry form is below.)
- Entries should have been published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the previous calendar year. Use the division-specific information below in determining what to submit.
Fees
- Competing in the Overall Contest is free for members.
- The $15 fee for each student media outlet was eliminated at the KCM Fall Retreat on Sept. 20, 2024, held at Wichita State University.
- Schools must pay their yearly membership dues to compete.
- New advisers receive one free year of membership in KCM during the first year.
Divisions
- Magazine
- Yearbook
- 2-Year Newspaper
- 4-Year Private Newspaper
- 4-Year Public Newspaper
- 2-Year Online & Digital Media
- 4-Year Online & Digital Media
Overall Placings
Within each contest, judges will award a GOLD (top score), a SILVER (second highest score) and a BRONZE (third highest score). All three are required, assuming there are at least three entires.
All-Kansas Placings
The All-Kansas designation will be awarded to the top score across all contests, which are combined by publication type. This will break down in the following ways:
- All-Kansas Newspaper (combined all)
- All-Kansas Magazine (combined all)
- All-Kansas Yearbook (combined all)
- All-Kansas Online & Digital Media (combined all)
How to Enter
Enter overall publications using this form. (coming soon)
Contest details & what to enter
Newspaper
Publications must submit THREE ISSUES published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the previous calendar year. Issues should be submitted as URLs to online PDFs.
Publications may submit a document (400 words or less) explaining the publication’s operation and staff or any special circumstances they think the judges should know about.
Magazine
Publications must submit THREE ISSUES published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of of the previous calendar year. These issues will be submitted as URLs to online PDFs.
Publications may submit a document (400 words or less) explaining the publication’s operation and staff or any special circumstances they think the judges should know about.
Yearbook
Publications must submit ONE COPY of the yearbook published during the previous calendar year. These copies will be mailed to the KCM president.
Publications may submit a 400-word (or less) document explaining the publication’s operation and staff or any special circumstances they think the judges should know about.
Online & Digital Media
This overall category will look at the combination of an organization’s website, social media and any other digital initiatives, including, but not limited to, podcasts and multimedia. This contest is open to any student media outlet that is a KCM member.
Outlets must submit the following urls/links:
- The URL of the outlet’s website.
- Links to the outlet’s social media profiles/accounts
- Up to six (6) more links to other initiatives or specific content
Publications may submit a 400-word (or less) document explaining the publication’s operation and staff or any special circumstances they think the judges should know about.