SYRACUSE -- When local news media outlets submit entries for the Syracuse Press Club's annual Professional Recognition Awards in 2012, there won't be any paperwork involved. Nor will there be any CDs, DVDs, story printouts or printed photographs.
Starting in 2012, and continuing for at least the next three years, the SPC's awards entry and selection processes will be completely digital. The club announced it has signed a contract with BetterBNC, a company which provides the infrastructre for the entire awards process to move online. More than 75 other similar organizations already use BetterBNC's services, according to the SPC announcement.
The club says print, photo, graphic design and web entries will be entirely submitted through the new online system. For broadcasters submitting audio or video material, the entry form will allow entrants to include a link for judges to view the video online. Entrants can host their media clips on their own websites, or they can point the judges to third-party services like YouTube.
According to the announcement, the online system will reduce the need to mail physical material back and forth to judges across the country. It will also cut down on errors which may be attributed to poorly-handwritten entry forms or mistakes made during the process of typing up winner lists.
It'll be quite some time before the new system is pressed into service, as the next round of SPC awards will cover work done during the current 2011 calendar year. But at least media organizations can use the information to plan accordingly; for example, some journalists may find it easier to make a habit of archiving their work on sites like YouTube or SoundCloud on an ongoing basis, rather than putting themselves through a marathon uploading session when the awards deadlines are looming.