Meyer Award | Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Philip Meyer Journalism Award?
Who is Philip Meyer?
What is meant by “social science research methods”?
Is this “computer-assisted reporting”?
How is this award different from the IRE Awards?
Why is IRE sponsoring this new award?
Could a Meyer Award entry also be an IRE Award entry?
Who is eligible for the contest?
Who will judge the contest?
How do I participate?
How much does it cost to enter?
What work is eligible for the contest?
Where do I send my entries?
What is the deadline for entering the contest?
What actions would result in a disqualification?
Is there a limit to the amount of entries I can submit?
Do you accept entries in languages other than English?
What are the different types of awards?
How many categories are there and what are they?
What must my entry include?
When will the judging be complete?
Who should I call if I have any other questions?

What is the Philip Meyer Journalism Award?
The Philip Meyer Journalism Award will recognize excellent journalism done using social science research methods.

Who is Philip Meyer?
Meyer is the author of Precision Journalism, the seminal 1973 book (and subsequent editions) that focused growing numbers of journalists on the idea of using social science methods to do better journalism. He pioneered in using survey research as a reporter for Knight Ridder newspapers to explore the causes of race riots in the 1960s, and holds the Knight Chair in Journalism at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

What is meant by “social science research methods”?
These are the research tools used by social scientists across a wide variety of disciplines such as sociology, demographics, geography, political science, ethnography, communication, etc. Such tools might include quantitative and qualitative methods such as surveys using randomly-selected respondents, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, social network analysis, content analysis, field experiments and more.

Is this “computer-assisted reporting”?
Computers often are used for this kind of work, but that is not a requirement. And CAR often is used for journalism, particularly investigative stories, that don't necessarily use social science methods. Examples of the latter might include using a computer to sort, filter or categorize government records to produce lists or tables for a story.

How is this award different from the IRE Awards?
One of the defining characteristics of good investigative reporting eligible for an IRE Award is that it uncovers information that others have tried to keep hidden. The Meyer Award is designed to recognize work that explores significant societal problems that haven't necessarily occurred because of attempts to keep the problems hidden.

Why is IRE sponsoring this new award?
IRE is the home of the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR), a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism.

Could a Meyer Award entry also be an IRE Award entry?
Yes, if it meets the requirements of both contests.

Who is eligible for the contest?
The Philip Meyer Journalism Award adheres to the principles of the IRE Award program in avoiding conflicts of interest. Work that included any significant role by a member of the IRE Board of Directors or an IRE contest judge may not be entered in the contest. This often represents a significant sacrifice on the part of the individual — and sometimes an entire newsroom. The IRE membership appreciates this devotion to the values of the organization.

Who will judge the contest?
The judges will consist of journalism educators who have significant professional experience doing journalism using social science research methods, and social scientists who have significant experience working with journalists and appreciate the differences between journalism and academic research.

How do I participate?
The postmark deadline for entry in the 2010 awards is Nov. 1, 2010.
Download the 2010 Entry Form (pdf).

Download text file of questionnaire (To save a local copy right-click and save link)

How much does it cost to enter?

IRE Members:

$55 (Professional)
Free (Student)
Membership must be valid through November 2009.

IRE Nonmembers:

$115 (Professional. This includes a one-year professional membership fee of $60.)
$25 (Student. This includes a one-year student membership fee of $25.)

What work is eligible for the contest?
All work must have been published or aired between Oct. 1, 2009, and Sept 30, 2010.

Where do I send my entries?
Return a completed entry form to:

Philip Meyer Award
141 Neff Annex
Missouri School of Journalism
Columbia, MO 65211

What is the deadline for entering the contest?
Nov. 1, 2010. This is a postmark deadline.

What actions would result in a disqualification?
Entries disregarding the rules included in the form will be subject to disqualification. Work that included a significant role by a current member of the IRE Board of Directors or a Meyer Award contest judge may not be entered.

Is there a limit to the amount of entries I can submit?
There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit or the number of stories (in a series) you may submit per entry.

Do you accept entries in languages other than English?
We accept entries in all languages, but require three (3) complete hard copies of English translations for each entry.

What are the different types of awards?
Three Meyer Awards will be given, acknowledging 1st, 2nd and 3rd place from the pool of entries received. The awards include cash prizes: $500 for first, $300 for second, and $200 for third.

How many categories are there and what are they?
Unlike the IRE Awards, this award is not broken down into different media categories.

What must my entry include?
Payment MUST be included with your entry submission; do NOT send under separate cover. Although there are not separate categories for this contest, below is an outline of what must be submitted based on different types of media.

Print Entries:

One (1) electronic copy of the questionnaire on a CD.
Three (3) collated entry packets, each containing:

A completed entry form
A completed questionnaire
A copy of the stories (Your entries must be prepared to fit either 8.5” x 11” or 11” x 17” paper. You may cut and paste the stories (no foldovers), or prepare them electronically (with InDesign or other layout programs. One entry packet must contain all originals.) DO NOT submit PDF reductions of the original newsprint. Reduction of original typeface is not permitted.

If story submission is electronically prepared, please include PDFs on the on the CD with the electronic questionnaire
Please place the three (3) packets in one (1) envelope or folder and write the title of the contest entry on the outside.

TV Entries:
- One (1) electronic copy of the questionnaire a CD.
- Three (3) collated entry packets, each containing:
- Please place the three (3) packets in one (1) envelope or folder and write the title of the contest entry on the outside.
Radio Entries:
- One (1) electronic copy of the questionnaire on a CD.
- Three (3) collated entry packets, each containing:
- Please place the three (3) packets in one (1) envelope or folder and write the title of the contest entry on the outside.
Book Entries:
- One (1) electronic copy of the questionnaire on a CD.
- Three (3) collated entry packets, each containing:
- Please place the three (3) packets (entry form & questionnaire) in one (1) envelope or folder and write the title of the book on the outside. The package should also contain the three (3) copies of the book.
Online Entries:
- One (1) electronic copy of the questionnaire on a CD.
- Three (3) collated entry packets, each containing:
- Include web files on the on the CD with the electronic questionnaire
- Please place the three (3) packets in one (1) envelope or folder and write the title of the contest entry on the outside.

When will the judging be complete?
Judging will be completed by December 2010.

Who should I call if I have any other questions?
Please call the IRE Resource Center at 573-882-6668 or for assistance in submitting contest entries.