It’s not too late to submit award entries! The final deadline has been extended to March 16 at 9 p.m. PST.

Submit your entries using the BetterBNC Media Awards platform. 

Below are directions for preparing and submitting entries. If you have questions, please contact sdspjcontest@gmail.com

The Early Bird entry deadline for the 2026 San Diego Area Journalism Contest is coming up, Monday, March 2, 2026, at 9 p.m. PST. 

Starting Tuesday, March 3 entry fees will increase. The final deadline is Monday, March 9, 2026, at 9 p.m. PST.

Between March 3 and the final deadline of March 9, professionals pay an additional $15 per entry, and students pay an additional $5 per entry, making them $30 for SPJ members, $50 for nonmembers and $10 for students. (NOTE: Top awards have a different entry fee amount.)

Submit your entries using the BetterBNC Media Awards platform.

Students: This year’s scholarship contest will be run separately from the San Diego and Tijuana area competition. Please stay tuned for additional information to be posted later.

Below are directions for preparing and submitting entries. If you have questions, please contact sdspjcontest@gmail.com.

Good luck!

We, at the Society of Professional Journalists San Diego Pro Chapter, learned last Friday that the San Diego Police Department officially decided to discontinue its media credentialing program — something officials were discussing with media representatives that included SPJ for the past couple months. We know that news has been distressing to many reporters and photographers who relied on the pass to ensure they are able to access disaster areas and other locations to deliver critical news to the citizens of San Diego. 

But we want to be extremely clear: Nothing about this decision changes journalists’ legal right to access news events. The law is clear. Officials are required to grant news media access to disaster zones and protests so they can deliver the news. This was never a right conferred by SDPD’s press pass. It is a fundamental part of California law. 

We encourage all reporters and photographers to carry business cards and identification that clearly identifies them as a journalist. SDPD has pledged to honor such identification cards. We expect all other law enforcement and fire agencies in San Diego County to do the same, since historically they deferred to the SDPD press pass. If any agency fails to do so, please reach out to us immediately at spjsandiego@gmail.com. We will work with the relevant agency to make sure they know and follow all pertinent laws regarding media access to news events.

The New England SPJ chapter, Muckrock and the New England First Amendment Coalition are running a national Freedom of Information contest for students.

Each month students are encouraged to submit the most interesting documents they have obtained via a FOIA request, such as police reports and animal control reports.

The student that submits the most interesting FOIA document will win a prize package that includes a clip wireless microphone, along with an SPJ coffee tumbler, laptop bag, smartphone gimbal/tripod,  SPJ sweatshirt, and SPJ stickers.

Check out the rules and how to enter at Muckrock.