Bladen Journal to sponsor youth writing contest

ELIZABETHTOWN – The Bladen Journal is announcing that it will be holding a youth writing contest for all Bladen County eighth grade students.

It’s their last year before heading off to high school, and The Journal would like to find our young writers in Bladen County and perhaps one day get a few that would be interested in a youth internship with editor and general manager, Mark DeLap.

The contest is open to any student currently in the eighth grade and is enrolled in either one of the Bladen County schools or is homeschooled in Bladen County.

The local newspaper is setting forth a contest with students choosing to write either a news story, a feature story, a column or a sports story. The submissions must be submitted to [email protected] in a WORD format. Along with each story, there also has to be an accompanying picture that would go with the story. The submission should be no longer than 1,000 words and no less than 300 words. The picture must be submitted in a JPEG format.

Stories will be judged by journalists from southeastern North Carolina and the top 10 best stories will be chosen based on content, imagination, journalistic integrity, AP style, creativity, spelling, grammar, picture quality, and relativity.

The top 10 stories will be published in the Bladen Journal with their submitted pictures. From those top 10, the people of the county can vote for their favorite. Two awards will be given for the contest. Overall best story as judged by our local professional journalists shall be called the “Bladen Journal Walter Cronkite” award and the second will be a “People’s Choice Pulitzer” award. The winners will receive a plaque and a book and will be announced at a special assembly Nov. 18 at a site yet to be determined.

The Cronkite award will also come with a $50 gift card, The Pulitzer will come with a $30 gift card, second and third place winners will each receive a certificate and a $20 gift card.

The overall winner will also be able to treat their homeroom to an in-class submarine sandwich Party hosted by the Bladen Journal. At that time, local journalists, community leaders and a special celebrity guest will come and visit and speak to the class. This date will be determined based on the local educator’s schedule.

The contest will officially open Sept. 17 and will receive submissions until Nov. 1 at midnight when the contest will officially close. The judging period will last two weeks and Nov. 18 the winning stories will be read out loud and the winners will be announced.

Put your thinking caps on, dust off the computer and come up with an award-winning submission. Oh, and seventh graders – take lots of notes… you’re on deck.

If you have any questions or need more information, please send an email to Bladen Journal editor and general manager Mark DeLap at [email protected]