The Chicago Journalists Association is seeking the best columns written by a print, broadcast or online journalist, published from July 2019 to July 2020, for the lauded Dorothy Storck Award competition.

The columnist or commentator must meet two of three criteria: Live in Illinois or Northwest Indiana, work for an Illinois or Northwest Indiana-based publication, TV or radio station, or write for an online publication whose work is seen within Illinois.

Deadline for entries is November 6, 2020. The fee for each submission is $75. Entries—which must be three columns or commentaries in English—must be submitted electronically to awards@chicagojournalists.net. Payments may be made online. For more information, contact CJA at awards@chicagojournalists.net or 773-789-9488.

One talented Illinois/Northwest Indiana columnist/op-ed journalist will take home the $1,000 prize in the Dorothy Storck Award competition.

Previous winners include Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune (2019); Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times (2018); and Rex Huppke, Chicago Tribune (2017).

Three Dorothy Storck Award finalists will be announced on November 12.

The winner will be announced November 20 during the Chicago Journalists Association’s 2020 Virtual Awards Ceremony streaming live from 8-9 p.m. CST. Free tickets to this virtual event require a RSVP to chicagocja@gmail.com. A Zoom link will be sent upon registration. This year’s event is sponsored by Chase Bank.

The competition is named for the late syndicated newspaper columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Dorothy Storck, who passed in August 2015. A longtime member of CJA, Storck’s family and her partner, University of Illinois at Chicago political science professor Dick Simpson, established the annual award to honor a Chicago area print, broadcast or digital columnist sharing Storck’s dedication, impact and commitment to craft.

The Chicago Journalists Association is a nonprofit, 501c3 organization boasting a storied membership of more than 300 active and veteran print, broadcast and digital journalists, media and communications professionals, associated journalism educators and college journalism students in Illinois/Northwest Indiana. CJA’s core mission is the advocacy and rewarding of journalistic excellence through prestigious Journalism award competitions; professional development of our members through ongoing training and newsmaker forums on industry issues; and support and mentoring of the next generation of journalists, through scholarships.