In March 2008, the Editorial Board of the Hillsborough County Medical Association’s (HCMA) publication, The Bulletin, agreed to establish two $500 scholarships for University of South Florida School of Mass Communications students. One scholarship will be awarded in the category of photojournalism and one in the category of journalism. The criteria for entries are provided on the scholarship applications.  Entries in both categories must be related to health, medicine, and/or patient care in our community.

Entries are open to all current USF School of Mass Communications majors.

The scholarships will be awarded in the spring of each year, in conjunction with the University of South Florida’s School of Mass Communications’ Annual Awards and Honors.  Winners of the USF Mass Communications awards and HCMA Bulletin scholarships will be notified, by letter, in early April.  HCMA and USF School of Mass Communications awards will be presented at the Annual USF School of Mass Communications Awards and Honors Dinner held in late April.

F.A.Q.

Is there an entry fee?
NO.  There is no entry fee required to apply for either of the HCMA Bulletin scholarships.  Applications must be complete and accompany appropriate documentation as stated on the applications (letter of support, photo release if necessary, etc.) in order to be considered.

Is the deadline for The Bulletin scholarships (February 1) based on my “sent” date or your “received” date?
Submissions should be received by the deadline.  If the deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday, the deadline will be moved to the following Monday.  A confirmation of receipt will be emailed to all applicants.  Please contact Elke Johnston at the HCMA (813.253.0471) if you do not receive a confirmation of receipt email in a timely manner.  We will work with you to get your submission entered, within realistic measures.

Once I submit my article/photos, who owns them?
The applicant will retain ownership rights to all submissions.

What kind of release do I need for photographs?
Releases are not necessary for photos without people or for photos with people who can not be clearly recognized.  If you have a photo of someone who is recognizable, please submit a copy of a release with your application and submission.  Sample releases can be found by searching online, keywords: “sample photo/model release.”  Also, a sample can be downloaded from this site.

Can I use Photoshop to improve the photo?
The photograph/s must be truthful and the only aspects that can be altered are minor adjustments to brightness, contrast, color balance, and sharpness.

If your question has not been answered here, please do not hesitate to contact Elke Johnston, HCMA Bulletin Managing Editor, 813.253.0471 or EJohnston@hcma.net.

Edward Jay Friedlander, Professor and Director at the School of Mass Communications, can be reached by emailing: efriedla@shell.cas.usf.edu.