MPA hosts Fifth Annual ‘It Can Wait’ editorial contest

Missouri Press Association Hosts Fifth Annual It Can Wait Editorial Contest; Open to Middle School and High School Students

For the fifth year in a row, the Missouri Press Association (MPA), local Missouri newspapers and AT&T are joining together to host an It Can Wait editorial contest to raise awareness about the dangers of smartphone-related driving distractions. The contest begins on Sept. 25 and is open to middle school and high school students from across Missouri.

Texting while driving is involved in 200,000+ vehicle crashes each year, often involving injuries and death. Despite knowing the risks of texting while driving, three-fourths of drivers have admitted to it. This year, the MPA contest challenges students to write an editorial or opinion column convincing drivers, friends and family to stop this dangerous habit of engaging in smartphone activities while driving.

“We’ve got to continue to raise awareness about the dangers of smartphone-related driving distractions because despite knowing how deadly it can be, research shows that this is a bad habit that is really hard to break,” said John Sondag, president, AT&T Missouri. “I want to thank the Missouri Press Association and its members for their continued efforts to help educate their communities about this critical public safety issue. It’s going to take our collective efforts to drive home the message that no text, photo, video or email is worth a life – it can wait.”

This year’s It Can Wait editorial contest is open to students enrolled in any Missouri public or private middle school or high school. Local newspapers have the option to host local contests and will determine which entries the MPA will consider for the statewide prize. The MPA will select two statewide winners and each will receive a cash prize – $1,000 for the winning high school entry and $500 for the winning middle school entry.

“We’ve seen how dangerous texting while driving can be and now we are seeing it with other smartphone activities that people are doing while driving. We want to do our part to help raise awareness and stop this dangerous behavior,” said Mark Maassen, executive director, Missouri Press Association. “By hosting the It Can Wait editorial contest with AT&T and our local member papers, the Missouri Press Association hopes to provide students with a meaningful learning experience and help make our Missouri roads safer by reinforcing the message to ‘keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone’.”

The MPA will announce the winning statewide entries for the middle school and high school categories on Nov. 15, 2017. In addition to the cash prize, the MPA will provide the winner of each category with a tour of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the MPA Office. Winning students and their parents will attend a dinner with the leadership of AT&T Missouri, the MPA and their local newspaper publisher.

Last year’s It Can Wait editorial contest generated significant exposure about the dangers of texting while driving. Local newspapers throughout Missouri solicited contest entries and two students, a junior at Bolivar High School in Bolivar and an eighth-grade student at Trinity Lutheran School in Jefferson City were selected as the statewide winners of the contest.

AT&T launched the It Can Wait awareness campaign in 2010 to bring attention to the issue of texting while driving and recently expanded it to include other smartphone driving distractions that have emerged as users’ relationships with their devices have changed. The campaign urges drivers to visit www.ItCanWait.com, where they can pledge to keep their eyes on the road, not on their phone, and share their pledge with others via Twitter (#ItCanWait) and Facebook. The website also offers a host of educational resources and information on the issue – including a documentary featuring families impacted by texting and driving crashes.

To date, more than 2,500 organizations and tens of thousands of individuals have helped champion the It Can Wait cause. The It Can Wait pledge campaign has inspired more than 20 million personal commitments to never text and drive – many among friends and family who pledged to keep each other accountable.

To take the pledge and see a list of supporters, visit www.ItCanWait.com.  For additional information and resources, visit www.att.com/itcanwait.