Any Medium

The category is open to newspapers, magazines, radio, television or online media.

In this category there will be three finalists from newspapers, radio, television, magazine or online entries including one overall gold winner and two silver winners.

Each entry can be written/produced by either a single journalist or team of journalists.

The entry may be a single story or a body of work on the same topic, consisting of not more than three pieces, which may include features, online, columns, news or beat stories, or any combination of these. The selected business stories, in the opinion of the judges, shall demonstrate excellence, creativity, and journalistic merit in the presentation of a business story in print, radio, television, online or magazines.

Two separate entries per journalist may be submitted.

Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the story and how it developed. Details should include the story's chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money and time) available to complete the story.

Evaluation Scale / Main Factors

30% The substance and relevance of the story.

30% How well the story is told.

30% Overall journalistic merit.

10% Resources used by the journalist.

The category is open to newspapers, magazines, radio, television or online media.

In this category there will be three finalists from newspapers, radio, television, magazine or online entries including one overall gold winner and two silver winners.

The selected sports stories, in the opinion of the judges, shall demonstrate excellence, creativity, and journalistic merit in the presentation of a sports story in print, radio, television, online or magazines.

Two separate entries per journalist may be submitted.

Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the story and how it developed. Details should include the story's chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money and time) available to complete the story.

Evaluation Scale / Main Factors

30% The substance of the story.

30% How well the story is told.

30% Overall journalistic merit.

10% Resources available to complete the story.

The category is open to newspapers, magazines, radio, television or online media.

In this category there will be three finalists honoured from newspapers, radio, television, magazine or online entries including an overall gold winner and two silver winners.

The selected entertainment stories, in the opinion of the judges, shall demonstrate excellence, creativity, and journalistic merit in the presentation of an arts and entertainment story in print, radio, television, or online.

Two separate entries per journalist may be submitted.

Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the story and how it developed. Details should include the story's chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money and time) available to complete the story.

Evaluation Scale / Main Factors

30% The substance of the story.

30% How well the story is told.

30% Overall journalistic merit.

10% Resources available to complete the story.

The category is open to newspapers, magazines, radio, television or online media.

In this category there will be three finalists selected from the print, radio, or television entries including an overall gold winner and two silver winners.

This award, in the opinion of the judges, displays outstanding editorial comment in newspapers, television, radio or online. It may be analytical, interpretive, or humorous, or a combination of such qualities. Only one entry may be submitted per journalist and must be a single entry not a series. No blogs.

Entrants must be full time journalists or freelance journalists.

Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the story and how it developed. Details should include the story's chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money and time) available to complete the story.

Evaluation Scale / Main Factors

25% The cogency of the argument.

25% The quality (elegance, simplicity, and clarity) of the writing and/or presentation.

20% The significance of the issue.

20% The effectiveness of the commentary in generating light, as well as heat, on that issue.

10% The resources used by the journalist.

This awards is open to journalists in newspaper, radio, television and online media with less than three years’ experience as a journalist. The ending date for the three year rule is December 31 of the AJAs award year. All previous paid journalism work must be counted in the three year rule including that which was completed or worked on during or before attending school.

New journalists nominated in other years, who still fit the three year rule, may reapply as long as they have not been a previous AJAs New Journalist category Gold award winner.

Nominations must be accompanied by a short rationale along with a sampling of up to three stories representative of the entrant's body of work.

A recommendation from the news editor/director should be included in the submission.

Emphasis will be placed on journalistic qualities such as enterprise, creativity, persistence, initiative and ingenuity. Judges will look for journalism that provides insight and context to issues of significance.

Students enrolled in journalism or communications programs are not eligible to be nominated for this award.

A new journalist is not excluded from submitting entries in any other award category.

Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the new journalist and the stories in the Show of Work. Details should include the story's chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money and time) available to complete the stories.

No evaluation scale is offered.

Judges should use their own discretion in selecting the gold and silver winners.

The category is open to any student or group of students for a story/item they have completed during the entry calendar year. It can be in any of the traditional media or an online version. Students at any of the Atlantic Canadian journalism/broadcast/communication schools are eligible.

In this category there will be three finalists including one overall gold winner and two silver winners.

These awards, in the opinion of the judges, display initiative and show excellence in journalism. Investigative journalism stories are welcome in this category.

Judges will look for journalism that goes beyond the obvious, the ordinary, the expected, and the regular. They will look for journalism that puts issues in context and in perspective and thereby makes those issues make sense.

Entries should include an item, or a series of not more than three related stories that displays enterprise as well as depth and quality of research. The difficulty of the story or stories will be considered.

Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the story and how it developed. Details should include the story's chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation.

Evaluation Scale / Main Factors

40% Entries which display initiative and show enterprise in journalism, going beyond the obvious, the ordinary, and the expected.

30% Issues are in context and in perspective.

30% The difficulty of the story.

The Atlantic Journalism Awards (AJAs) has created the Atlantic Journalism Hall of Fame to recognize journalists and journalism builders who have made a significant contribution to the profession of journalism.

The inductees will be honored during the annual AJAs gala dinner and award show each spring and included in a special file on the AJAs website. Anyone can nominate an individual for the award.

Definition and Eligibility

Journalist: Inductees to the Atlantic Journalism Hall of Fame could be persons at any stage of a journalism career in Atlantic Canada or retired from journalism or posthumously or as a journalism educator and who generally are recognized as an exceptional professional in the field of journalism either in print, radio, television, and magazines or online or teaching. It would be a person who has spent most of their career in Atlantic Canada and created a body of work which is a standout. Journalism would be this person’s chosen and full time occupation and their journalistic works would be exemplary.

Journalism Builder: A person who has worked behind the scene to grow and foster the profession and industry of journalism. These individuals would have dedicated significant effort to enhance the image and credibility of journalism in Atlantic Canada and helped create avenues and platforms for journalistic expression, advancement and development. These individuals may or may not have been a journalist, but clearly have a passion and vision to promote and enhance journalistic excellence in Atlantic Canada.

Application Process

All applications must be submitted on line. There is a $65 administration fee and all nominations must be made by the end of February each year.

Submit a maximum two page nomination letter clearly indicating why you feel the person should be included in the Atlantic Journalism Hall of Fame and a description of the journalism background and record that supports your nomination. Up to four additional letters of support can also be added. Do not include examples of the journalistic works, but URL links are welcome.

A committee of the Atlantic Journalism Awards Board of Directors will review the nominations and recommend the individuals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.