These awards display the most skill in reporting a breaking news event. Breaking News applies to stories completed in response to an unanticipated event. Two separate entries per print journalist may be submitted. An entry consists of the initial story or package of stories from the first publication or issue after the event. An entry may include more than one report and more than one journalist. Each entry must be accompanied by a short explanation of the story and how it developed. Details should include its chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money and time) available to complete.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
30% Degree of difficulty – logistical and other challenges in getting and filing the story.
30% Comprehensiveness and quality of information.
30% The quality of writing and presentation..
10% Resources used by the journalists.
The selected magazine cover will be judged on the overall delivery of the message, including eye appeal, journalistic contribution, design, and clarity. The judges will consider these main functions; the strength of the cover in drawing attention to the magazine issue and the design, graphics and journalistic merit of the cover. Three separate covers may be submitted per magazine as originally published in Atlantic Canada during the calendar year. Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the cover and how it developed. Details should include the cover’s chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money/time) available to complete the story.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
40% The artistic/creative elements of the cover.
30% The covers' ability to convey key messages.
30% Eye appeal
The award, in the opinion of the judges, displays a visual commentary featuring art and argument, humour and polemic. Each cartoonist is allowed to submit one entry consisting of up to three separate editorial cartoons. 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% Cogency of the editorial point and significance of the issue.
30% Bite, humour, and originality.
30% Quality of drawing and artwork.
10% Resources used by the editorial cartoonist.
These awards display initiative and show enterprise in journalism. Investigative journalism stories are welcome in this category. Continuing coverage of a breaking news event may also be entered here. Judges will look for enterprising 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. Two separate entries per print journalist may be submitted. Entries should include a story or a series of not more than three related stories that displays enterprise as well as depth and quality of research. If a series, enter them on one pdf. Each entry must 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/time) available to complete.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
30% Entries which display initiative beyond the obvious, the ordinary, and the expected.
30% Issues are in context and in perspective.
30% The difficulty of the story.
10% Resources used by the journalists.
These awards display excellence and creativity in the presentation of news features or human interest stories with journalistic merit under 1,500 words in length. Two separate entries per print journalist may be submitted. The entry can be the original item plus not more than three items, if a series. If a series, enter them on one pdf. 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/time) available to complete the story.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
30% The substance of the story.
30% How well the story is told, including effective use of photography/design.
30% The treatment, including novelty, drama, human interest, humor, and pathos.
10% Resources used by the journalist.
These awards display excellence and creativity in the presentation of news features or human interest stories with journalistic merit over 1,500 words in length. Two separate entries per print journalist may be submitted. The entry can be the original item plus not more than three items, if a series. If a series, enter them on one pdf. 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/time) available to complete the story.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
30% The substance of the story.
30% How well the story is told, including effective use of photography/design.
30% The treatment, including novelty, drama, human interest, humor, and pathos.
10% Resources used by the journalist.
These awards display creativity in capturing a news event in a single photograph. News photojournalism can be a spot news picture of an unscheduled event such as a fire, accident, or natural disaster or a general news picture with serious content and strong human interest of a scheduled or organized news event such as a protest or press conference. Two separate entries per photographer may be submitted. No stock shots. Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the photograph and how it developed. Details should include the photo’s chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation, as well as the resources (money/time) available to complete the story.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
20% Creativity in capturing the breaking news visuals.
25% Degree of difficulty – logistical and other challenges in getting and filing pictures.
20% Deadline pressures.
25% Quality – composition, clarity and crispness of image.
10% Resources used by the photographer.
Photographs entered in this category can either be a posed or unposed portrait with journalistic merit that reveals the essence of the subject’s character or the story behind the picture. Feature photos can also be entered of a found situation that has a high human-interest element or a creative view on an everyday scene. The entry must be a single original photograph, not a series, and shot during the entry calendar year. No stock shots. Two separate entries per newspaper photographer may be submitted as originally published. Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of how it developed. Details should include the photo’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% Composition, clarity and crispness of the photographic image.
30% The narrative or story value of the photograph.
30% The imagination, persistence and creativity of the photographer.
10% Resources used by the photographer.
The selected profile stories, combining writing and photography, will demonstrate excellence, creativity, and journalistic merit in the presentation. The judges will consider these main functions: the substance of the profile, how well the profile is told, the creative use of writing, photography and layout in the profile, and resources available to complete the story.
Three separate profile stories per print journalist may be submitted as originally published in Atlantic Canada during the calendar year. 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 profile.
30% How well the story is told, including effective use of photography/design.
30% The treatment, including novelty, drama, human interest, humor, and pathos.
