These awards display the most skill in reporting a breaking news event. Breaking News applies to stories completed in response to an unanticipated event. Entrants are encouraged to include any digital elements to the stories which enhances the coverage. 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. The cameraperson and editor involved in the story can also be listed as a nominee along with the journalist.
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.
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. 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 photojournalist/cameraperson and editor involved in the story can also be listed as a nominee along with the journalist. 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% Entries that go 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 feature or human interest stories with journalistic merit. The entry can be the original item plus not more than three items if a series. The cameraperson and editor involved in the story can also be listed as a nominee along with the journalist. 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.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
30% The substance of the story.
30% How well the story is told.
30% The treatment, including novelty, drama, human interest, humor, and pathos.
10% Resources used by the journalist.
Judges will look for the newscasts that have the best journalistic merit and which combine spot news, continuing coverage, feature, enterprise reporting and weather reporting into an informative newscast. Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the newscast and how it developed. Details should include the newscasts chronology and circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money/time) available to complete.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
20% Anchor/in-studio presentations.
20% Use of spot, enterprise, continuing coverage, features, weather, sports, and interviews.
20% Journalistic content and balance.
20% Relevance to audience.
20% Production values.
The Videojournalist category is for journalists who are reporters, camera operators and editors. VJs should submit one “Show of Work” entry, which should consist of three different stories broadcast, webcast, or streamed during the calendar year. The judges will look for entries in which a journalist, acting as reporter, camera operator and editor, displays the most skill in reporting, shooting and editing a news story. Each entry should be accompanied by a short explanation of the story and how it developed. Details should include its chronology and the circumstances affecting its gathering and presentation as well as the resources (money/time) available to complete.
Evaluation Scale / Main Factors
30% The quality of research, writing and presentation.
30% The degree of difficulty – logistical and other challenges in getting and filing the story.
30% Excellence of composition, clarity and crispness of the images and audio.
