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Category Description
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CATEGORY DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS

SPECIAL AWARDS: Please consider nominating a qualified member of your team for the prestigious News Innovator of the Year award and/or Journalist of the Year award. Also, consider nominating your local media company for the equally prestigious Community Service Award.

NEWS INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 101A – News Innovator of the Year

This will be awarded to a media executive that has greatly improved the news and content strategy at their company by employing innovative and disruptive ideas. A letter from a senior-level executive at the company should address this person’s use of technology, social media, data/analytics and other strategies to improve the way that local news is covered and consumed.

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 102A - Journalist of the Year

This prestigious award recognizes the best of the best. A journalist whose work advances public understanding of life within the communities served. We are looking for someone who has a gift for storytelling. Entry should include a letter summarizing the nominee’s credentials for this award including a brief overview of their experience and tenure with current employer. Between five and ten samples of the journalist’s work should also be submitted.


2015 Excellence in Local News Coverage - CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

CATEGORY 1– Community Service Award
This award will recognize outstanding service to the communities served by the local media company. This covers a broad range of options. Judges will look for entries that truly contribute to the welfare of a community or a cause in the community. Entries should include no more than six examples and any other materials in support of the effort and should be accompanied by a letter describing how it was planned and implemented. Finally, any tangible results should also be included.

CATEGORY 2 – Best In-Depth Reporting (Individual award)
This award recognizes a journalist for their outstanding in-depth reporting skills. Judges will look at their use of sources such as public records and other investigative journalism techniques as well as their ability to help the audience understand complex issues. No more than six samples should be submitted for this entry.

CATEGORY 3 – Best Investigative Reporting (Team award)
This category recognizes the best investigative reporting by a single media company (a newspaper, website, TV station, magazine, or radio station). Judges will look at how well the staff informs the public about a matter that would not have become public knowledge without the effort of the local media company. Entries should include up to six samples and may also include a letter outlining the impact of the reporting.

CATEGORY 4 – Best Overall Breaking News Coverage
Did your team go above and beyond in covering a major story in your market? This category recognizes the best breaking news coverage of the year. Entries should include samples of the coverage across all platforms. A letter should outline how the breaking news story was handled and the impact it had in the community.

CATEGORY 5 – Best Live Breaking News Coverage - Broadcast or Streaming Video
Send us three to six clips of your best on-the-scene coverage of breaking news. This can be from a television station, a radio station, via streaming video on a website, or OTT channel.

CATEGORY 6 –Best Series
Did your team take on a news topic this year and report on it in-depth via special coverage or a series? Entries should consist of no more than ten stories or broadcasts. An optional letter outlining the impact of the series may also be submitted but is not required.

CATEGORY 7 – Best News Photo
This category recognizes the best news photos of the year. Entry should consist of a single news photo (if it appeared on multiple media platforms feel free to submit all of them as part of your single entry).

CATEGORY 8 – Best Headline
Submit your best single entry headline for this category. We’re looking for headlines that are compelling, entertaining and clever. If you also promoted the headline on social media, provide examples and results (e.g., – “This headline with link to the article produced 500 likes on Twitter, 200 retweets and 1,000 views on our website”).

CATEGORY 9 – Best Sports Coverage (Team award)
Are you the leader in your market when it comes to local sports coverage? Then this is the category for you! We are looking for outstanding local sports coverage including youth, high school, prep, college and even professional if applicable. Include three to six examples of your sports coverage with this entry along with any other supporting materials that you want to include.

CATEGORY 10 – Best Sports Reporting (Individual award)
This category recognizes excellence in sports reporting by a single journalist. Entries should include three samples that exemplify the nominee’s outstanding work. This can include youth, high school, prep, college, professional, or other.

CATEGORY 11 – Best Sports Photo
This category recognizes the best sports photos of the year. Entry should consist of a single sports photo (if it appeared on multiple-media-platforms feel free to submit all of them as part of your single entry).

CATEGORY 12 – Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Coverage (Team award)
Are you killing it when it comes to entertainment and/or lifestyle coverage in your communities? Then we want to recognize your efforts. Send in three to six samples of your coverage in these areas. Judging will be based on content, presentation, writing style, photography, video and graphics.

CATEGORY 13 – Best Arts & Entertainment Reporting (Individual award)
This category recognizes excellence in arts and entertainment writing or video story telling by a single journalist. Entries should include three samples that exemplify the writer’s outstanding work.

CATEGORY 14 – Best Arts & Entertainment Criticism/Commentary
This category recognizes excellence in reviews of plays, operas, films, concerts, music, or art exhibitions. Submit three samples that showcase the outstanding work in this area.

CATEGORY 15 – Best Feature Story
This category recognizes the best feature stories of the year. Entry should consist of a single feature story (if it appeared on multiple-media-platforms feel free to submit all of them as part of your single entry).

CATEGORY 16 – Best Feature Photo
This category recognizes the best feature photos of the year. Entry should consist of a single feature photo (if it appeared on multiple-media-platforms feel free to submit all of them as part of your single entry).

CATEGORY 17 – Best Feature Series
This category recognizes an outstanding feature series. Entry must include a related series of no more than six stories or broadcasts.

CATEGORY 18 – Best Photojournalism
This category recognizes a series of photos or a multiple-photo picture story (in print, digital or both).

CATEGORY 19 – Best Local News Coverage Using Social Media
Send us three to six examples of how you are using social media to cover local news in your communities. These can be screenshots or links from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and/or others, which illustrate the actual news, feature or sports stories covered. Category will be judged on both the quality of the actual news coverage and the innovative approach in using social media to present news and information in new and exciting ways. Feel free to include one to two paragraphs that address your overall strategy.

CATEGORY 20 – Best Local News Coverage Using Mobile Devices and Apps
Are you reporting on local news in a different way when it comes to mobile devices, tablets and apps? If so, send us three to six examples of your work along with a few paragraphs on how you are using mobile to present news and information in different ways.

CATEGORY 21 – Best Local News Coverage Using Streaming Video
Judges want to see the best local news coverage using video in any format such as live streaming on your website, on an OTT device such as Roku, or via Vine, Periscope, etc. Send us your best three to six examples of actual local news, sports, general interest or events coverage from your community with a few paragraphs outlining your overall strategy to use streaming video to report on local news and information.

CATEGORY 22 – Best Use of Graphics
Judging will be based on the effectiveness of charts, original artwork and graphs in illustrating, plus explaining and elaborating upon a story. Entries should include three examples.

CATEGORY 23 – Best Coverage of Local Business and Economic News
Judging will be based on enterprise reporting and news coverage relating to the local economy and/or coverage of local business. Entries should include three to six examples of the coverage.

CATEGORY 24 – Best Local Election Coverage
This category recognizes the best local election coverage of the year. Entries should include no more than ten samples along with a letter that outlines your overall strategy (for example – Did you endorse candidates, host a live or virtual debate, or produce a voter’s guide?). Be sure to include samples from all platforms used.

CATEGORY 25 – Best Multimedia Coverage
This award recognizes the use of multiple-media-platforms to tell stories in new and interesting ways. Entry should include three examples of stories that were presented in multiple formats. An optional letter can be included to outline the strategy behind the three examples along with the results. For example, how did the presentation and content of the story differ online and/or in social media versus in print or broadcast?

CATEGORY 26 – Best Environmental Story
This category recognizes the best environmental stories of the year. Entry should consist of a single environmental story or series (if it appeared on multiple-media-platforms feel free to submit all of them as part of your single entry).

CATEGORY 27 – Best Coverage to Reach Millennials
We know that millennials use and consume news and information in far different ways than prior generations. Do you have a strategy to reach them with new and different formats and methods? If so, include three different examples to showcase how you are presenting news and information to millennials. An optional letter can be included to discuss results and effectiveness.

CATEGORY 28 – Best Coverage of Local Education/School District Issues
This category recognizes excellence in covering local education and/or school district issues. Entries should include no more than six samples.

CATEGORY 29 – Best Coverage of Health and Wellness
This category recognizes excellence in covering health and wellness issue. Entries should include no more than six samples.

CATEGORY 30 – Best Local News and Information Coverage Using Community Contributors
Are you using contributors as part of your content strategy? If so, send us three to six examples of their work along with a few paragraphs on your overall strategy to use contributors to cover local news, sports, features, events and more.

CATEGORY 31 – Best Cartoon
Nominees should submit a single, clearly marked example. A full- or part-time staff member, or local independent contractor, must have created the cartoon (non-syndicated).

CATEGORY 32 – Best Opinion Writing or Broadcast
Is there someone on your team that has a gift when it comes to writing about issues of importance to the community and taking a stand on those issues? This category will recognize a writer that can examine many aspects of life within a particular community and who challenge readers to think differently about issues. Entries must include three to six examples of the nominee’s work and can include print articles, blogs, Web articles, videos, TV or radio broadcasts.


NEWSPAPER ONLY AWARDS

CATEGORY 33 – Best Special Section – Newspapers Only
This category will recognize outstanding special sections produced by the newsroom. Entry should consist of a single special-section. An optional letter can be included to discuss the impact on the community or on reaching other goals associated with the section.

CATEGORY 34 – Editorial Page – Newspapers Only
This category recognizes outstanding newspaper editorial pages. It should showcase the paper’s leadership in stimulating community conversations, especially around controversial issues. Entries should include three examples from the contest period.

CATEGORY 35 – Best Editorial Writing (Individual) – Newspapers Only
This category recognizes a journalist whose work reflects leadership by focusing on issues of special relevance to the local community. Commentary must be on local issues or with a specific local angle of a general issue. Entry should include three samples covering separate topics.

CATEGORY 36 – Best Column Writing – Newspapers Only
This category recognizes outstanding column writing. Three examples that demonstrate the writer’s passion, knowledge, involvement and concern for the community should be submitted.

CATEGORY 37 – Best Front Page – Newspapers Only
This category recognizes the best newspaper front-pages of the year. Entry should consist of a single entry. Multiple entries allowed.

CATEGORY 38 – Best Non-Page-One Layout – Newspapers Only
This category recognizes a single page or two-page spread that is graphically exceptional in layout, design and format. Multiple entries allowed.