PRINT MEDIA
CATEGORIES 1 THROUGH 12
General instructions: A tear sheet (full page or pages containing the article, special page, etc.) must be submitted for entries published in newspapers or other publications. Clearly mark the tear sheet by highlighting or underlining the headline or title. Photocopies or print PDFs of tear sheets are permitted when originals are not available, but they must show publication name and date of issue printed on the page.
For web-based writing, please submit a hard-copy printout of the written piece, with a URL circled or written at the top of the page, if page is still accessible to the public. A CD, DVD, or other electronic file formatted for universal use on all operating systems may be submitted if appropriate.
If the same entry was published simultaneously in a print publication and online, entrant may submit it in either (but not both) subcategories, if the category has subcategories for both print and electronic publications.
Note: A single story OR a package (story, sidebars, and/or related information boxes) published on a single day constitutes one article. Each article may be entered only once. A story entered as a single feature or news story cannot also be entered in a multipart category such as series (though it may also be included in an entry in one of the editing or design categories, if it was also part of a section or supplement edited by the entrant.) If the work has been published both online and in print, entrant may choose either subcategory but may not enter the same work in both.
1. News story
Submit ONE (1) article. Judges will consider planning and general organization of story, initiative in obtaining story, news writing, readability and impact.
- Print-based newspaper
- Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper print publication
- Online publication
2. Continuing coverage or unfolding news
Open competition. Submit a maximum of SIX (6) articles representing the course of the story. The entry date is the date of the final article, which must be on or before Dec. 31 of the contest year. A ONE (1)-page written statement noting general chronology of the unfolding news and any special circumstances or events related to the topic MUST be included with the entry. Articles may have been published in print or online.
Judges will consider the writer’s ability to stick with the story, the handling of the subject, writing style, readability and thoroughness of coverage (e.g., a trial underway with daily coverage, or surprising new facts discovered at a later date on a story that is not a planned series).
3. Investigative reporting
Open competition. Entry should demonstrate entrant’s ability to provide treatment of an issue that has an impact on the publication’s coverage area but that has not received prior coverage or would not have been told without the reporter’s diligence in uncovering or reporting of the subject. Submit a maximum of SIX (6) articles representing the course of the story. The entry date is the date of the final article, which must be on or before Dec. 31 of the contest year.
A ONE (1)-page written statement MUST accompany the entry. It should include the entrant’s role in preparing the coverage, chronology of events, current status of issue covered and any unusual circumstances or difficulties encountered in preparation of the series. Articles may have been published in print or online.
Judges will consider the initiative, thoroughness of research, documentation, clarity of writing and/or presentation and technical excellence.
4. Enterprise reporting
Open competition. Entry should demonstrate entrant’s ability to expand on and add in-depth information to an issue that already has been reported and had an impact on the publication’s audience. Submit a maximum of SIX (6) articles representing the course of the story. The entry date is the date of the final article, which must be on or before Dec. 31 of the contest year.
A ONE (1)-page written statement MUST accompany the entry. It should include the entrant’s role in preparing the coverage, chronology of events, current status of issue covered and any unusual circumstances or difficulties encountered in preparation of the series. Articles may have been published in print or online.
Judges will consider the initiative, thoroughness of research, documentation, clarity of writing and/or presentation and technical excellence.
5. Special series
Open competition. Submit a minimum of THREE (3), but not more than SIX (6) developed articles. The articles must be numbered or must otherwise indicate with an editor’s note, a consistent series title or a logo that the articles were intended as a series, published either over time or in the same issue. The entry date is the date of the final article, which must be on or before Dec. 31 of the contest year.
A ONE (1)-page written statement MUST accompany the entry. It should include the entrant’s role in preparing the coverage, chronology of events, current status of issue covered and any unusual circumstances or difficulties encountered in preparation of the series. Articles may have been published in print or online.
Judges will consider the initiative, thoroughness of research, documentation, clarity of writing and/or presentation and technical excellence.
6. Individual achievement
This category includes work by a reporter, editor, or news team that reflects unusual creativity, unexcelled professionalism, courage under pressure, and effectiveness in presentation. The work will have "gotten something done"; for example, helped to change or introduce a law, spurred an investigation, or built support for a public-safety initiative. Work may have appeared in any format, including print, electronic, and broadcast, or in a variety of formats. If the work is submitted by a team, all entrants must be NFPW members, or the NFPW member who is the entrant must have done most of the work.
Submit relevant material, but no more than TEN (10) pages or pieces, including samples of the work itself, supportive materials relative to the impact of the achievement, AND a ONE (1)-page written summary of the achievement. Submitted materials may include tear sheets, printouts, CDs or DVDs with audio or video content, and other relevant items.
7. Editorial/Opinion
Submit ONE (1) article, published either online or in a print publication. DO NOT SUBMIT personal columns. This category is for non-bylined pieces that appear on editorial pages, or for bylined op-ed pieces.
In addition to considering relevance to readers, judges will consider clarity of style, sound reasoning, and effort to influence readers’ opinions in what the writer believes to be the right direction.
- Print-based newspaper
- Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper publication
- Online publication
8. Feature story
Submit ONE (1) article, published either online or in a print publication. DO NOT ENTER interview as feature (see Category 8, Personality Profile).
Judges will consider interest and unusual aspects of the feature material itself and/or the handling of it, writing style, readability and thoroughness of coverage.
- Print-based newspaper
- Magazine, newsletter or other non-newspaper publication
- Online publication
9. Personality profile
Open competition. Submit ONE (1) article that gives a portrait of an individual based on interviews with one or more people.
Judges will consider how well the writer reveals the personality of the subject by exploring the subject’s actions, background, motivation and character.
- 500 words or fewer
- More than 500 words
10. Specialty articles
Open competition for work published in online or print publications.
Submit TWO (2) articles on the same basic subject in the subcategory. Examples: in subcategory R (Sports), both articles may cover various sports topics; each may focus on a particular sport, e.g., basketball; or each article may cover a different sport – one on basketball and one on hunting, etc. Or, in subcategory O (Reviews), one article may be a review of a play, while another is a review of a concert. The two articles equal one entry and both should be listed on the same entry form and placed in one envelope. The two articles may have been published in the same publication or in different publications. The same article may not be entered in two different subcategories; where categories overlap, the entrant should choose one category in which to enter the work.
Judges will consider the same criteria as for news or feature stories and will include the author’s ability to write knowledgeably on the subject.
A. Advertorials (writing done for special advertising supplements or special sections)
B. Agriculture, Agribusiness, Aquaculture
C. Arts and entertainment
D. Business
E. Education
F. Fashion
G. Food
H. Government or politics
I. Green/environmental
J. History
K. Hobby or craft
L. Home (interior decoration, furniture, architecture, landscaping)
M. Physical health, fitness, mental health, self-help
N. Religion
O. Reviews (any subject, personal opinion must be expressed)
P. Science or technology
Q. Social issues
R. Sports
S. Travel
11. Columns
Open competition, with subcategories by column type. Columns may have been published in a print or online publication. Submit TWO (2) columns. Column should have a headline or logo that indicates it is a regular feature of the publication, should entertain and/or educate, and should reveal author’s style.
Judges will consider interest, organization, and ideas, as well as clarity, readability, style, and author’s ability to write knowledgeably on the subject.
(Columns are NOT blogs; enter blogs in Category 30.)
- Humorous
- General
- Informational (How-to, Q&A, advice)
- Personal Opinion (bylined, not editorial)
12. Headlines
Submit FOUR (4) samples on marked tear sheets or printouts from electronic sites.Judges will consider appropriateness to story, originality, and appeal to the reader. Open competition. No subcategories as to type of publication or circulation.
