Atlantic Journalism Awards

Evaluation Scale
Included under each category description is a list of judging criteria, which can be used in evaluating the journalism. We have included a point scale guideline beside each of the criteria, which also could be used to help compare the merits of different stories.

Resources Available
In most cases, the entrants should have listed the resources available to them in preparing their story. Hopefully, this will help you weigh stories, which were printed or broadcast with vastly different newsroom resources. For example, a reporter from a small market newsroom with a staff of one may be competing with a network newsroom, which can devote more people and resources to a story. As judges, we would like you to weigh what effects the fewer or more resources have on the final story. In an ideal world, where the journalism was equal, the small market reporter would score higher on the Resource Scale because the story was completed with fewer resources.

Outside Funding
Entrants are asked to list if they have received outside funding or awards to do the story from either government or private sources. For example, a TV feature program may have been partially funded by governments or a newspaper feature might have been supported by an outside private grant. It is up to the judges to decide how these additional resources aided the reporter and whether they compromised the reporter’s integrity, independence or news judgement.

Judges should look for entries which display the most skill in reporting a breaking news event. Spot News applies to stories in response to an unanticipated occurrence.

An entry consists of the initial story or package of stories from the first newscast or issue after the event. An entry may include more than one report and more than one journalist.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
Degree of difficulty – logistical and other challenges experienced in getting and filing the story, including deadline pressure.	30
Comprehensiveness and quality of information.	30
The quality of writing and presentation.	30
Resources used by the journalists.	10
	100

ENTERPRISE REPORTING – Print, Radio, Television
These awards, in the opinion of the judges, display initiative and show enterprise in journalism.

Judges should 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 in Enterprise should include a story, or a series of related stories that display enterprise and dedication as well as depth and quality of research. The difficulty of the story or stories will be considered.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
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.	30
Resources used by the journalists.	10
	100

CONTINUING COVERAGE – Print, Radio, Television
These awards, in the opinion of the judges, display tenacity and creativity in continuing coverage of a major developing spot news story.

Each entry in Continuing Coverage should include the initial story and up to five subsequent stories over the course of days, weeks, or months. The progression of the initial developing story should be apparent from the follow-up coverage.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
Stories that display tenacity and creativity in continuing coverage of a spot news story.	30
The initial developing story apparent in the follow-up coverage.	30
Writing and presentation.	30
Resources used by the journalists.	10
	100

Judges should look for entries which display excellence and creativity in the presentation of feature, or human-interest stories with journalistic merit.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
The substance of the story.	30
How well the story is told.	30
The treatment of the story. It includes such ingredients as novelty or original treatment, drama, personalization, human interest, humor, and pathos.	30
Resources used by the journalist.	10
	100

Judges will assess the entries for the best use of the on line medium as a news/information vehicle for a single news item. Judges will look at the total package of the on line page(s) including uniqueness of the story to the on line environment, the fullness of information, writing, design, photography, navigation ease, interactivity, information architecture, legibility, links and other supporting information to inform readers about the story.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
Journalistic excellence in the on line environment.	30
Ease of navigation and legibility.	30
Links and other supporting information.	30
Resources used by the journalist.	10
	100

Judges should look for entries which display excellence and creativity in the presentation of Business Reporting with journalistic merit.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
The substance and relevance of the story.	30
How well the story is told.	30
Overall journalistic merit	30
Resources used by the journalist.	10
	100

Judges should look for entries that display outstanding sports reporting in either print, television, or radio. Entries may be spot news, enterprise reporting, feature items or any combination of journalistic elements. Judges should select only three finalists from the total group of entries and one overall winner. There are only three finalists from all the entries, irrespective of the medium.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
The substance of the story.	30
How well the story is told.	30
Overall journalistic excellence.	30
Resources available to complete the story.	10
	100

Judges should look for stories which demonstrate excellence, creativity, and journalistic merit in the presentation of an entertainment story in either print, radio, or television.

Judges should select only three finalists from the total group of entries and one overall winner. There are only three finalists from all the entries, irrespective of the medium.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
The substance of the story.	30
How well the story is told.	30
Overall journalistic excellence.	30
Resources available to complete the story.	10
	100

Judges should look for entries which display outstanding editorial comment in print, television, or radio. Entries may be analytical, interpretive or humorous, or a combination of such qualities. Judges should select only three finalists from the total group of entries and one overall winner. There are only three finalists from all the entries, irrespective of the medium.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
The cogency of the argument.	25
The quality (elegance, simplicity, and clarity) of the writing and/or presentation.	25
The significance of the issue.	20
The effectiveness of the commentary in generating light, as well as heat, on that issue.	20
The resources used by the journalist.	10
	100

The video journalist award is based on a Show of Work. Up to three different items could be entered for this category. Judges should base their decision on the three items submitted by each entrant. Judges should look for entries in which a journalist, acting as a reporter, camera operator and editor, displays the most skills in reporting, shooting and editing a news story. There will be three finalists and one overall winner.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
The quality of research, writing and presentation.	30
The degree of difficulty – logistical and other challenges experienced in getting and filing the story.	30
Excellence of composition, clarity and crispness of the images.	30
Resources used by the videojournalist.	10
	100

PHOTOJOURNALISM SPOT NEWS - Print and Television
Spot News Photojournalism applies to photographs or videos completed in response to an unanticipated event. There will be three finalists and one overall winner for each of print and television.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
Creativity in capturing the breaking news visuals.	20
Degree of difficulty – logistical and other challenges the photographer or camera operator had to contend with in getting and filing the pictures.	25
Deadline pressures.	20
Quality – composition, clarity and crispness of image(s).	25
Resources used by the photographer/camera operator.	10
	100

PHOTOJOURNALISM FEATURE – Print and Television
The judges should look for entries that display excellence and creativity in the visual presentation of feature, or human-interest stories with journalistic merit. There will be three finalists and one overall winner for each of print and television.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
Composition, clarity and crispness of the photographic images.	30
The narrative, or story value of the photograph(s) or video.	30
The imagination, persistence and creativity f the photographer or camera operator. (Preference should be given to the capture of the spontaneous moment over the pre-planned and calculated set-up shot).	30
Resources used by the photographer/camera operator.	10
	100

Editorial cartoonists may submit up to 3 separate cartoons as one Show of Work. Judges should look for this “display of work,” which best captures visual commentaries, featuring art, argument, humour, and polemic.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
Cogency of the editorial point and significance of the issue.	30
Bite, humour, and originality.	30
Quality of drawing and artwork	30
Resources used by the editorial cartoonist.	10
	100

ATLANTIC MAGAZINE BEST ARTICLE
Judges should look for magazine articles that combine writing, photography and layout, and demonstrate excellence, creativity, and journalistic merit in the presentation of any topic. In this category there will be three finalists from magazine entries and one overall winner.

ATLANTIC MAGAZINE BEST COVER
Judges should look for the cover which demonstrates the best creative integration of text and imagery for maximum visual impact and newsstand appeal. Further the cover should quickly convey the magazines’ key editorial contents with visual clarity. In this category there will be three finalists from magazine entries and one overall winner.

ATLANTIC MAGAZINE BEST PROFILE ARTICLE
Judges should look for entries which effectively integrate written and visual excellence in the presentation of the person or company being profiled. Judges should consider originality of the subject, as well as the information delivered (does it share new, valued insights into the subject?), evidence of journalistic effort and the story’s ability to capture and maintain reader interest. In this category there will be three finalists from magazine entries and one overall winner.

BEST PAGE PRESENTATION - Newspaper
The judges should look for entries which display excellence in creativity and page presentation by daily or community newspapers. The award will recognize excellence in print page content presentation to convey the news information.

Judges will be asked to review submissions on journalistic merit as well as imaginative and informative design, colour, artistry, text positioning, fonts, typography, clarity, headline drama, impact and photography.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
Journalistic merit of the page.	30
Overall impact for readers.	30
Use of complimentary elements such as photography topography, artistry, and fonts.	30
Resources available to the editor.	10
	100

COMMUNITY REPORTING
The award is intended to honour community journalist or community news organizations in non-metropolitan markets for a single story or series about an issue important to the local community.

Judges will recognize the community journalist, the team of community journalists or the news organization for their journalistic excellence in covering an issue important to their community.

Main Factors	Evaluation Scale
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.	30
Relevance of the story to the local community.	10
	100

In this category, there will be three finalists and one overall gold award winner.

These awards are open to journalists in print, radio and television with less than three years of experience. Nominations must be accompanied by a detailed rationale along with a sampling of up to three stories representative of the entrant's body of work.

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

No evaluation scale is offered. Judges should use their own discretion in selecting the gold and silver winners.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
This single annual award will be presented to an individual or news organization who has demonstrated a lifetime of dedication to journalism excellence in Atlantic Canada. Nominations for this award can be submitted by anyone to the Atlantic Journalism Awards and the recipient will be selected by the AJAs Board of Directors.

Nominators should submit a 1-2 page nomination letter and any supporting documents clearly outlining why the person or organization should be honoured with the AJAs Lifetime Achievement Award.