CINCINNATI — The Scripps Howard Foundation is accepting submissions for the annual Scripps Howard Awards. Since 1953, the program has honored journalists and their stories as well as investigations that have created solutions, revealed injustices, initiated new legislation and created a better-informed world.
The 2015 Scripps Howard Awards is open to journalists and news organizations whose work was distributed by U.S.-based media outlets. Most of the competition categories recognize work across multiple platforms and category eligibility. The Scripps Howard Awards embrace television and radio stations, networks, online media outlets and independent producers in addition to newspapers and print publications. The program recognizes journalism in 15 categories. Two additional categories honor college journalism and mass communication educators for excellence in administration and teaching.
There are two new categories for 2015:
• Top Story of the Year – This is a new category in which the Foundation will introduce a topic each year based on a subject deemed most important during the year. For the inaugural award, the topic is police-community relations.
• Opinion – This replaces commentary and editorial writing.
The portal to submit entries will remain open until Feb. 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Click here to submit an entry. There is a $50 fee for each entry (with the exception of First Amendment and Administrator/Teacher of the Year). Once the Foundation finalizes all entries, a panel of expert judges will converge at the Poynter Institute in Florida to review every submission and determine the winners. The Foundation will announce the winners on March 15. Follow along for updates on Twitter @SH_Awards. The winners share $180,000 in cash prizes. The Scripps Howard Awards dinner to celebrate the winners is set for April 28 in Phoenix.
CATEGORIES:
Breaking News: This category honors comprehensive and resourceful coverage of a breaking news event during 2015. Open to television and radio stations or groups; online news sites, including those published by newspapers; broadcast and cable networks; cable systems; and syndication or program services for work by staff member(s) and/or freelance contributor(s). The prize is $10,000.
Business/Economics Reporting: The William Brewster Styles Award honors work in the area of business reporting and stories related to economic topics. It is open to any newspaper that published in print or online three or more times a week in 2015, television or radio station, online news sites, broadcast or cable network, cable system, wire service, news syndicate, syndication or program service, or news magazine. Staff member(s) and/or freelance contributor(s) are eligible. The prize is $10,000.
Community Journalism: This category honors work done in local markets that captures the attention and interest of that community. It is open to staff member(s) and/or freelance contributor(s) in small-market newspapers, television stations in 51+ markets, and online news sites and websites with a maximum of 200,000 unique visitors per month. Market size is determined by DMA ranking for television entries. Work must have originally aired or published in print or online in 2015. The prize is $10,000.
Digital Innovation: This category for non-narrative storytelling honors great journalism told in fresh, engaging ways through the use of digital tools and/or platforms. This is a broad category limited only by the entrant’s imagination and ability. Entries could include data visualizations, maps, info graphics, games, video, photos and/or interactive multimedia packages. The prize is $10,000.
Environmental Reporting: The Edward J. Meeman Award recognizes journalistic work focusing on environmental issues. It is open to any newspaper that published in print or online three or more times a week in 2015, television or radio stations, online news sites or websites, broadcast or cable networks, cable systems, wire services, news syndicates, syndication or program services, or news magazines. Staff member(s) and/or freelance contributor(s) are eligible. The prize is $10,000. The award is named for an influential journalist and newspaper editor in The E.W. Scripps Company who had a passion for conservation and the environment.
First Amendment: The Edward W. Scripps Award honors an individual or organization for distinguished service in the cause of the First Amendment guarantee of a free press. Nominations may be made by individuals, news organizations or any interested party. Submissions are not limited to 2015 publication or distribution. The prize is $10,000.
Human Interest Storytelling: The Ernie Pyle Award recognizes work by a journalist to tell a compelling story about human tragedy or triumph. It is open to work that appeared in a newspaper that published in print or online three or more times a week in 2015, or was distributed by a television or radio station, online news site, website, broadcast or cable network, cable system, wire service, news syndicate, syndication or program service, or news magazine. The prize is $10,000.
Investigative Reporting: The Ursula and Gilbert Farfel Prize honors major substantive reporting by a journalist or team of journalists, who cover stories intelligently and completely and who raise public consciousness. It is open to television or radio stations, online news sites or websites, broadcast or cable networks, any newspaper that published in print or online three or more times a week in 2015, cable systems, wire services, news syndicates, syndication or program services, or news magazines. Staff member(s) and/or freelance contributor(s) are eligible. May be individual or team entry. The prize is $20,000 and is co-sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation and the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University.
Opinion: This category recognizes outstanding commentary/editorial by an individual or team whose work was originally distributed in 2015 by a television or radio station, cable network, online news site or website, news magazine, wire service or news syndicate, or newspaper that publishes three or more times weekly. The prize is $10,000.
Photojournalism: The competition is open to staff members and freelancers whose still photography appeared in newspapers that published three or more times weekly in 2015 or whose still photography was distributed in 2015 by online news sites, news magazines, news services or syndication. The award is for a published portfolio of work and not a single photo story or essay. The prize is $10,000.
Public Service Reporting: The Roy W. Howard Award honors journalism that serves the public through extensive coverage of an issue. It is open to television stations, broadcast and cable networks, any newspaper that published three or more times weekly in 2015, cable systems, news services, news syndicates, syndication or program services. The prize is $10,000 and is named for Roy Howard who led Scripps Howard newspapers from 1922-1953 and United Press.
Radio/Audio In-Depth Reporting: The Jack R. Howard Award honors the best in-depth and investigative reporting of a single event or issue that was broadcast or covered online in 2015 by a radio station, group of radio stations, radio network, podcast, syndication or production company that produces audio content for radio broadcast or online podcasting. The prize is $10,000 and is named for Jack Howard, who was an early champion of the radio business and led Scripps-Howard Radio before becoming president of the company.
TV/Cable Local Coverage: The Jack R. Howard Award recognizes in-depth coverage of a single event or issue that is local in scope. It is open to a story broadcasted or distributed online by a television station or any commonly-owned group of television stations originating programs, national television or cable system originating programs, syndication or production company that produces programming primarily for broadcast use. The prize is $10,000.
TV/Cable National/International Coverage: The Jack R. Howard Award honors in-depth coverage of a single event or issue that is national and/or international in scope. It is open to a story broadcasted or distributed online by a television station or any commonly-owned group of television stations originating programs, national television or cable system originating programs, syndication or production company that produces programming primarily for broadcast use. The prize is $10,000.
Top Story of the Year: This is a new category for 2015 based on a selected topic – the story of the year. For 2015, that story is police-community relations. This category is open to television or radio stations, online news sites or websites, broadcast or cable networks, any newspaper that published in print or online three or more times a week in 2015, cable systems, wire services, news syndicates, syndication or program services, or news magazines. Staff member(s) and/or freelance contributor(s) are eligible. This may be an individual or team entry. The prize is $10,000. The Scripps Howard Awards committee will decide each year on a topic based on an issue or theme that garnered the most attention.
Administrator of the Year: The Charles E. Scripps Award for the Journalism & Mass Communication Administrator of the Year is given in collaboration with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). It is open to any past or present administrator of a school, department of journalism or mass communication at accredited or non-accredited schools. The prize is $10,000.
Teacher of the Year: The Charles E. Scripps Award for the Journalism & Mass Communication Teacher of the Year is given in collaboration with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). The competition is open to any full-time faculty member teaching in the disciplines of journalism and mass communication who, over the years, has consistently demonstrated an environment of excellence by ongoing contributions to the improvement of student learning. It is open to accredited and non-accredited schools. The prize is $10,000.
The Scripps Howard Foundation will announce the 2015 winners in an official release and through posts on Twitter and Facebook on March 15, 2016.
About the Foundation
Dedicated to excellence in journalism, the Scripps Howard Foundation (www.scripps.com/foundation) educates, empowers and honors extraordinary journalists who illuminate community issues, and partners with impactful organizations to drive change and improve lives. As the philanthropic arm of The E.W. Scripps Company, the Foundation is a leader in industry efforts in journalism education, scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development, literacy and First Amendment causes. With a special commitment to the regions where Scripps does business, the Foundation helps build thriving communities.
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, radio and digital media brands. Scripps is one of the nation’s largest independent TV station owners, with 33 television stations in 24 markets and a reach of nearly one in five U.S. households. It also owns 34 radio stations in eight markets. Scripps also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses, including podcast industry leader Midroll Media, over-the-top video news service Newsy and weather app developer WeatherSphere. Scripps also produces television shows including The List and The Now, runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the long-time steward of the nation’s largest, most successful and longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
Media contact:
Valerie Miller, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3023, [email protected]