Tips on selecting entry material

• Though strong reporting is essential as a basis for the journalism recognized by the judges, it is important to remember that writing is the most important element in most of the categories.
• The “deadline” in the Deadline Reporting category should be considered broadly. Time pressures exist every day, as in the case of the daily coverage of a gripping murder trial or the gradually developing story of the collapse of a ruling regime, which are two examples of previous winning entries in the Deadline Reporting category.
• Stories must be properly sourced. ASNE Awards judges have been concerned in recent years about entries in which attribution was missing, particularly in the case of narrative journalism. The finest writers have no difficulty working attribution into their work, but the judges have had to reject some otherwise fine writing for lack of proper sourcing.
• The purpose of the photojournalism award is to recognize a body of work by an individual on a single subject that contributes to an improvement or heightened awareness in the community of the issues spotlighted. Entries may include photos that are used to illustrate a package or series of stories, or photos that were published as a freestanding photo story or series.