Audio

Audio Guidelines

  • Each university may submit two entrants’ work per competition.
  • Audio entrants must be undergraduate journalism majors or minors attending a university with an ACEJMC-accredited journalism program or must be recent graduates of said program.
  • Spring, summer or fall 2024 graduates may enter the 2024-2025 competitions but would not be eligible to participate in the 2025 Championship.
  • The entries must have been published before the students were graduated.
  • The reports must have been “aired” in the sense of having been made available to an anonymous audience of substantial size on a station or online or both.
  • The entries should be submitted as aired, and not edited substantially for the entry time limit. If a report is longer than the entry time limit, the entrant may enter an edited excerpt.
  • Entrants must demonstrate their editing skills on at least one report.
  • If the entry is included in a professional website or a professional station’s newscast, the producer or
    news director must certify in writing that it is primarily the entrant’s work.
  • Entrants who qualify for the Championship may not enter another competition.
  • An entrant who has won first place in the Audio Championship is not eligible to compete in future audio competitions.
  • An entry submitted once may not be resubmitted in any other competition or in any other competition year.

How to Enter

  • New: Competition entries are submitted through the online application by a school administrator.
  • Details are sent to all participating journalism schools. Login codes are provided by the program office.
  • To receive information about the program, please contact Program Director Jan Watten:
    jwatten@hearstfdn.org.

Audio Competitions

Audio News and/or Features

Entries must be coverage of breaking or developing news stories, and/or non-deadline news, non-deadline
reporting of personalities, events, or issues. Entries may be based on but not limited to public affairs, business,
investigations, science, sports or weather.

Each entry must consist of at least two reports in News and/or Features originating with and produced by the entrant. The time limit is seven minutes total.

If the reports are part of a longer newscast, an excerpt may be entered.
Each university may submit two entries by students in this competition. The entries must be by different students.

Entries must have been disseminated on air or online or both from September 1, 2023 through January 21, 2025.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received by January 21, 2025..

NEW: Journalism Podcast

Podcasts are defined as audio content delivered in a series of episodes housed on a platform that is publicly
accessed on demand. Journalism Podcast Competition entries should provide the best example of reporting and creation, adhering to the journalistic standards of storytelling based on facts and including original reporting,
audio interviews and time limitations, that reflect the long-established journalistic criteria of excellence.

Entries may be based on but not limited to public affairs, business, environment, agriculture, investigations,
science, sports and/or weather.

Each entry must consist of a single episode of the podcast, a full list of episodes for the podcast, and a 2-3 sentence description of the podcast. The time limit for the single episode being entered is ten minutes.

Entries must be originating with and produced by the entrant.

The podcast should be publicly accessible on a podcasting platform. Entries may be audio-only, or audio with a video component, but only the audio will be judged. If the episode for judging is longer than ten minutes, the judges will review a ten-minute segment, which must be indicated by the entrant. The judges may, at their
discretion, listen to additional content in the podcast.

Each university may submit two entries by students in this competition. The entries must be by different students.

Team reporting is not eligible. The contest entry must be originating with and produced by the student with
primary responsibility for the entry.

Entries must have been disseminated on air or online or both from September 1, 2023 through April 8 2025.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received by April 8, 2025.

National Audio Championship

This event is open to the top five winners (unless graduated the previous year) of the Audio News and/or Features Competition.
Dates: May 31 – June 6, 2025.

Judging

Audio entries are judged based on the following criteria:

  • Writing
  • Reporting
  • Editing
  • Clarity
  • Depth
  • Knowledge of subject
  • Production values
  • Originality
  • Human interest