2011 National Championship

June 6-10, 2011

The 51st annual Hearst National Journalism Awards Championship was the culmination of the 2010-2011 monthly competitions. 27 finalists with top scores in those 14 competitions gathered in San Francisco to demonstrate their skills in on-the-spot assignments and compete for additional scholarship awards of up to $5,000. The writing, photojournalism, radio broadcast, television broadcast and multimedia finalists, along with program judges, journalism deans, and special guests convened the second week of June for this special event.

The eight writing finalists interviewed California Attorney General kamala Harris. They wrote a news story based on the interview and a personality/profile article. In addition, they researched and wrote an on-the-spot article about the state of dress and fashion in the city.

The photo finalists were given two assignments: a picture story about an individual who is part of a San Francisco subculture and a single “personal vision” image.

The radio and television finalists’ assignment was to find a story that reflects the “greening of San Francisco, representing its dedication to livability and sustainability.”

The multimedia finalists’ assignment was to investigate the safety of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The judges reviewed the finalists’ pieces Thursday, June 9th, and the winners were announced that evening at the final awards ceremony.