Writing

Writing Guidelines

  • Each university may submit two entrants’ work per competition (or two teams in the Team/Individual Explanatory Reporting competition).
  • Writing 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.
  • An entry is a single article written by the entrant (or by a team in the Team/Individual Explanatory Reporting competition) and published before the entrant(s) graduated .
  • Only single bylines are allowed with the following exception: Team/Individual Explanatory Reporting
    competition.
  • Entries must have been published in print or online or both in a campus or professional
    publication.
  • Articles must be appropriate for the competition in which they are submitted and must be produced and published within the time limitations specified.
  • If a story has a credit line, the entrant must include a statement describing the writing, reporting or editing work contributed by the person(s) cited in the credit line.
  • Sidebars, subordinate in length and content to the article submitted, written by the same entrant on the same topic and published the same day, will be considered part of a single entry.
  • If the entry is from a professional publication, the editor must certify in writing that it is primarily the
    entrant’s work with minimal editing and no editor rewriting.
  • If a correction was published or issued online after the original story was presented to the audience, the
    correction or clarification must be submitted as well.
  • An entrant may enter multiple writing competitions with the following exceptions: if the entrant wins first place, if the entrant qualifies for the Championship, or if the entrant places twice in the top five.
  • An entrant who has won first place in the Writing Championship is not eligible to compete in future writing competitions.
  • An entry submitted once may not be resubmitted in any other competition or in any other competition year.

How to Enter

  • 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.

Writing Competitions

Feature Writing

Creative feature writing: color or mood article covering news, business, feature or entertainment as opposed to a hard conventional news story or personality profile. Stories should be memorable for their reporting, crafting,
creativity and economy of expression.

Sidebars subordinate in length and content to the article may be included.

All articles must be disseminated in print or online or both from September 1, 2023 through November 4, 2024.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received by November 4, 2024.

Sports Writing

A news, feature story or commentary in sports, which must relate to an event or issue, not to a sports personality.

Sidebars subordinate in length and content to the article may be included.

All articles must be disseminated in print or online or both from September 1, 2023 through December 17, 2024.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received by December 17, 2024.

Personality / Profile Writing

A personality sketch of an individual on or off campus.

All articles must be disseminated in print or online or both from September 1, 2023 through February 4, 2025.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received by February 4, 2025.

Team or Individual Explanatory Reporting

Explanatory Reporting entries are the best example of explanatory journalism that illuminates a significant and complex subject or problem, demonstrating understanding and command of the subject, provides context, lucid writing and clear presentation. Entries may be investigative in nature.

Each submission – from an individual entrant or team – should include a description of the reporting process,
including how access to essential information was achieved, noting any special challenges and describing any
actual or potential impact. Please upload this as a PDF in the “description of the reporting” field of the application.

If from a series, one story in the series may be submitted, but must be accompanied by not more than one page summarizing the remaining articles and describing resultant actions, if any. Sidebars subordinate in length and content to the story may be included. Any corrections or clarifications to the reporting after its publication must be identified and explained.

Each university may submit up to two entries in this competition, each by a different student or team.

Entrant(s) MUST be undergraduate students (with the exception of minor help from graduate students who may have assisted with the project).

Awards may be divided to the individual undergraduates on the winning team. If the entry qualifies for the National Writing Championship, the administering professor will select the lead entrant to participate in the
Championship. Note: only one entrant will be eligible to participate in the Championship.

All articles must be disseminated in print or online or both from September 1, 2023 through March 11, 2025.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received by March 11, 2025.

National Writing Championship

This event is open to eight selected finalists from the writing competitions: four first-place winners
(unless graduated the previous year) and four “at large” finalists with combined or individual high points.

Dates: May 31 – June 6, 2025

Judging

Writing entries are judged based on the following criteria:

  • Quality of the writing and the reporting that supports it
  • Stories must be well defined and framed clearly
  • Knowledge of subject
  • Understandability
  • Clarity
  • Reporting depth
  • Construction
  • Originality