FAQ

What are the eligibility requirements for entering?
You must be an undergraduate journalism major or minor attending an ASJMC-accredited domestic, undergraduate
journalism program at the time your entry was published/aired/posted. An exception to the journalism major rule is made for students entering the photo competitions. See RULES for more information.

What’s the ASJMC?
The ASJMC is the acronym for the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication. Journalism schools are accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
(ACEJMC). List of ACEJMC-accredited journalism programs.

My school does not have an accredited journalism department. Can I enter?
No, you must attend a school that has an accredited journalism unit.

How do I enter?
Two students from accredited journalism programs may enter each competition. The school selects which two students’ work to enter. Please contact the journalism department administrator or the Hearst Journalism Awards program office for more information: jwatten@hearstfdn.org.

How many competitions are there?
There are 14 competitions held throughout the school year with a Championship event for top winners.
Four writing competitions: Features; Sports; Personality/Profile; Team or Individual Explanatory Reporting;.
Two photo competitions: News and Features; Picture Story/Series.
Two audio competition: News and/or Features. Journalism Podcast.
Two television competitions: Features; News.
Four multimedia competitions: Narrative Video Storytelling; Innovative Journalism; Digital News or Enterprise Story – Individual; Digital News or Enterprise Story – Team.

How many students from each school can enter each competition?
Up to two students per university can enter each competition. Up to two teams per university may enter the team competitions (Multimedia IV and Team or Individual Explanatory Reporting).
The students/teams to be entered are selected by the schools.

How many times can I enter?
Entrants may submit distinct work in multiple competitions. However if the entrant wins first place and or
qualifies for the Championship, they may not enter another competition in that category.

Can I enter the same work twice?
No, a competition entry may only be submitted once.

Can graduates enter their work?
If you graduated in the spring or summer, you may enter the next year’s competitions but you would not be
eligible to participate in the Championship. Fall graduates are eligible to participate in that school year’s
competitions and in the Championship were they to qualify for that event.

Can I enter work from an internship?
Yes. However, any entry published/aired/posted in off-campus media must be accompanied by a letter from the editor certifying that the entry is the work of the entrant.

How much professional experience can an entrant have?
An entrant may have participated in one or multiple internships as long as the total adds up to no more than one year (full time).

Who judges the work?
Twelve media professionals–journalists/editors–judge the students’ work. The judges generally rotate
every 3 years. See a list of current judges.

How is the work judged?
The judges review the submissions and assign points to their top picks. The points are then sent back to the Hearst Foundations, where they are totaled and the students are ranked.

What do I win?
First through fifth place winners in each monthly competition receive certificates and scholarship checks ranging from $3,000 through $1,000, with matching grants to their journalism departments. Top winners may also qualify for the Championship. See the awards page for more information.

What is the Championship?
The Championship is the culminating event of the competitions, where the top winners from the monthly writing, photojournalism, audio, television and multimedia competitions gather (generally in San Francisco) for on-the-spot assignments and additional scholarship awards of up to $10,000. See the 2024 Championship winners and their work.

Who qualifies for the Championship?
In writing, the first-place winners and the four highest-scoring, non-first place winners qualify.
In photo, the first-place winners and the three highest-scoring, non-first place winners qualify.
In audio, the top five winners of the audio news and/or features competition qualify.
In television, the first-place winners and the three highest-scoring, non-first place winners qualify.
In multimedia, the three first-place winners and the two highest-scoring, non-first place winners qualify.
If the first-place winners or other qualifiers graduated the year before, they are not eligible for the Championship.

Can I enter again if I won first place at the Championship?
No, you may not enter again once you have won first place at the Championship. However, you may enter in a
different category.