Best of Photojournalism 2012: Video News Photography: Entry Rules

An unscheduled and unfolding news event for which there was no opportunity for planning. This category recognizes the photographer's ability to function in a stressful situation, keeping his or her photographic gear rolling to capture the overall scope of the scene, and zeroing in on individual reactions.

Story must have been shot, edited, and broadcast within 24 hours. If a version was edited for another broadcast within the 24 hours, it must contain new elements not used in the original story.

90% of the video must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.

5 minutes

A Spot News or General News story that may include a live air check presentation by a reporter or photojournalist. The goal of this category is to highlight television photojournalism under deadline pressure. The entry must be shot, edited and broadcast within 4 hours.

The entry may be a stand alone package, a straight live shot, or a live shot with file video. If the entry includes a live shot, the air check presentation must be submitted with no re-editing allowed. For this category only, mention of the photojournalist is permitted.

90% of the video & live shot must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.

A story that covers a planned or unplanned news event or a subject of general interest and importance. It can be a follow up or side bar to spot news. The event should be timely.

General news stories should contain no music, except where it's part of the natural sound of the story. Stories must have been shot, edited, and broadcast within 24 hours.

90% of the video must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.

If the story is deemed by the judges to be too much of a feature, it may be disqualified.

A planned story where the photojournalist puts considerable time and effort into the production of the story. Features that score highly show imagination and creativity.

90% of the video must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.

A feature or human interest story shot and edited within a time frame of 48 consecutive hours. 90% of the video must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.

Any feature story about participants, spectators, or those involved or interested in a sport or sporting event. Does not need to focus on the outcome of the game.

90% of video must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.

A planned story where the photojournalist puts considerable time and effort into the production of the story.

It may be divided into a series and aired on successive days. If so, edit the individual parts together leaving a second of black leader between each piece.

90% of video must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.

Any story that was shot by more than one photojournalist.

The story may fall into any of the other subject categories except Documentary. Documentary stories must be entered as such, regardless of the number of photographers involved.

A complete, creative study of a subject or issue in which the theme and treatment follow a predetermined direction. Can be shot by more than one person.

Documentary must have debuted during the contest year.

This award is to recognize those who do it all themselves, do it daily, and do it well. It will recognize the best single story produced by a primarily full time solo video journalist (one man band).

This is not a category for those who may shoot alone once or twice a week. You must be a solo video journalist during your entire work week schedule.

The story must be shot, written, and edited within 48 hours by the entrant.

The NPPA Photojournalism Award for Reporting is to honor those reporters and field producers who, in collaboration with a television photojournalist, produce outstanding visual stories. Entrants must submit a compilation of 3 packages they have written from the individual categories listed below. This is not only a writing category. The judges will be looking at the overall visual storytelling and how the reporter/field producer contributed to the quality.

The compilation entry may not exceed 20 minutes and can include live shots. There is no penalty if a story is shot by more than one photographer. Include a list with the story titles.

The judges may award a winner and runner up at their discretion.

The person recognized as the Ernie Crisp Television News Photographer of the Year must show a high level of skill and professionalism. The award serves as recognition of individual ability - an ability against which others can compare their output to determine if they are meeting the standards of the industry.

To enter this competition, submit a compilation of stories typical of your work. The chairperson will not assemble entries from other categories for this award.

• Stories entered in the individual categories may be a part of your POY entry, but they must be entered under the same categories. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
• Entrant must submit stories in five of the seven categories in the following order: Spot News, Deadline Photography, General News, News Feature, 48 Hour Feature, Sports Feature, and In-Depth/Series. No more than two stories are allowed per category.
• Spot News and General News stories are mandatory.
• 90% of the video in each story must have been shot by the entering photojournalist.
• You must also submit a written biography and a list detailing the contents of your presentation. This should indicate the titles and categories of your stories. You also must email your biography and contents list to the contest chair at kyphotog@aol.com.
• No promotional material concerning the photographer, their station, or the submitted work may be included in the entry.

The Station of the Year Award will be presented to three (3) different television stations in three (3) separate divisions based on Nielsen market sizes:

• Large Market (1-34)
• Medium Market (35-69)
• Small Market (70-212)

You can find out the size of the market you work in at <http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html>

This award recognizes a local broadcast station’s photography staff for their consistency in providing outstanding news photography coverage for and about the audience it serves. The award singles out an individual staff as one that has achieved a high standard of quality in photography that is unmatched by any other station in their division. Selection as a TV Photography Station of the Year honors excellence, and most importantly, it serves to raise the standards of the industry.

• The entry is a compilation of the station’s best news photography. Stories in six of the eight following categories must be included in the entry in the following order: Spot News, Deadline Photography, General News, News Feature, 48 Hour Feature, Sports Feature, Solo Video Journalist, and In-Depth/Series.
• Entries in Spot News and General News are mandatory.
• No more than three stories can be entered in any one category. Team entries are allowed in each category.

• Photography Staffs of 15 or more:

  1/3 of the station’s photography staff must be represented on the Station of the Year entry. A single photographer can contribute to no more than 3 stories on the entry.

  Photography Staffs of 14 or fewer:

  1/2 of the station’s photography staff must be represented on the Station of the Year entry.

• Submit with the entry a list detailing the contents of the presentation.
• Each story’s name and category must be indicated.
• Each story must include a complete list of all the photographers involved in its production.
• No promotional material concerning the station, its photographers, or the stories should be included in the entry.
• A story entered in an individual category must be entered in the same category if included in the Station of the Year compilation. Failure to do so will result in either the story being removed from the SOY entry or a disqualification of the entry in the individual category. The judges will decide.
• You must also include a one-page summary of the station's philosophy on television news photography. Indicate the size of the staff, the station's market, and the titles and categories of your stories. You must email these to the contest chair at kyphotog@aol.com.
• Entrants are required to save an air check of their early block (5 pm to 6 pm) and their late block (9 pm to 11 pm) each day for the month of February. Sometime during the month, your staff will be called by the contest chairperson and told which newscast to mail as part of your SOY entry. This entry will be the same time and day for everyone. The air-check cassette should be not be edited and must include the open, close, all commercials, news, weather, and sports.

The judges of this year’s competition will have the option of giving a “Judges’ Choice Award” to one or more stories they feel best exemplifies the ideals of television photojournalism. The winner(s) will be chosen from among the full set of entries in all categories.