82Nd NATIONAL HEADLINER AWARDS

Recognizing Journalistic Excellence for 82 years 82nd NATIONAL HEADLINER AWARDS

Newspapers + Magazines + News Syndicates + TV + Radio + Online

Founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the National Headliner Awards program is one of the oldest and largest annual contests recognizing journalistic excellence. The first National Headliner Awards were presented in 1935. Since then, more than 2,400 Headliner medallions have been presented to outstanding photographers, writers, graphic artist, daily newspapers, news syndicates, online, radio and television stations, TV and radio networks and magazines. Membership in the exclusive National Headliner Club is limited to individuals and organizations who have won Headliner medallions and to those men and women who serve as consultants and judges for the annual program. Many journalists have capped long and distinguished careers with a National Headliner Award, and each year the judges have recognized exceptional talent that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Individual awards of $1,500 will be made to Headliner Award winners whose work is selected by the judges for “Grand Award” recognition.

ELIGIBILITY Headliner competition is open to all material appearing in publications distributed or broadcast in the United States between January 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2015. There is no limit on the number of entries that may be submitted. However, each entry may be entered in only one category.

JUDGING All Headliner entries are judged in Atlantic City by a panel of journalists representing newspapers and radio and television stations from around the country. The judges are distinguished professionals who are selected on the basis of the journalistic contributions they have made during their careers.

DEADLINE All nominations must be postmarked no later than January 30, 2016. Mail entries to National Headliner Awards, P.O. Box 239, Northfield, NJ 08225-0239. For overnight mail, send to 14 Colgate Road, Somers Point, NJ 08244. You can also submit entries for print and online categories at www.headlinerawards.org

REGISTRATION FEE

Now Accepting Nominations for 2015 There is a registration fee of $75 per entry. Our tax-exempt IRS number is 22-213-8237 (Press Club of Atlantic City). Please make checks payable to National Headliner Awards. CATEGORIES - PRINT, PHOTO, MAGAZINE & GRAPHICS DIVISIONS PLEASE NOTE CATEGORY CHANGES DAILY NEWSPAPERS & N13. Education writing. Send five samples of news PG2. Newspapers- Feature photography, single NEWS ORGANIZATIONS stories, feature stories or columns about education by photo, not a series. Digital image on separate CD. an individual or team. PG3. Newspapers - Sports photography, single Writing and Reporting N14. Health/Medical/Science writing. Send five sam- photo, not a series. Digital image on separate stan- N1. Breaking News in daily newspapers, all sizes ples of news, features or columns by individual or team. dard-sized CD. (CHANGES MADE): Coverage of the first 24 hours N15. Environmental writing. Send five samples of PG4. Magazines, News Organizations - Spot news of a news event. Includes, but is not limited to, web- news, features or columns by an individual or team. photography, single photo, not a series. Digital image site and social media postings, news alerts, email N16. Investigative reporting (CHANGES MADE). on separate CD. blasts and the printed edition. Please include a time- The entry may include, but is not limited to, stories, PG5. Magazines, News Organizations - Feature or line outlining the major points and a letter describing photographs, editorials, social media campaigns, sports photography, single photo, not a series. Digital the circumstances. videos, community reaction and supplemental materi- image on separate CD. N2. Local news beat coverage or continuing story al addressing the investigation. Please include a letter PG6. Photography Portfolio. (Open to all newspaper, (e.g. poverty, election) by an individual or team. outlining the background and results, if any. magazine and news organization photographers.) NOT a series. Send five samples. N17. Public service performed by publishing material Submit 10 - 15 digital images on CD format. Entries N3. International news beat coverage or continuing in a daily newspaper (CHANGES MADE). Entries must have been published during the contest year and story by an individual or team. NOT a series. Send must be accompanied by a letter outlining back- best reflect the photographer’s range, artistic skills five samples. ground and results. The entry may include, but is not and talents. Include tearsheets of the published N4. News series (one series) in daily newspapers limited to, stories, photographs, editorials, social entries. with daily circulation up to 100,000. media campaigns, videos, community reaction and PG 7. Photo Essay/Story - A series of photos on a N5. News series (one series) in daily newspapers supplemental material addressing the issue. single subject that were published together. Submit with daily circulation over 100,000. N18. Editorial cartoons. Send 10 samples. maximum 10 images on CD format. Must have title N6. Local interest column on variety of subjects. N19. Journalistic innovation: an experimental or and essay/story summary accompany entry. Send three samples. unconventional reader service, design, feature or PG8. Portrait -A single picture that reveals the N7. Special or feature column on one subject by an news and online package that represents a fresh essence of the subject’s character. individual.(examples: food, fashion, radio-TV, music, approach to connecting newspapers and their com- PG9. Newspapers/Magazines - Illustrative or infor- etc.) Send three samples. munities. Entries must include a letter explaining the mational graphics by an individual or team. Send N8. Editorial writing by an individual or team. Send effort and its impact on the readers and community. three to five samples. five samples. N9. Sports column by an individual. Send five samples. PHOTOGRAPHY AND GRAPHICS MAGAZINES N10. Sports writing by an individual or team. Send FOR DAILY NEWSPAPERS, M1. Coverage of a major news event or topic. One five samples. MAGAZINES AND NEWS sample per entry. M2. Feature writing by an individual on a variety of N11. Feature writing on variety of subjects by an ORGANIZATIONS individual. Send five samples. subjects. Send three samples by the same writer. (EACH ENTRY MUST HAVE CUTLINES) N12. Business news coverage, business commentary M3. Column - (Examples: business, food, finance, PG1. Newspapers - Spot news photography, single and/or business columns by an individual or team. fashion, radio-TV, Washington coverage, sports, trav- photo, not a series. Digital image on separate stan- Send five samples. el, etc.) Send five samples by the same writer. dard-sized CD.

CATEGORIES - RADIO & TELEVISION RADIO STATIONS R7. Breaking news or continuing cov- TV4. Feature, sports or human interest event. Not to exceed 20 minutes. erage of a single news event. Not to story, all markets. Not to exceed 10 TV13. Continuing coverage of a major R1. Newscast, all markets. Submit best exceed 20 minutes. minutes news event. Not to exceed 20 minutes. newscast from one particular day in R8. Feature and human interest story, TV5. Public service, all markets. No TV14. Feature, sports or human inter- 2015. Not to exceed 45 minutes. all markets. Not to exceed 10 minutes time limits. est story. Not to exceed 10 minutes. R2. Breaking news or continuing cov- R9. Documentary or Public Affairs. TV6. Documentary or series of reports TV15. Documentary or series of erage of a single news event. Not to For Public Affairs, submit three com- on the same subject, all markets. No reports on the same subject. No time exceed 20 minutes. plete regularly scheduled shows that time limits. limits. R3. Feature and human interest story, focus on addressing issues of the day. TV7. Investigative reporting, all mar- TV16. Investigative report. Not to all markets. Not to exceed 10 minutes. For documentary, submit one show. No kets. Not to exceed 20 minutes. exceed 20 minutes. R4. Documentary or Public Affairs. time limits. TV8. Business & Consumer reporting. TV17. News magazine program. For Public Affairs, submit three com- R10. News series. Not to exceed 20 Not to exceed 20 minutes. No time limits. plete regularly scheduled shows that minutes. TV9. Health / Science reporting. Not TV18. Business & Consumer report- focus on addressing issues of the day. to exceed 20 minutes. ing. Not to exceed 20 minutes. For documentary, submit one show. No BROADCAST OR CABLE TV10. Environmental reporting. Not to TV19. Health / Science reporting. Not time limits. TELEVISION STATIONS exceed 20 minutes. R5. News series. Not to exceed 20 minutes. TV1. Newscast, all markets. Submit BROADCAST TELEVISION INFORMATION best newscast from one particular day NETWORKS, CABLE Call Erika Melhorn BROADCAST RADIO in 2015. Not to exceed 45 minutes. NETWORKS at (609) 601-2116 NETWORKS AND TV2. Coverage of a live breaking AND SYNDICATORS SYNDICATORS news event, all markets. Not to exceed e-mail: 20 minutes. TV11. Newscast. Submit best newscast info@headliner TV3. Continuing coverage of a single R6. Newscast, all markets. Submit best from one particular day in 2014. Not to news event, all markets. Not to exceed awards.org newscast from one particular day in exceed 45 minutes. 20 minutes. 2015. Not to exceed 45 minutes. TV12. Coverage of a major news

IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR ALL ENTRANTS: THE SAME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE ENTERED IN MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY ONLINE JOURNALISM Distinguished online journalism that most effectively takes advantage of the Internet while maintaining the highest journalistic standards. All entries must be submitted online at HeadlinerAwards.org WEBSITES - Entries must consist of at least O8. Online videography - Entries will be ONLINE-ONLY WRITING - For journalism one main URL and at least 3 examples of func- judged on: shooting, editing, storytelling, design that ONLY appears online on a continually updat- tioning, active or cached URLs in the same and user experience. Submit no more than four ed website and NOT in a written publication. domain. If an entry’s links are not functioning examples of one individual’s, or one team’s, Submit five written samples and active URLs that properly at the time of the judging, the entry online videos. A group of videos from one show the story was put online during 2015. If an will be disqualified. Entries will be judged on: organization will not be considered. Photos can entry’s links are not functioning at the time of the content, interactivity, and design. be included in a video submission, but the judging, the entry will be disqualified. O1. Radio Affiliated Stations majority of the entry must be video based. O10. Online-only writing for radio site. O2. Radio Affiliated Networks and Syndicates Include short description of video. O11. Online-only writing for broadcast televi- O3. Broadcast Television Stations O9. Online photo galleries - Entries will be sion stations or networks site. O4. Broadcast Television Networks, Cable judged on depth/range of information presented, O12. Online-only writing for newspaper sites. Networks and Syndicators design and user experience. Submit no more O13. Online-only writing for magazines sites. O5. Newspapers Daily circulation under than four examples of original online photo gal- O14. Writing for website. This category is open 100,000 leries that are comprised of photos of one indi- to all media outlets of any size. Entry should O6. Newspaper Daily circulation over 100,000 vidual or one team of photographers. demonstrate writing of exceptional merit. Please O7. Magazine affiliated include a monination letter.

Online submissions will be possible this year for newspaper categories, check HeadlinerAwards.com for more information. Both online and mailed entries will be accepted for newspaper and magazine categories. ENTRIES FOR ONLINE CATEGORIES MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE. ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING BY MAIL • Two copies of the form must accompany each entry. • Please attach at least one copy of the form with transpar- GRAPHICS & ILLUSTRATIONS: ent tape, paper clips or staples so it can be easily Entries must be submitted in a manner that is easy to removed at the National Headliner offices. read for the judges. Printouts of PDF files are accept- • Please do not paste entry form to actual entry. able. Entry form must be attached to each group of • Confirmation of receipt of entry will be e-mailed. entries. • If several entries will be submitted under separate covers, please enclose a list of all entries with the RADIO: check so we can cross-check that they are all received. Radio entries should be in the form of CDs. Individual entries should be on separate CDs. In all radio cate- PRINT: gories, awards are made to a station or a network with There is no required format for submitting print entries. credits to an individual or individuals. Radio entries The material should be presented in a manner that should include a brief printed description of the entry enables them to withstand mailing and handling by along with the material for judging. The name of the numerous contest workers and judges. A binder of entry, its category and length should also be printed on some type is recommended. The entry form must be the CD. Check individual category for time limits. attached to the front of the entry but not pasted down; use transparent tape, paper clips, or staples. Entries TELEVISION: MUST show publication date as proof of eligibility. Television entries must be in the form of DVDs. In all television categories, awards are made to a station or net- PHOTOS: work with credits to an individual or individuals. Photo entries are to be submitted in digital form. Digital Television entries should include a brief printed descrip- entries should be submitted as JPEG files on a size tion of the entry along with the material for judging. The CD. No other digital formats will be accepted. Each title of the entry, its category and length should be print- entry must be on a separate CD and each CD must be ed on the DVD. Check individual category for time limits. clearly labeled with the name of the entering news photographer and contest category. Each entry must also contain tearsheets of published work or active URL.