Eligibility

• All entries must have been created and aired from January 25, 2021 through December 31, 2021.
• All entries must have been created by Active or Life Members in good standing. If you are not currently an active member, you may join and submit your membership dues for both 2021 and 2022. Then, you may enter work completed by December 31, 2021.
• All work entered in the contest must have been made by active or life members in good standing; associate members are not eligible. An individual who has never before been a WHNPA member may join and enter the contest at the same time so long as they pay dues for the calendar year when the entries were made as well as the next year’s dues. Those who have previously been members but their membership has lapsed may re-apply for membership, but they may only enter work produced or published after the date of their new membership application submission. Due to the impacts of the Covid pandemic, location requirements for membership will be waived for those who have relocated from the DC region but who produced their entries while working in Washington or who still work for a Washington-based organization.
• At least 80% of each individual entry must be the work of the entrant.
• Teams of two or three members may enter stories together. Each member must have contributed at least 30% to the entry. This will, by definition, limit team entries to a maximum of three entrants, no matter how many people contributed to the entry. Team entries must be uploaded only once for the entire team, but each entrant must pay a separate entry fee and list the entry on their own individual entry form and summary sheets, indicating that it is a team entry. Team members must also indicate on their summary sheet (under the Special Notes section) how many total people worked on the entry.
• The entry deadline is Sunday, January 30, 2022 at 11:59PM EST.
• The Video Contest Committee reserves the right to disqualify any entry.
• Any piece that is entered in the Digital Storytelling Contest may not also be entered in this contest, and vice versa.

  Entries in this contest must have initially been broadcast by a news organization engaged primarily in broadcasting, cablecasting or subscription-based television. Entries initially posted to the internet by organizations or individuals engaged primarily in print or web publishing should be entered in the Digital Storytelling contest and do not qualify for the Video contest.

Entry Rules and Procedures

• Please read carefully! ALL ENTRIES ARE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY.
• There is a two (2) entry limit per category per entrant.
• The story title on the entry form MUST match exactly with the entry’s filename when uploaded.
• All photography entries must be filled on the Photography Summary sheet and all Editing entries must be filled out on the Editing Summary sheet. This must be submitted electronically at the same time you upload your files. Please be careful when naming the organization for whom the work was done, as this cannot be changed after the winners are posted.
• Three images that represent your story must be submitted with each entry. These images should be in the Jpeg file format.
• All video files should be H264 and 1280 X 720 in MP4 or MOV format.
• Naming convention for each video file is the category identifier (with the leading zero if applicable), name of entry (exactly as entered on summary sheet) and the entrant’s initials. For example, if Charlie MacDonald entered a piece titled “Security” in the Editing General News category, the uploaded file name must be: E02_Security_CM.mp4
• The naming convention for the three images is the same as the files except with a _1, _2 or _3 at the end of the name to identify each of the three images: E02_Security_CM_1.jpeg.
• Team entries must contain the word “TEAM” at the end of the file name. This is required on both the mp4/mov and jpeg files: P08_Chase_DW_AB_CD_TEAM.mp4 and P08_Chase_DW_AB_CD_TEAM_1.jpeg.
• Please keep your story titles, or “slugs”, short!
• If possible, it is recommended that you use a wired (i.e. Ethernet) connection to upload your entries.
• An entry for photography may be entered in only one photography category, and an entry for editing may only be entered in one editing category. However the same story may be entered in both a photography category and an editing category, however you must upload the entries separately following the proper naming convention. The only exceptions to this rule are the lighting and audio categories. In the Photography contest, you may submit an entry in the lighting and audio category, which you have also submitted in one other category. In the Editing contest, you may submit an entry in the audio category which you have also submitted in another category.
• Each entry, even if it is submitted in more than one category, must be submitted separately and named appropriately for that category. For example, if you are entering the same entry in P01 and E01, the entry must be submitted twice and labeled appropriately for both the photography and editing categories.
• Entrants must not be identified in a piece in any way (by chyron, in narration, or on-screen credit).
• Please provide a written description in the summary sheet of any elements not shot or created by entrant. At least 80% of the entry must be the work of the entrant.
• Any piece that is entered in the Digital Storytelling Contest may not also be entered in this contest, and vice versa.
• There is a flat entry fee of $65.00 for the first five OR fewer entries, plus processing fees. Each additional entry is $15.50 per entry, plus processing fees.
• The fees must be paid via PayPal. In exceptional situations, payment by check is acceptable. Please contact heidi@54.85.141.172 for instructions before sending payment by check. Entry fees will not be refunded in the case of disqualification.
• Winners will be posted on the WHNPA website when the contest is completed.

Photography Categories

• P01 BREAKING NEWS – Coverage of breaking news – day of. Shot, edited and aired/posted within 10 hours. Follow-up stories do not belong in this category. May include live element.
• P02 GENERAL NEWS – A news story, four minutes or less: shot, edited, and aired or fed the same day.
• P03 DAY FEATURE – Feature story shot, edited, and aired same day.
• P04 NEWS FEATURE – Story shot, edited, and aired within 48 hours.
• P05 FEATURE – Feature story shot and edited over an extended length of time (10 minute maximum.)
• P06 NEWS SPECIAL REPORTS/SERIES – Special report or multiple part series. Your entry must be limited to 15 minutes. For a special report you may show one 15-minute segment of your entry or two or three segments (separated by a dip to black) for a total of 15 minutes. For a series show at least two segments not to exceed 15 minutes. No other editing is allowed.
• P07 MAGAZINE OR DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – Extended long format or magazine piece of at least 20 minutes when originally aired. Your entry must be limited to 15 minutes. You may show one 15-minute segment of your project or two or three segments (separated by a dip to black) for a total of 15 minutes. No other editing is allowed. If multiple photographers worked on your project please be very clear which work you did, or as it may be easier to identify, which work you did not shoot in your entry.
• P08 SPORTS – Coverage, analysis, or preparation of or for a sports event or activity.
• P09 POLITICAL/CAMPAIGN – Story about political newsmakers.
• P10 WHITE HOUSE/PRESIDENTIAL – Footage, story or composite of White House/Presidential topic(s). Total entry not to exceed 5 minutes.
• P11 LIGHTING – Field Lighting for a single story or composite of excerpts from one or more stories. Total entry not to exceed 2 minutes.
• P12 NETWORK – Network (non-magazine program). Aired or unaired segment or package, not to exceed 5 minutes.
• P13 AUDIO – Field audio for a single story. No composites. Total entry not to exceed 5 minutes.
• P14 CONFLICT/DISASTER COVERAGE – This category recognizes work created in dangerous situations where the photographer has put his or her personal safety at risk. Entry not to exceed 10 minutes.
• P15 RAW FOOTAGE – Video of a news event not entered in another category. May be an edited series of clips or one clip. Entry not to exceed 2 minutes. This category is intended for those who covered an event which was not used as a story by their organization. All video in each entry must be from a single story. No composite entries. The name of the entry must reflect the title when assigned. You may submit two entries, but each must represent a single assignment.

Editing Categories

• E01 BREAKING NEWS – Coverage of breaking news events-day of. Shot, edited and aired/posted within 10 hours. Follow-up stories do not belong in this category.
• E02 GENERAL NEWS – A news story shot, edited, and aired or fed the same day. 4 minutes maximum.
• E03 DAY FEATURE – Segment or package edited and aired the same day.
• E04 NEWS FEATURE – Segment or package edited and aired within 48 hours.
• E05 EDITING SHORT FORM – Segment or package edited over an extended period. 5 minute maximum.
• E06 EDITING LONG FORM – Segment, package or series edited over an extended period. Must be at least five minutes long when originally aired. Your entry must be limited to 15 minutes. For a package/story you may show one 15-minute segment of your entry or two or three segments (separated by a dip to black) for a total of 15 minutes. For a series, show at least two segments not to exceed 15 minutes. No other editing is allowed.
• E07 MAGAZINE FEATURE – Story of extended length edited for a magazine program.
• E08 DOCUMENTARY – Extended long form, non-magazine piece of at least 20 minutes when originally aired. Your entry must be limited to 15 minutes. You may show one 15-minute segment of your documentary or two or three segments (separated by a dip to black) for a total of 15 minutes. No other editing is allowed.
• E09 SPORTS – Coverage, analysis, preparation, of or for a sports event or activity.
• E10 POLITICAL/CAMPAIGN – Story about political newsmakers.
• E11 WHITE HOUSE/PRESIDENTIAL – Story or composite of White House/Presidential topic(s). Total entry not to exceed 5 minutes.
• E12 AUDIO – Creative use of audio in a segment or package. Limited to 5 minutes, regardless of program length. You may show one 5-minute segment of your production or two or three segments (separated by dip to black) for a total entry not to exceed 5 minutes. No other editing is allowed.
• E13 PROMOTIONAL – Material edited for use in promotion.

Deadline

Entry fees & forms must be received by the deadline of January 30, 2022, at 11:59 p.m EST.

Special Note

An individual can win only one place in each category. This includes Team entries! If you are on a Team entry in one category, you may enter only one more individual or Team piece in that category. The Committee will review entries for correct placement in the categories and any entry may be re-classified at the discretion of the Contest Committee and/or the Contest Judges. If there are fewer than five entries in a given category, the committee and/or judges may, at their discretion, retain or drop the category and place the entries in other appropriate categories.

Contest Committee

Doug Wilkes (Co-Chair): dougwilkes@yahoo.com
Pege Gilgannon (Co-Chair): pegeketchup@gmail.com
Sam Beatti: beatti.sam@gmail.com
Stu Cohen: stucohen@aol.com
Sam Pinczuk: snapshot.pinczuk@gmail.com
Andrew Smith: andrew.e.smith@warnermedia.com
Maxine Collins: maxine.collins@bbc.co.uk