Eligibility

• Please be aware of a new requirement this year! In order to ensure that judging is done in the most objective way possible, this year’s contest is moving to a combination of a file uploading and URL submission process. Standalone videos (anything not entered in the Best Multimedia Package category) must have all credits removed from the file and uploaded to our system. See the “Contest Notes” section for more information, including specific file requirements.
• At least one member of a project must meet eligibility requirements for WHNPA membership to enter the Multimedia Contest. This member must be the primary producer of the story or multimedia package entered. Entrants must specify in their entry notes which person did which part of the project and roughly what percentage of the work they did. Freelance work is welcome.
• A single piece may only be entered in one category. The only exception is that an element of a multimedia package may be entered as a standalone piece in another category in addition to being part of an entry in the Best Multimedia Package category.
• All entries must have been published on or after January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.
• Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on January 21, 2019.
• Note: Video stories will be accepted but only those that were originally intended for web- based viewing. We will NOT accept video stories originally intended for television viewing and that are subsequently published on that station’s affiliated website. In addition, a video story cannot be entered in both the Video contest and the Multimedia contest.
• Note: If you are not a WHNPA member and you would like to enter the Multimedia Contest, you can still enter the contest by applying for Active membership to the WHNPA. Your application must be completed and postmarked by the deadline of the Multimedia Contest (end of current year) and you must meet the current bylaw requirements for Active membership.

Fees

• An entry fee of $50.00 includes entry into one category. Each additional category entered costs an additional $15.
• The fees must be sent to WHNPA (PO Box 7119 Ben Franklin Station, Washington DC, 20044-7199) by check or PayPal.
• Only one entry fee per entrant is required.
• Please list the categories you have entered in your submission and the total amount paid. Entrants must specify in their entry notes which person did which part of the project and roughly what percentage of the work they did.

Enter up to six (6) stories per category.
Video entries are limited to ten (10) minutes with the exception of the Documentary category which can be up to thirty-five (35) minutes, the Best Multimedia Package category, which has no time limit, and the Multimedia Journalist of the Year category, which has no time limit.

• News Story
  A single multimedia story or video covering spot, daily or general news that was filmed, editing and published within 48 hours.
• Issue Reporting
  A single multimedia story or video that explores social, cultural or political issues.
• Feature Story
  A single multimedia story or video about the human experience or entertainment.
• Sports
  A single multimedia story or video on anything involving sports; professionals, amateurs, places or events.
• Animation
  A single multimedia story that uses animation to tell a story or explain a concept or issue.
• One-off
  This category welcomes multimedia elements that don’t necessarily tell a full story. Internet memes, giffs, 360 VR videos, interactive graphics, panoramas and more.
• Documentary
  An in-depth video story about news events, social issues, human experience and/or cultural trends.
• Explainer
  A single multimedia or video story that focuses on explaining a serious or light topic in simple, engaging and compelling way.
• Best Multimedia Package
  An in-depth multimedia package that uses a combination audio, video, still photography, graphics, and/or animation in telling a story. Specific elements will be judged as well as how well the elements work together in telling the story.
• Multimedia Journalist of the Year
  This is a portfolio based category that recognizes excellence in producing multimedia stories online. Enter a minimum of (3) and a maximum of (5) multimedia pieces. Judges will pick the candidate with the best portfolio. Entries can range from video stories and multimedia packages to websites. Entries must include the bylines and roles of everyone who contributed to each of the stories, as well as an explanation of what percentage of the piece was done by the entrant. At least 3 of the pieces entered in this category must have been entered in other categories in the Multimedia Contest.

The Multimedia Committee and this year’s WHNPA Multimedia judges reserve the right to move entries into more appropriate categories or disqualify entries they feel don’t abide by the rules or meet the standards set forth in the bylaws of the WHNPA. They may also choose not to award a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place if there are not enough qualified entries per category. Ultimately, we want to create a fair contest that recognizes the best work in our field.

All questions about the Multimedia contest can be directed to contest.multimedia@54.85.141.172.

File Specifications

Entries must be exported as H.264 MP4 files at 1920×1080.

Name your files beginning with the category (no spaces!), followed by a one word slug of your choice, and finally the primary entrant’s initials. For example, if John Public enters his story “Inauguration” in the News Story category, the file should be named “NewsStory_Inauguration_JP”.

All video files must have all credits removed before they are uploaded. Failure to do so may result in your entry being disqualified. Watermarks, company logos and other indicators of the organization that published the piece do not have to be removed.

Again, you must submit URLs and standalone videos during the entry process for all categories except Multimedia Journalist of the Year.

Contest Judging

A public judging will be held at the National Geographic building on February 9 and 10, 2019. Please check the Events page for more information.

WHNPA Multimedia Committee

Jessica Koscielniak (Chair) – McClatchy
Ben de la Cruz – NPR
McKenna Ewen – CNN
Whitney Leaming – Washington Post
Whitney Shefte – Washington Post

1. Complete entry form for content

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2. Pay Entry Fee(s)

[highlight background=”#ffd15f”]Before paying entry fee below please make sure you have completed the application above and clicked the green submit button[/highlight] [spacer] [row] [column size=”1/4″] Entry Fee
[highlight background=”#dbdbdb”]$50[/highlight] + $3 online processing fee
This fee covers one (1) entries into a category for the Eyes of History Multimedia Contest.
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Entrant Name

[/column] [column size=”1/4″] Additional Entry Fee
[highlight background=”#dbdbdb”]$15 per additional category entered[/highlight] + $0.50 online processing fee per additional entry

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Number of Additional Categories:

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