Eligibility

• At least one member of a story/project must meet eligibility requirements for WHNPA membership to enter the Digital Storytelling Contest. This member must be a primary producer of the story or multimedia package entered. Entrants must specify in their entry notes which person did which parts of the project and roughly what percentage of the work they did.
• Note: 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 must pay back dues to enter the contest. 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.
• Only videos originally produced for web-based viewing will be accepted in the WHNPA Digital Storytelling Contest. Videos originally produced and aired on TV for broadcast outlets will NOT be accepted in this contest – broadcast entries can be entered in the WHNPA Broadcast Video Contest.
• All entries must have been published on or after January 24, 2021 through December 31, 2021.
• Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on January 30, 2022.
• Entries may not be re-edited in any way after the deadline or for the purposes of submission in this contest.
• A single piece may only be entered in one category – with the exception of Multimedia Journalist of the Year.
• Entrants must submit a combination of uploaded files and URLs. Uploaded videos, with the exception of the “Best Multimedia Package” category, must have all credits and company branding removed from the file and uploaded to our system. See the “Contest Notes” section for more information, including specific file requirements. URLs will be used to link back to the winning videos, it is okay for these to be on news organization websites and include branding.
• A video story cannot be entered in both the Broadcast Video contest and the Digital Storytelling contest. It is the entrant’s responsibility to coordinate with other team members to ensure that entries are submitted to the correct contest.

Fees

• An entry fee of $55.00 includes entry into one category. Each additional category entered costs an additional $15.
• The fees must be paid via PayPal. In exceptional situations, payment by check is acceptable. Please contact heidi@54.85.141.172 prior to submitting entries for instructions.
• Only one entry fee per entrant is required.
• Entry fees will not be refunded in the case of disqualification.

Enter up to six (6) stories per category.
Video entries are limited to twelve (12) minutes with the exception of the Documentary category, the Best Multimedia Package category and the Multimedia Journalist of the Year category.

• News Story
  A single visual story covering spot, daily or general news that was filmed, edited and published within 48 hours. Time Limit: 12 minutes.
• Continuing News and Issue Reporting
  A single visual story that expands on a breaking news story in a timely manner and/or explores social or cultural issues. Time Limit: 12 minutes.
• Politics Story
  A single visual story about political issues, the election process and/or inauguration. Time Limit: 12 minutes.
• Feature Story
  A single visual story or video about the human experience, entertainment or sports. Time Limit: 12 minutes.
• Animation
  A single visual story that uses animation to tell a story or explain a concept or issue. Time Limit: 12 minutes.
• Documentary or Series
  An in-depth video story about news events, social issues, human experience and/or cultural trends. This category celebrates the art of showing rather than telling a story, the employment of cinematic techniques and the careful crafting of a narrative arc. Documentaries or series do not have to be premiered on the web for entry into this category. No time limit but series must be on single timeline (see Contest Notes).
• Explainer
  A single visual story that focuses on explaining a serious or light topic in a simple, engaging and compelling way. Time Limit: 12 minutes.
• Best Multimedia Package
  An in-depth multimedia package that uses a combination of 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. No time limit.
• Multimedia Journalist of the Year
  This is a portfolio based category that recognizes individual excellence in producing visual stories online. Enter a minimum of 3 (three) and a maximum of 5 (five) pieces. Judges will pick the candidate with the best portfolio. Entries can range from visual 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 a detailed explanation of what percentage of the piece was shot, produced and edited by the entrant. At least 3 of the pieces entered in this category must have been entered in other categories in the Digital Storytelling Contest. No time limit.

The Digital Storytelling Committee reserve the right to move entries into more appropriate categories if the entrant agrees, or disqualify entries they feel don’t abide by the rules or meet the standards set forth in the bylaws of the WHNPA. Judges 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 Digital Storytelling contest can be directed to contest.digitalstorytelling@54.85.141.172.

File Specifications