Awards: Rules & How to Enter
New: Our categories have changed this year
Since 2004, the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism have recognized the best health reporting in print, broadcast and online media. The contest was created by journalists for journalists and is not influenced or funded by commercial or special-interest groups.
For the first time, AHCJ has moved to a mainly topic-centered list of categories, rather than dividing by medium. Investigative articles, consumer pieces, business stories and other work will compete head-to-head, whether they appeared in magazines, newspapers, trade publications or on radio or TV stations or websites. We are also continuing our online contest entry system, which debuted last year.
“This revamp reflects the changes in the news media itself and moves our contest into the 21st century,” said Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News reporter and chair of the AHCJ Contest Committee.
NOTE: The deadline for the 2011 awards has passed.
Deadlines
For the early-bird rates ($30 members, $55 nonmembers), entries must be received by Jan. 3, 2012.
Regular-rate entries ($50 members, $75 nonmembers) must be received no later than Feb. 3, 2012. The online submission system will stop taking entries at 5 p.m. EST. Your entry fees must be received by the deadline for your entries to be considered.
Questions?
Members of AHCJ's contest committee are standing by to answer any last-minute questions about entering the awards. Just send questions to contest@healthjournalism.org.
Categories
Entries can include a wide range of health coverage including public health, consumer health, medical research, the business of health care and health ethics. The new topic categories are Business*, Investigative*, Consumer/Feature*, Public Health, and Health Policy. Those marked with an asterisk are divided by size of the publication/outlet. We have a category just for trade publications, although trade-published stories can also be entered in any of the topic categories.We have retained the beat reporting category from earlier contests, which is open to all mediums.
Winners
First-place winners earn $500, a framed certificate and complimentary lodging for two nights and registration for the annual conference, April 19-22, 2012, in Atlanta. First-place winners will be recognized at the conference and will be encouraged to appear on panels to discuss their winning work.
Ten award categories
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Beat Reporting (all sizes)
An individual award for outstanding beat coverage. Entrants should explain the beat on the questionnaire and may submit up to four stories, carrying a single byline. The same stories may also be submitted in other categories. -
Health Policy (all sizes)
Stories that explore access to health care, medical quality and costs, as well as decisions about health care made by government, employers and other stakeholders -
Public Health (all sizes)
Stories that deal with health – often of a large population – rather than specific medical research or a specific individual. -
Trade (all sizes)
Articles from publications catering exclusively or primarily to specific groups, such as healthcare professionals, advocacy groups or organizations. Trade stories can also be entered in other categories, following rules on circulation size in those categories divided by size. -
Business (large division and small division)
Stories that explore where money and medicine intersect. -
Investigative (large division and small division)
Stories that shed light on things the public should know, but government, private industry or others would rather remain secret. -
Consumer/Feature (large division and small division)
Stories that delve into difficult issues regarding illnesses, diseases, procedures or tests, as well as stories with a strong news-you-can- use focus.
Sizes
Categories applying to "all sizes" will seek the best work in that topic category regardless of size.
Categories denoting "large division and small division" will judge work in that topic category against work from similar-sized newsrooms. Those size divisions are:
Large:
- Newspapers above 100,000 circulation and their affiliated websites
- Network or syndicated TV and radio
- Local TV and radio in top 50 markets
- National and regional online outlets, including blogs
- Magazines above 500,000 circulation
- Trade newsletters above 35,000 circulation
Small:
- Newspapers below 100,000 and their affiliated websites
- Local TV and radio in below-top-50 markets
- Locally focused online outlets, including blogs
- Magazines below 500,000 circulation
- Trade newsletters below 35,000 circulation