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Knight-Batten Awards - Guidelines

To Qualify

• The contest is open to all news efforts originating between May 1, 2010, and June 6, 2011.
• News producers and those in related fields may enter journalism content, new journalism processes or ideas, tools or new applications that promote the information needs of communities and/or enhance digital engagement. Individuals must have been affiliated with such initiatives at the time of publication or launch to enter.
• Entries need not be specific stories, but rather demonstrative of innovation and could consist of networked journalism projects, new social networking ideas, innovative citizen media initiatives, news games, creative use of mobile devices, data mining ideas, new online applications, augmented reality experiences, or other advances in interactive and participatory journalism or out-of-the-box thinking. Entries may also employ simple efforts that notably connect in new ways with a community.
• Entrants must pay the $50 entry fee by June 10, 2011.
• Finalists will be announced in Summer 2011. Winners will be announced at the Knight-Batten Awards Symposium on September 7, 2011, at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Winners are expected to participate in an educational panel during the awards and will also be invited to take part in other activities throughout the following year to educate the profession about journalism innovations.

Honored are pioneering approaches to news and information that:

• Spur non-traditional interactions that impact a community.
• Foster animated community conversations.
• Create new ways of imparting useful information.
• Employ new definitions of news.
• Develop new processes for doing journalism.
• Advance opportunities for digital engagement.

Judging and Participation

• All questions on the entry form must be completed in English and all submissions must be in English or include English translation.
• The winners will be selected by an impartial board of judges—the Knight-Batten Advisory Board.
• The judges shall have discretion to pick more than one winner and to issue Special Distinction Awards, as merited.
• If an Advisory Board member is from a news organization entering the competition, that organization shall receive no special treatment.
• The Knight-Batten Awards program reserves the right to use, reproduce, or link to submissions, with appropriate credits, in educational programs about journalism innovations.
• To stay on top of announcements, sign up for the J-Flash newsletter.

To Enter

1. Entries must be received by Monday, June 6, 2011.
2. Entrants must complete an online application and must include working links to stories, websites, exhibits and examples. Please specifically direct the judges to the most relevant pages of any websites and explain why they are innovative or significant to the coverage.
   • Entries must remain online for at least one year from the date of the awards to serve as an educational resource. Winners will be asked to supply a version of their entry suitable for archiving.
   • For entries that involve streaming or podcasts, make archived content available and provide URLs for where it can be found.
   • For websites requiring registration, a judging password must be provided.

3. Exhibits not available online, such as tearsheets, CDs or DVDs, may be sent via mail. All exhibits must be clearly labeled with the confirmation number that will be supplied after the online application is completed.
   If your exhibits are NOT available online, please follow these exhibit guidelines:

   • For PRINT: If possible, submit the entry as an Adobe PDF document via email. Or you may mail us the PDFs on a CD or DVD. Limit entries to the 20 best days of coverage; explain additional efforts in your application. If PDFs are unavailable, tearsheets are acceptable.
   • For TELEVISION: Submit a compilation of highlights, original stories or series of programs on a DVD video or a CD as digital files. Entry must not exceed 60 minutes. Voice-overs and narratives may be included in the compilation of highlights. No commercial breaks. Winners may be asked to supply a higher quality DVD of the original program.
   • For RADIO: Submit a compilation of highlights, a program or series of programs on audio CD. Entry must not exceed 60 minutes. Voice-overs and narratives may be included in the compilation of highlights. No commercial breaks. Winners may be asked to supply CDs of the original program(s).
4. There is a $50 entry fee for each entry. Payment of the fee is a separate step in the application process. Don’t forget to click on the payment link after submitting your application.

5. J-Lab, which administers the awards, is a center of American University and your credit card charge will appear on your statement as American University. Click here to pay.  J-Lab can also accept checks made out to J-Lab/American University. Checks and exhibits should be mailed to: Knight-Batten Awards, J-Lab, 3201 New Mexico Ave NW Ste 330, Washington, D.C. 20016

6. Entrants will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of entry.

Sorry. We cannot return any exhibits or supplied materials. No faxes please.

Entries must be received by Monday, June 6, 2011.

Any questions? E-mail news@j-lab.org or call 202-885-8100.