Online Journalism Awards: Contest categories

There are nine categories in the 2004 Online Journalism Awards Competition:

General Excellence in Online Journalism: This category honors a Web site that successfully fulfills its editorial mission, effectively serves its audience, maximizes the use of the Web's characteristics and represents the highest journalistic standards. The sites will be judged on excellence of content, interactivity, multimedia, design, navigation and community tools. An entry may consist of one main URL and up to three additional sub-URLs in the same domain (to highlight specific features). Two prizes: Large sites (more than 500,000 unique visitors) and Small sites (fewer than 500,000 unique visitors) .
Breaking News: This category honors coverage by a site staff of a breaking-news event or development. Judges will weigh evidence — including screen shots — of exceptional reporting under deadline pressure, clear presentation and creative use of the medium (including updating of and additions to text and visual sidebar elements within the 24-hour period following the original event). An entry will consist of a single piece, series or package on the same event or development. Two prizes: Large sites (more than 500,000 unique visitors) and Small sites (fewer than 500,000 unique visitors).
Specialty Journalism: This category honors Web sites and subsites that focus on a specific area of content, such as entertainment, sports, business, lifestyles, etc. The entries will be judged both on their journalism and on their use of the interactive medium. An entry will consist of one URL. Two prizes: Large sites (more than 500,000 unique visitors) and Small sites (fewer than 500,000 unique visitors).
Enterprise Journalism: This category honors stories that uncover major news based on the reporters' own exclusive investigations or that offer compelling and original analysis and interpretation. Clear presentation, creative use of the medium and a measure of the impact of the publication will be considered. An entry will consist of a single piece, series or package on the same subject. Two prizes: Large sites (more than 500,000 unique visitors) and Small sites (fewer than 500,000 unique visitors).
Service Journalism: This category honors journalism that sheds light on a single topic that helps visitors improve the quality of their lives (including, but not limited to health, personal finance, education, consumerism, relationships and family). Emphasis will be placed on the entry's use of interactivity, personalization and/or community tools. An entry will consist of a single piece, series or package on the same topic. Two prizes: Large sites (more than 500,000 unique visitors) and Small sites (fewer than 500,000 unique visitors).
Online Commentary: This category honors a unique and powerful voice of commentary original to the Web. The commentary should display freshness of insight and clear writing. Creative use of the medium — especially in the areas of blogging and community journalism — will be considered. A writer's entry may consist of up to three examples. (Print syndication after Web posting does not disqualify an entry.) Two prizes: Large sites (more than 500,000 unique visitors) and Small sites (fewer than 500,000 unique visitors).
Creative Use of the Medium: This category honors achievement by a site in the combined use of audio and/or visual techniques, design, navigation, multimedia, interactivity and community to tell a story and serve a community. Emphasis will be placed on visitor experience as well as on innovative use of technology. You may submit two entries for a single entry fee, each of which consists of a single story, a series, a package or an information application. Two prizes: Large sites (more than 500,000 unique visitors) and Small sites (less than 500,000 unique visitors).
Student journalism: This category honors excellence in online journalism by a student or team reporting on a single story or issue. The work must have appeared originally in a Web site and have been created by full-time student(s) (at the time of publication). Work produced while working as a student intern is acceptable, but unpublished entries do not qualify. One prize.
Student Web site: For overall excellence in an online news Web site by a staff of student journalists. The sites will be judged on excellence of content, interactivity, multimedia, design, navigation and community tools. One prize.