Apply for COVID-19 Crisis Coverage Awards

DEADLINE: JULY 3, 2020 ― The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), in recognising the vital work of journalists worldwide as they help audiences understand all aspects of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, calls for submissions for its first-of-its-kind COVID-19 Writing Awards.

According to the chair of the ASJA Crisis Coverage Awards, Janine Latus, “professional journalists are key in helping us all navigate the confusing and conflicting news about a worldwide crisis that is changing our lives,” and as such “ASJA is proud to recognise our colleagues’ vital work as they help audiences make sense of all aspects of the coronavirus pandemic.”

CRITERIA

All articles considered for an award must have been published in English between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020.

There is no limit on the number of articles that may be nominated, but each item may be nominated in only one category.

Articles can be submitted as either a PDF copy or the URL of the article and uploaded through the online submission process. No paper submissions are accepted. Please submit through the portal on your payment confirmation email.

Entry fee for ASJA Members: $15, non-members $25, members of other nonprofit organisations $20. Payments are made in advance of submission.

Entries are judged by the Crisis Coverage Awards Committee. It is up to the judges to determine whether there is a winner in any particular category. When judging is close, an honourable mention may be awarded.

AWARDS CATEGORY

• Business & Economy – including all financial aspects, the effect on contract workers, recession, furloughs, open-up movements, remote work, supply chain disruptions, unemployment and travel and tourism.
• Education – including homeschooling, school-related online classes and virtual internships.
• Healthcare – including the broad spectrum of COVID-19’s impact on medical personnel, the infection spread and testing, hospital overload, the reduction of elective procedures and long-term implication of delayed treatments for issues unrelated to COVID-19.
• Mental Health – including explorations of resilience, grief, isolation, stress, pandemic fatigue, anxiety, depression and suicide.
• Personal Essays – first-person accounts of any aspect of the pandemic.
• Politics & Government – including federal, state, local and international government responses, positions by political entities, effect on campaigns and elections, stimulus efforts and the disparity of COVID-19’s impact on different demographics.
• Science – including COVID-19 research, efforts toward vaccines and treatments, virus origin and evolution and future implications.
• Social Adaptation – including parenting and innovative ways of dealing with isolation (i.e. incorporating social distancing into celebrations, finding at-home hobbies, online versions of traditionally in-person activities).
• Technology – including quarantine chats, Zoom popularity, TV shows from home (like Saturday Night Live), tracking technologies, vaccine/treatment technologies and 3D printing of protective equipment.

APPLY HERE