Best of the West contest categories

REPORTING AND WRITING

P2. Immigration and Minority Affairs Reporting: Up to 10 stories on an immigration or minority affairs issue in the West. Judged for depth of reporting, writing quality, completeness, balance, clarity and community importance. 

P3. Environment and Natural Resources Reporting: Up to 10 stories on an environmental or natural resources issue in the West.  Judged for depth of reporting, writing quality, completeness, balance, clarity and community importance. 

P4. Spot News Reporting: A single day's reporting of one or more pieces of spot news, written under deadline pressure. Judged for quality of reporting and concise and comprehensive assembly and presentation of facts.

P5. General Reporting: A single story and up to two sidebars, published on the same day, of general news and analysis. Judged for reporting quality, writing quality, clarity, completeness and balance. 

P6. Explanatory Reporting: Up to 10 stories that examine a significant and complex subject in depth, enabling readers to put news concerning it into a more meaningful context. Judged for depth and breadth of reporting, writing quality, timeliness, clarity, completeness, balance and community importance.

P7. Project Reporting: Up to 10 stories on a single subject. Judged for depth and breadth of reporting, writing quality, clarity, completeness, balance and community importance. 

P8. Investigative Reporting: Up to 10 stories that were the result of extensive research and original investigation. Judged for quality of investigation, timeliness, writing quality, clarity, balance and community importance. 

P9. Feature Writing, Short Form: A story of up to 1,500 words. Judged for literary quality, creativity and flair.

P10. Feature Writing, Long Form: One or two stories on a single subject, published on the same day, that total more than 1,500 words. Judged for literary quality, originality, creativity and flair. 

P11. Business and Financial Reporting: A single story and up to two sidebars, published on the same day, on a business or financial issue. Judged for reporting quality, writing quality, clarity, completeness and balance. 

P12. Sports Reporting: A single story and up to two sidebars, published on the same day, on any sports event, person or situation. Judged for reporting quality, writing quality, clarity, completeness and balance. 

P13. General Interest Column Writing: Three columns on topics of general interest. Judged for literary quality, originality, creativity and reader impact.

P14. Special Topic Column Writing: Three columns on a single subject, such as politics, sports, food, television or business. Judged for descriptive power, originality, reader impact and expertise in the subject. 

P15. Headline Writing: Five headlines by one writer. Headlines over captions qualify. Include the stories and/or captions in the entry. Judged for clarity, accuracy, reader impact, imagination and difficulty of the head order. 

P16. Editorial Writing: A single piece that expresses the views of a publication and advocates a position or urges  action. Judged for soundness of reasoning, persuasiveness, worthiness of purpose, clarity and reader impact. 

PHOTOGRAPHY

 P17. News Photography: One breaking news photo. Judged for news value, alertness of response, visual interest and technical quality. 

P18. Feature Photography: One feature photo. Judged for visual appeal, freshness and technical and aesthetic quality. 

P19. Sports Photography: One photo of a sporting event. Judged for visual appeal, ability to capture dramatic moments or emotions and technical and aesthetic quality. 

ART

P20. Informational Graphic: An informational graphic, such as a map, diagram, chart, graph or table. Judged for accuracy, completeness, timeliness, clarity of presentation and artistic quality. 

P21. Illustration: Any art or illustration, other than photographs, designed to augment a story. Judged for creativity, artistic merit and reader impact.

P22. Editorial Cartooning: Five editorial cartoons by a single artist. Judged for reader impact, community importance and artistic quality. 

PRINT PRESENTATION

P23. Words, Editing and Design: A single page or a double truck (plus jumps) that best reflects the integration of stories, photos, art, editing, headlines and design. Judged for effectiveness, clarity and visual appeal of the presentation. 

ONLINE 

O1. Online Breaking News Reporting: A single day's report of spot news on a single subject, produced under deadline pressure. The package may include multimedia and databases. Judged for quality of reporting, concise and comprehensive assembly and presentation of facts and creative use of the online
medium 

O2. Online Enterprise Reporting: A story or package of stories that breaks news or offers original analysis and interpretation. It may include multimedia and databases.  Judged for reporting quality, writing quality, timeliness, completeness, balance, community importance and creative use of the online medium.