Process + Rules

How to Submit

Please note: The challenge is now closed. The deadline to submit to this challenge was December 2, 2022. Winners will be announced by early March 2023. To access your submission, login.

PLEASE NOTE: All entries must be submitted by an adult on behalf of the young person—a teacher, after school program leader or club advisor, parent, or guardian. All submissions must be newly produced and created between August 1 and December 2, 2022. Entries that have been published during this time (e.g. on a school website or in another publication) will be considered.

đź‘€ How will submissions be judged? Find the evaluation rubric here! You can use this as a final checklist before you submit!

AUDIO

  • Audio pieces should be no longer than 4 minutes. Acceptable file types include .aiff or .wav, or a link to published work.
  • The audio piece should be at most 4 minutes. Entries over the 4 minute limit will not be accepted.

VIDEO

  • All entries must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo and submitted using this link.
  • The video piece should be at most 4 minutes. Entries over the 4 minute limit will not be accepted.
  • 1280 x 720 or higher resolution
  • Video should be in 16:9 aspect ratio
  • Graphics (lower thirds, etc.) are welcomed
  • All video submissions must include media releases for all student producers AND anyone who is interviewed in the piece. Student producers will submit their release during the submission process. All interviewees appearing on camera need to sign a media release form which they will receive via email as part of the submission process (see the form preview for a sneak peek.)

PRINT

This should be a written piece of journalism. It could be a report, a feature article, an explainer, etc. The word limit is 500 words.

In addition to submitting, students are also encouraged to tag Student Reporting Labs if they publish their stories on their school/club/program website or through video/social platforms. Find SRL on: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK

Rules & Eligibility

SRL Student Journalism Challenge Rules

The Student Reporting Labs Student Journalism Challenge is sponsored by NewsHour Productions, LLC. The Challenge is announced August 25. The submission form will open September 22, 2022, and all entries must be submitted by 11:59pm EST on December 2, 2022 via that form to be eligible. The Challenge ends with the announcement of the winners in early 2023. To enter the Challenge please submit your print, video or audio entry using the submission form.

NO PLEDGE OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS
APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Eligibility & Submission Guidelines

  • Children of employees of WETA, NewsHour Productions LLC, CPB, PBS, XQ Institute, and any subsidiaries or parent companies, are not eligible. To be eligible, an entrant must be a student between thirteen (13) and eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry, a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia or US territories. If under the age of 18, an adult (i.e. teacher, after-school program, club advisor or parent) must submit for the student (the “Submittor”).
  • All entrants must be in grades 8 – 12 and affiliated with a school, homeschool or involved with a club, after school or extracurricular organization.
  • All entrants must be enrolled full-time as students during the entry period.
  • All entries must be submitted using the method described in item 3 below.
  • All entires must either be in text, for the print category (500 words or less), Four (4) minute or less video (YouTube or Vimeo link) or Four (4) minute or less audio (i.e. .AIFF or .WAV file) form.
  • Only one entry in one category per person/team will be accepted in this Challenge; all subsequent entries will be disqualified.
  • Entry piece must be newly produced and created between August 1 – December 2, 2022.
  • Entry must have English language content; Non-English language text must be translated.
  • Entry must respond to the theme of “My education, My future.”
  • Entry content must be original to the entrant and/or royalty-free music and images.
  • Entries cannot contain any copyrighted material.
  • All video entries must be accompanied by signed releases of all individuals who appear on screen.
  • Any failure to adhere to these Challenge Rules may result in disqualification from the Challenge.

Official Entry Form

  • There is one way to enter: Entrants submit their entries via the online entry form found at this website starting Sept. 22, 2022. All entries must include the entrant’s full name with their submission.
  • All entries must be submitted by an Adult on behalf of the young person – a teacher, after-school program leader or club advisor, parent or guardian.

Judging, Awards & Notification

All entries submitted to the Challenge will be judged on content, execution and creativity relating the theme “My education, My future.” Entries will be evaluated by a panel of professional journalist using a rubric to assess based on content, execution, and creativity. All decisions of the judges are final and binding and not subject to appeal or review. Thirty (30) finalists will be chosen; Ten (10) finalists will be chosen in each category: print, video and audio. Of the ten finalists, two (2) winners will be chosen in each category. The Six (6) Winners will be notified around late winter 2022 or early 2023. Inability to reach the Winner after reasonable efforts (as determined solely by NHP) may result in disqualification and an alternate Winner may be selected. Winners may waive their right to receive the prize.

The Prize
The Winning entries will be published and promoted on PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs platform and channels, participating local PBS stations and XQ. The Winners in the Print category will also be published on Forbes.com’s Well Beings blog. Winners will also receive a Two Hundred and Fifty ($250) dollar Tango gift card plus mentoring opportunities. The approximate retail value of the prize represents NHP’s good faith determination. That determination is final and binding and cannot be appealed. If the actual value of the prize turns out to be less than the stated approximate retail value, the difference will not be awarded in cash. NHP reserves the right to substitute any prize for a prize of equal or greater value, at the sole discretion of NHP. Prize recipients must allow a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks from notification to delivery. Prizes are not redeemable for cash, non-transferable, and non-substitutable, except at NHP’s sole discretion.

Odds – Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

Sponsor
The Student Reporting Labs Student Journalism Challenge is sponsored by NHP, whose decisions regarding the selection of a Winner and all other aspects of the Challenge shall be final and binding in all respects. NHP will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Challenge Rules or in other materials relating to the challenge. NHP will not be responsible for incomplete, illegible, lost, late, or misdirected entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or NHP. NHP does not guarantee that duplicate entries will
be invalidated. NHP reserves the right to disqualify any entires by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Challenge. If you have any questions regarding this challenge, please contact SJC@studentreportinglabs.org

Limitations of Liability
By entering the Challenge, entrant agrees that (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Challenge, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (2) any claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the challenge, but in no event attorney’s fees; and (3) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than damages for actual out-of-pocket expenses.

Construction
All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and
enforceability of these Official Challenge Rules, or the rights and obligations of any entrant and NHP, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Virginia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of Virginia, or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Virginia. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the invalidity or unenforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.

General Release
By entering the challenge, Submittor and Entrants release NHP and its respective affiliated companies, directors, officers, employees, representatives, partners and agents from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the challenge or with the acceptance, possession or use of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light).

Rights Associated with Challenge
Submission of the Entry Form constitutes permission from the Entrant and Submittor for NHP to use the Entrant’s name, likeness, biographical information, information and original materials contained in the Entry Form, photographs, and any statements or remarks made about the Challenge in advertising and promotion without further compensation or permission. All Entries, and any rights therein, including but not limited to copyrights, become the sole property of NHP. By entering, Submittor and Entrant agrees to abide by the above stated rules, and warrants that the Entrant’s entry is Entrant’s original work and does not infringe upon or violate rights of any third party. Submittor and Entrant grants to NHP
the right to edit, publish, promote, and otherwise use Entrant’s entry materials without permission, notice or compensation. No royalties will be paid at this or any time. By submitting an entry, each Submittor and Entrant agrees to assign all right, title, and interest in and to the entry and Entry Form to NHP and warrants that the Entrant has the authority to assign such right, title, and interest. By submitting an Entry, each Submittor and Entrant agrees to be bound by these Challenge Rules. Each Submittor and Entrant agrees to release and hold NHP, and its employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives,
subsidiaries, parent companies, or other affiliated companies harmless from any and all damages, losses, claims and liabilities arising out of participation in the Challenge or resulting from acceptance or claiming of any prize hereunder. NHP reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate, suspend or otherwise cancel the Challenge at any time. Income and all other taxes are the responsibility of the prize recipient. NHP is not responsible for any expenses incurred in connection with participation in the Challenge.

Privacy
By entering, Entrants agree to NHP’s privacy policy, which is available here.