With that in mind, Carey encourages journalists to also submit news stories. But it just didn’t really explain the science to me.’ So that’s how some stories can founder.” “You say ‘well, that’s a wonderful story. “Sometimes you get too much at the expense of the science,” Carey says. Not that there aren’t exceptions to this rule.
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How NOT to Apply for a Writing Awardįor more tips on how to apply for a writing award, see our post covering common mistakes. “Stories that stand out are those that do sound almost like a great piece of fiction, except of course they’re true - with a great character and a story that unfolds with a narrative,” says John Carey, a former long-time senior correspondent for BusinessWeek who has organized and moderated the judging panel for the annual Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award, now bestowed by CASW, since its inception in 1989. Not only does fieldwork help journalists uncover stories that are novel, it also plays a crucial role when journalists return to the desk - enabling them to place readers within the unfolding action. She looks for stories that not only include action in the field, but also diverse voices. Rodgers adds that in recent years there has been an increased sensitivity to diversity as a mark of quality in journalism. “But something where someone actually gets out there and is particularly able to describe the act of discovery.” “It’s something that you wouldn’t be able to just write from your desk, like I do with 99 percent of my stories,” Boyle says.
Such a story could only be uncovered with on-the-ground reporting. And that merited the National Academies Keck Award in 2014. Although it was published on a well-known discovery - and followed an initial flood of stories on the topic - it was a successful dive into the travails that went on behind the scenes, Boyle says. Take Dennis Overbye’s New York Times story on the Higgs Boson. That said, stories that cover popular advances can still rise to the top - so long as they consider a different angle. He argues that stories covering unexpected results or counterintuitive findings are more likely to rise to the top of the pile than writing on topics he’s seen time and time again.
Showcase’s Rules of WritingĬheck out this post, a variation of Elmore Leonard’s ten rules of good writing built from the advice of Showcase’s many wonderful writers.ĬASW President Alan Boyle, a veteran journalist who currently judges the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Communication Award, often favors stories that are novel. “It’s well, did it hold my attention? Were there lovely turns of phrase? Did you feel comfortable in the hands of this writer? Was there good storytelling? Was there vibrant language and vocabulary? And then, why are you telling me this?”Īlthough many of those characteristics might not sound surprising - they include the basic elements of good journalism - there are a few that some judges look for first and foremost. And she’s no longer surprised by the easy agreement. Rodgers, herself the winner of numerous prizes during her career as a correspondent for the Hearst newspapers, executive director of public affairs for Johns Hopkins Medicine and author of six books, has been judging various awards for 35 years. “As in any craft or profession, you sort of know it when you hear it or read it or see it.” “The really good stories just pop out,” she says. When Joann Rodgers sits down with other judges to select award-winning stories, she is always amazed by how well everyone agrees with one another.
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