Awards Categories

Prizes

The prize for category winners is $750.

Newsroom Size

Four of the awards categories include subcategories by newsroom size. Entrants should calculate their newsroom size by counting all full-time-equivalent (FTE) editorial employees in the newsroom at the time the entry was produced.

In addition to reporters, the calculation should include editors, designers, online producers, and multimedia content producers, such as photographers, data analysts and videographers. Two half-time editors would be counted as one FTE. If an outlet relies on part-time or contract employees, those employees should be included in the FTE count. (A half-time or quarter-time employee would count as 0.5 or 0.25 FTEs, respectively).

Freelancers should request the FTE from the outlet in which their pieces were published. If you enter a newsroom size subcategory, include your newsroom’s FTE count on your entry, or it may be disqualified.

Note: The FTE sizes for the small and large newsroom categories are based on the FTE counts for the prior year’s entries. If submissions in the FTE subcategories are lopsided (for instance, 100 entries submitted in small beat and 50 in in large beat), EWA reserves the right to recalibrate the FTE count and move entries to the larger or smaller newsroom subcategory based on what entrants report to us. It is vital that you include your actual newsroom count if you are submitting to one of these four newsroom size categories.

If you work for a broadcast radio or television station and enter one of the FTE categories, choose the top 50 broadcast market or under 50 broadcast market for your entry.

EWA reserves the right to cancel a category if the number of entries falls below 10. If that occurs, we will reimburse entrants.

Media Formats

Journalists can submit all media formats to these categories:

Beat reporting
Data reporting & visualization
Explanatory journalism
Investigative reporting
Student journalism

The following categories either focus on audio or video or include related subcategories:

Broadcast (radio or television) – features or news
Podcast – audio

Categories

Carefully review the categories and subcategories before making your choices. Good luck!

Beat Reporting:

Beat reporting recognizes individual achievement by one reporter in covering education, demonstrating skills in covering a wide range of stories on the education beat. That range of stories includes:

Breaking news
Features
Explanatory reporting
Investigative or public service reporting

Beat reporting entries should also demonstrate a mastery of education coverage, including sourcing and story selection.

The maximum number of print or digital text stories in a beat entry is five. Audio or video can include more than five stories, as long as the total run time of all pieces does not exceed 30 minutes.

For all entries, no more than one submission may have a byline shared with other reporters.

You also can submit one story that you have entered in another category. Please review the rules for further details. Journalists from education-only outlets should submit to the education-only subcategory.

If someone moves from one news organization to another, choose the outlet in which the majority of your entry’s stories have appeared. If the stories are split equally between two outlets, designate the larger outlet as the publisher for the awards’ entry’s purposes.

Newsrooms sizes:

Small: 40 and under FTE newsroom employees or under 50 broadcast market.
Large: Over 40 FTE newsroom employees or top 50 broadcast market.
Education-only outlets of any size.

Broadcast Reporting (Television and Radio):

Broadcast reporting is a category to honor the best radio and television reporting. It is divided into two subcategories:

Features: This sub-category recognizes excellence in feature stories. Features are generally defined as stories that have a personal, emotional or creative slant and include elements that go beyond the scope of straight factual information found in a hard news story.
News: This sub-category recognizes excellence in the coverage of breaking news or current events on radio or television. Besides the standard factors, judges may also consider time constraints reporters faced in covering breaking news.

Each entry should include no more than 10 stories, around a related breaking news story or current event. Total submission time limit may not exceed 15 minutes.

Data Reporting & Visualization:

This category recognizes education journalism that focuses on data analysis, particularly in new and visually innovative and original ways. Stories entered into this category should describe where data came from and what reporters did with it, as well as findings and conclusions. Stories should include context that enables readers to evaluate the work.

The entry can include a story, presentation or series with a common theme centered on data; a compelling visualization of data; or a combination of both these approaches. The data used should provide fresh insights into a problem or issue in education. Please note that stories and data elements submitted to this category cannot be entered into other categories with the exception of beat.

Newsrooms of all sizes

Explanatory Journalism:

This category recognizes a story, series or occasional series that illuminates a significant, complex education topic or current event. The entry provides context and understanding rather than just breaking news, and informs and educates readers.

The entry can consist of a single piece, a cohesive package or a series of no more than three parts on one theme.

Newsroom size:

Small: 40 and under FTE newsroom employees or under 50 broadcast market.
Large: Over 40 FTE newsroom employees or top 50 broadcast market.
Education-only outlets of any size.

Feature:

This category honors excellence in reporting and presentation about people. The entries should exhibit strong storytelling and narrative style.

Each entry can consist of one story.

Examples include but are not limited to a profile, narrative or interview. Features are generally defined as stories that have a personal, emotional or creative slant. Keep in mind: Features do not include investigative components.

Newsroom sizes:

Small: 40 and under FTE newsroom employees or under 50 broadcast market.
Large: Over 40 FTE newsroom employees or top 50 broadcast market.
Education-only outlets of any size.

Investigative Reporting:

This category recognizes journalism that goes beyond routine reporting and fact-checking to expose flaws in policy or systems, or to uncover wrongdoing. This category also recognizes journalism that makes a demonstrable positive impact on individuals or a community. Entries can include up to three stories.

Newsroom sizes:

Small: 40 and under FTE newsroom employees or under 50 broadcast market.
Large: Over 40 FTE newsroom employees or top 50 broadcast market.
Education-only outlets of any size.

Podcast:

The podcast category recognizes long-form audio storytelling about education. Submissions should include up to three education-related segments of a serialized podcast or stand-alone series centered on an education topic. The podcast should contain original reporting and not just a discussion of a topic. Judges may consider originality, overall production quality, and innovative use of storytelling techniques. A maximum of one hour of audio may be submitted.

Newsrooms of all sizes

Student Journalism:

This category recognizes work by undergraduate college students and high school students for either the school’s news outlet or for a student-run independent news organization. The work submitted should specifically focus on an education-related topic, investigation or event. Coverage does not include stories generated for internships. Up to three related stories may be submitted. Graduate students may submit their work in all other categories. Only students may enter, not their professional supervisors/advisers. Please advise in your cover letter if professionals oversee the newsroom.

Newsroom types:

High school newsrooms
College newsrooms (undergraduates only)
Student-run independent newsrooms

Judging Criteria

EWA Awards entries will be judged on criteria that include quality of writing and reporting, freshness and depth of insights, clarity of explanation, and innovation and effectiveness of presentation.

Entrants

Participation in the EWA Awards is limited to professional journalists published, posted or aired by independent news outlets in 2025. According to the EWA Bylaws, Article II, Section 1.1, a journalist is an individual whose primary professional activity involves reporting, writing, producing, editing, or otherwise preparing the news and editorial content for independent news media. A freelancer’s primary body of work must be for independent news media. All entrants must have met these eligibility requirements at the time the entry was produced. Officers and members of the Board of Directors of the Education Writers Association may enter but are not eligible to win cash awards in the competition.

EWA staff is available to answer questions or concerns about the awards, including eligibility and the revised categories. Please email your queries to awards@ewa.org.