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Terms & Conditions

Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards

  • Entries are open to all Australian journalists aged 28 years or under.
  • Entry is open to all Australian journalists, employed full-time or freelance, who have had work published or broadcast through Australian media outlets between April 27, 2021 and April 26, 2022.
  • Work must have been produced when the journalist was 28 years or younger. If an entrant has turned 29 since the work was produced they must state this is the entry statement.
  • Entry is also open to Australian journalists who have self-published during the entry period.
  • Entrants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia.
  • All entrants are required to establish their bona fides as journalists and must certify that the entry is their original work; apart from normal sub-editorial/production treatment, they have adhered to the MEAA Code of Ethics in its preparation; they undertake to abide by the Code of Ethics; and have complied with all copyright requirements.
  • Self-published entrants should provide relevant URL links to entries and provide verification of the work’s authenticity, including endorsements where possible. If entrants are verifying their own work they should make this clear to the judges.
  • All entrants must declare, in their entrant’s statement, any subsequent formal corrections, challenges to the accuracy of an entry or claims of plagiarism or defamation against the work.
  • Each entrant may enter only once in each category. The exception is with joint or group entries. In this instance you may submit up to two entries per category, provided the entries are different stories. That is: one single entry and one joint or group entry, or two joint or group entries.
  • Entries may comprise up to three pieces of work.
  • Group entries are accepted for up to five members where all are under 28 years of age.
  • Those entering more than one category must complete a separate entry form for each category.
  • The same work cannot be entered in more than two categories.
  • Young journalists may enter work produced in collaboration with a team that included journalists above the age of 28, provided they can define which parts they have done.
  • Entrants must provide a supporting statement with each entry.
  • The cost of entering the awards is $50 per entry (inc. GST) for non-members. Through its support of the Walkley Foundation, MEAA covers the entry costs for its financial members as a benefit of membership.
  • The winner in each category will be a contender for the Young Australian Journalist of the Year award.
  • Journalists entering more than one category must complete a separate entry form for each category.
  • Judges have the right to reject an entry that in their opinion does not comply with the requirements of the competition. The judges’ decision will be final. The Walkley Judging Board reserves the right to withdraw an Award if it later finds the entrant did not comply with the entry conditions.
  • The Walkley Foundation reserves the right to use all material submitted for presentation and media use and to reproduce it for the purposes of promoting the awards and for allowing a telecast of the presentation ceremony.
  • For further information about the awards, visit Frequently Asked Questions

Student Journalist of the Year Award

  • Entries are open to all Australian students (undergraduate and postgraduate) enrolled full-time in a journalism, media or communications course between April 27, 2021 and April 26, 2022.
  • Entrants must be aged 28 or under.
  • Entrants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia.
  • Entrants must have their entry verified by their lecturer through the online entry system.
  • Entries must have been published or submitted for assessment between April 27, 2021, and April 26, 2022.
  • Entrants must be full-time students with the majority of their time dedicated to studying.
  • Publication or broadcast is not necessary, but entries must be verified by the tertiary institution.
  • Each entrant can only enter once.
  • Entries will not be returned.
  • Entry for the Student Award is free.
  • The winner of this category will be a contender for the Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Award.

Special conditions for photographers

  • No cloning, montaging or digital manipulation other than cropping, ‘digital spotting’, burning and dodging is permitted.
  • Only photographers working in community or regional media are eligible to enter the ‘Community and Regional’ category.

Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Criteria Overall Criteria

The Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year aims to encourage and recognise the rising stars of Australian journalism. Winners will be selected on the basis of journalistic excellence in the fundamental tenets of the craft as well as the ability to present distinctive and original journalism that pushes the boundaries of the profession.

Judges will be looking for the individual they think has made the most impact, but in general criteria will include:

  • How the story was initiated and followed (with particular credit given for instigating or finding a story)
  • Newsworthiness, including exclusivity
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Research and investigation
  • Balance, accuracy and ethics
  • Consideration of production pressures or deadlines and time constraints
  • Consideration of the resources available
  • Demonstration of best use of the format/s in which the work was published or broadcast, including clever choices in storytelling through multimedia
  • Excellence in written or verbal communication and/or technical and production skill
  • Public impact or benefit, including audience engagement and serving specific communities

If you have any further questions, please contact: Barbara Blackman: barbara.blackman@walkleys.com or 0425 297 082

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