SIPA’s Best Media Contest

Category descriptions and more are below. Or, go straight to the entry instructions.

Cost: $5 per entry

For 2026, entries must have been published between December 15, 2024 and January 15, 2026

Each media staff that enters the contest must be a current SIPA member. For example, if the school newspaper is a SIPA member and that same school’s yearbook wants to enter in the writing contest, the yearbook must join SIPA as well. Memberships are by media and not by school or adviser.

Media staffs may enter three entries per category

SIPA’s Best Media entries are judged holistically with both the visual and verbal elements considered as well as the way those elements relate to and support each other.

Entries must be published during the 2024-2025 school year. (Exception: Portfolio categories and Yearbook spring insert.) The deadline for all 2025 SIPA’s Best Media Contest entries is Feb. 1, 2025.

Literary magazines – If your magazine is published once a year and students have not created new designs for this year’s publication, you may submit designs from the 2024-25 edition, as long as those designs were not entered in the 2025 SIPA’s Best Visuals competition. Media may enter either News Magazine or Newspaper categories, not both. Entries in the Online categories should not have appeared in print.

Entries will be disqualified if they do not meet the established criteria.

Awards will be presented during the closing ceremony Sunday morning at the SIPA convention, and winners will be posted online after the convention. Email [email protected] with any questions.

SIPA’s Best Media Category Descriptions

Broadcast

Anchor - Includes three or more examples and features on-camera performance that is poised, confident and clear. Provide a link or links to the examples.
Commentary – An editorial segment that is designed to inform and persuade. Provide a link to the piece.
Commercial - A piece produced to advertise a product or service. Provide a link to the piece.
Graphics – Includes three or more examples. Creative and engaging without being distracting. Provide a link or links to the pieces.
Human interest – A feature story with a strong subject and focus. Provide a link to the piece.
Hype video – A video that creates excitement for an event. Provide a link to the piece.
Music video – A video featuring an original storyline with 100% student-produced material, no copyrighted material. Provide a link to the piece.
Nat pack – A story featuring B-roll, soundbites and nat sound, no reporter track. Provide a link to the piece.
News – A story on breaking news or an issue relevant to your audience that is unbiased and informative. Provide a link to the piece.
Promo – A piece produced to interest viewers in an upcoming program or event. Provide a link to the piece.
Public service announcement – A piece advocating for a nonprofit or charitable cause in your community that features a clear message, is creative and persuasive. Provide a link to the piece.
Reporter – Three or more examples showing poised on-camera presence and clear factual explanation of the stories. Provide a link or links to the examples.
Sports – A game story, sports news story or sports feature story. Provide a link to the piece.
Videography – Three or more examples that include stable, strong sequencing, good lighting and framing. Provide a link or links to the pieces.

Literary Arts Magazine

Cover – Reflects the content and theme of the magazine, arouses interest and attracts attention to what is included in the publication. Enter a PDF of the cover.
Drama script – Features staging and stage direction to enhance a clear plot featuring engaging dialogue. Includes visual elements that enhance, complement or amplify the theme of the script. Enter a PDF of the spread.
Fiction spread – Includes visual elements that enhance, complement or amplify the theme in the fiction piece(s). Enter a PDF of the spread.
Gallery spread – A spread that effectively showcases multiple elements such as visual art, photography or short written pieces. Enter a PDF of the spread.
Music composition package – Includes song lyrics, sheet music, visual elements and, if available, a link to the performed piece. Must be 100% original with no copyrighted elements used. Enter a PDF of the spread and, if available, a link to the performed piece.
Nonfiction spread – Includes visual elements that enhance, complement or amplify the theme in the nonfiction piece(s). Enter a PDF of the spread.
Poetry spread – Includes visual elements that enhance, complement or amplify the theme in the poem(s). Enter a PDF of the spread.
Table of contents – Visually supports the theme, easy to read, well organized and logical for the reader searching for genres or individual works. Enter a PDF of the table of contents.
Portfolio – Four design pieces in any of the categories by one student. Enter a PDF or PDFs of the pieces.

News Magazine

Alternative storytelling – Non-traditional storytelling element or group of elements on a page or spread. Includes visual and verbal elements. Enter a PDF of the page or pages.
Cover– Attractive nameplate, considered a work of art; a cover that visually supports some content of the current issue. Enter a PDF of the cover.
Entertainment package – Content restricted to features and news about entertainment subjects. Visual and verbal elements on a page or spread. Enter a PDF of the page or pages.
Feature package – Content that may be related to, but is not specifically, on news. Includes personality profiles. Clear relationships between story and visual. Visual and verbal elements on a page or spread. Enter a PDF of the page or pages.
Headline package – Creatively, attractively designed headline that relates to story package. Visually draws readers to the story and verbally represents content the story delivers. Enter a PDF of the page or pages.
News package – May be breaking news or stories on issues of importance to your school or community. Includes visuals that inform and contribute to overall impact. Enter a PDF of the page or pages.
OP/ED package – An opinion page or spread attractively designed, featuring visual and verbal elements that together seek to persuade your community on an issue or issues of concern. Enter a PDF of the page or pages.
Sports package – A page or spread of game coverage, sports news or features. Strong visual center of interest and flow. Enter a PDF of the page or pages.
Table of contents – A page that is attractive and informative, offering strong reader service and strong teaser functionality. Enter a PDF of the table of contents.
Portfolio – Four design pieces by one student in any of the categories. Verbal and visual elements should coordinate in a way that enhances the overall content. Enter a PDF or PDFs of the examples.

Newspaper

Alternative storytelling – Non-traditional storytelling element or group of elements on a page or spread. Includes visual and verbal elements.
Front page – Attractive nameplate, clear hierarchy, visual and verbal elements that generate interest and showcase important content
Centerspread – A relevant topic packaged well with strong graphics, headlines and photography
Entertainment page – Content restricted to features and news about entertainment subjects
Feature page – Content that may be related to, but is not specifically, on news. Includes personality profiles. Clear relationships between story and visual. Visual and verbal elements on a page or spread.
Headline package – Creatively, attractively designed headline that relates to story package. Visually draws readers to the story and verbally represents content the story delivers.
News page – May be breaking news or stories on issues of importance to your school or community. Stories organized by level of importance, graphics inform and contribute to overall impact.
OP/ED page – An opinion page or spread attractively designed, featuring visual and verbal elements that together seek to persuade your community on an issue or issues of concern.
Sports page – A page or spread of game coverage, sports news or features. Strong visual center of interest and flow.
Newspaper portfolio – Four design pieces by one student in any of the categories. Verbal and visual elements should coordinate in a way that enhances the overall content. The written pieces may be by other students.

Online (multimedia packaging/design)

Graphics – Delivers information visually to enhance comprehension. Displays dynamic features such as motion or emphasis.
Feature package – Engaging multimedia content that may be related to, but is not specifically, on news. Includes personality profiles.
News package – Engaging multimedia content that is unbiased on breaking news or issues of importance to your school or community.
Opinion package – Engaging multimedia content that amplifies the student voices of your media staff or school community.
Photo gallery – A collection of photographs well presented in a multimedia environment. Includes proper credits and original cutlines for all photos.
Sports package – Engaging multimedia content that includes a variety of media and graphics. May be game coverage or sports news or features.
Videography – A reel displaying stable, strong sequencing, good lighting and framing.
Online portfolio – Four online design pieces featuring multimedia by one student from any category.

Photography(includes all media staffs)

All entries MUST include captions.

Academic – An action shot of a learning environment
Club – An action shot of a group activity
Creative group shot – A group shot, creatively staged
Environmental portrait – An environmental portrait is a posed picture that emphasizes personality of and gives insight into subject through the surrounding environment.
First-year student – One photo from a first-year student on staff. Any subject matter is allowed in this category.
Illustration –Photos that have been retouched, enhanced or combined with computer software such as Photoshop. This illustration must have been composed by a staff member – no generative ai.
Landscape – A photo that highlights a natural or human made scene outdoors.
News – A photo that captures breaking news or actively depicts and issue of concern to you school community.
Sports – An action photo that captures a dramatic moment
Sports reaction – A photo that captures the response to an action or sports moment
Student life – An action photo that captures extracurricular activities
Portfolio – Five photographs by one student.

Podcast (includes all media staffs)

Clear, meaningful content and high-quality production

News – A podcast about news events at your school or community, breaking news or news issues.
Sports – A podcast about sports at your school or community.
Features – A podcast about issues that may relate to news but are not specifically hard news coverage.

Social Media (includes all media staffs)

Breaking news – Up to 10 examples of coverage using social media platforms to report a breaking news story. Submit links or screenshots.
Feature Storytelling – At least 10 examples of coverage using social media platforms to report, update and engage with audience. Submit links or screenshots.
Promotion – At least 10 examples promoting your publication, an event, a group, your school or a combination. Submit links or screenshots
Sports coverage – Up to 10 examples using social media to cover sports through photography, live updates, storytelling or other means. Submit links or screenshots.
Portfolio – At least 10 examples of social media promotion, storytelling and/or coverage by one student. Submit links or screenshots.

Yearbook

Academic spread – Highlights classroom activities. Design supports and enhances verbal elements. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Alternative copy – Non-traditional storytelling devices creatively designed. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Club spread – Spotlights clubs and activities. Design supports and enhances verbal elements. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Cover – Introduces theme visually and verbally, includes reader service information.
End sheets – Reiterates unifying concept/theme. Submit a PDF or PDFs of the endsheets.
Headline package – Creatively, attractively designed headline that relates to verbal elements on the spread. Leads readers into the verbal content. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Index spread – Creatively displays the lists of people included in book. Is consistent with the theme and provides engaging visuals while meeting the index’s important reader-service mission. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Opening spread – Carries elements of theme concept with strong visuals that support the theme’s verbal message. Submit a PDF of the spread.
People spread – Creative treatment of these essential spreads. Goes beyond mugs to bring in additional visuals and content. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Profile spread – A spread that tells the story of a school community member, well designed with visuals that support and enhance the verbal content. Goes beyond superficial coverage. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Section divider – Innovative visually; adheres to theme concept. Includes reader service elements. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Sports spread – A variety of well-coordinated visual elements displayed in an engaging design that enhances the verbal sports coverage featured. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Student life spread – A variety of well-coordinated visual elements displayed in an engaging design that enhances the verbal feature coverage featured. Submit a PDF of the spread.
Title page – Strongly tied to the theme while containing all reader service information.
Portfolio – Four design pieces by one student in any category. Submit a PDF of the spread or spreads.

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SIPA’s Best Media Contest

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