Entries open for the 2017 Online Journalism Awards

WASHINGTON, DC - The Online News Association, the world's largest membership organization of digital journalists, today opened the call for entries for the 2017 Online Journalism Awards (OJAs), emblematic of the best in digital journalism, with 37 awards and $58,500 in prize money. The OJAs recognize major media, international and independent sites and individuals producing innovative work in multimedia storytelling.

As in past years, the 2017 OJAs have been modified to keep up with the rapidly evolving media industry. Two new awards have been introduced in 2017:

• Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling: This award honors exceptional efforts in telling stories through digitally-focused audio: podcasts, audio-centric online works, and other emerging media. Newsrooms will be able to submit in either the small or medium/large newsroom categories.
• Excellence in Immersive Storytelling: This award honors exceptional efforts in telling stories through digital, immersive media: virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, 360 video and other emerging media. Thanks to the Journalism 360 initiative, this award comes with a $5,000 prize supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Google News Lab.

The OJAs are the only comprehensive set of journalism prizes honoring excellence in digital journalism around the world. Thirteen of the awards now come with $58,500 in prize money, courtesy of the Knight Foundation, the Gannett Foundation, Journalism 360 and The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. These awards honor data journalism, visual digital storytelling, immersive storytelling, investigative journalism, public service, technical innovation, student achievement and general excellence.

The 2017 OJAs are open to work published between June 3, 2016 and June 1, 2017. Applicants are invited to submit their work after reading the Rules & Eligibility, which have been updated for the 2017 awards program.

The finalists and winners will be selected through a two-step process. First, industry-leading journalists and new media professionals will screen the awards to determine semi-finalists. In August, a panel of judges will convene to select winners.

Honorees will be announced on the final night of ONA17, the Online News Association Conference and Awards Banquet, Oct. 5-7, at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C.

Entries can be submitted at awards.journalists.org. The deadline to enter is June 8, 2017. View the complete list of 2016 winners.

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