The goal of this contest is to recognize the best work being produced by publicly accessible journalism web sites. Entries will be judged primarily on the quality of their photographic content, presentation, and mastery of the technology and tools of the online medium. Specific criteria for individual categories are listed below.

This year each of the Picture Story categories has been split between Photo Galleries and Audio Slideshows. This is a recognition of the unique way sound can shape the composition and impact of a picture story, while at the same time preserving the historically important role of the purely photographic essay. The Photo Blog category returns this year as well, acknowledging the long standing connection between the amateur and professional photographic communities and how today, technology and the web are influencing both.

This contest is open to work produced or posted online in calendar year 2006.

Eligibility

Those eligible to enter are:

Web sites affiliated with newspapers, magazines, television and radio outlets.
Sites providing independent, unaffiliated, or web-only photojournalism.
Photo Blogs by photographers who are amateurs--that is, whose primary income is not derived from photography.

Advertising, business, and professional portfolio sites ARE NOT eligible.

Entrant Classification

Contest entries will be divided into the three classifications listed below. Entrants must indicate their classification designation when naming entries.

Note: Photo blogs by professional photographers are classed as Independent Journalism Sites

Code	Description
OVER	Affiliated Journalism Sites (Web sites of newspapers, magazines, television or radio outlets). More than 2 million unique page views/month.
UNDER	Affiliated Journalism Sites (Web sites of newspapers, magazines, television or radio outlets). Less than 2 million unique page views/month.
INDE	Independent Journalism Sites (Unaffiliated or web-only journalism)
BLOG	Amateur Photo blogs.

Photo Galleries

News, Feature, and Sports journalism presented a photo gallery format. The story-telling ability of the photograph is key and they should be presented in the most direct and easily accessible way possible. Animation can be used only to advance from one photograph to another, and there is no audio or video allowed in this category.

The top 2 winners in each of the Photo Gallery categories will compete for the overall Best Photo Gallery title.

Best News Photo Gallery
Best Feature Photo Gallery
Best Sports Photo Gallery
Best Natural Disaster Photo Gallery

Audio Slideshows

Audio-enhanced photographic story-telling presented in a gallery or slideshow format. Animation can be used only to advance from one photograph to another; the emphasis here is on presenting great News, Sports and Feature photographs with the additional level of detail that audio can provide.

The top 2 winners in each of the Audio Slideshow categories will compete for the overall Best Audio Slideshow title.

Best News Audio Slideshow
Best Feature Audio Slideshow
Best Sports Audio Slideshow
Best Natural Disaster Audio Slideshow

Multimedia Entries

The Best Multimedia Package: Highlights the use of audio, video and animation in the presentation of web-based stories. Judges will pay special attention to the use of available technology to complement and enhance the art of visual storytelling. Content, usability, and interactivity are key to this celebration of cutting-edge storytelling.
Natural Disaster Multimedia Package: Web presentations that use audio, video, and animation to capture and communicate the devastation wrought by a natural disaster. This category showcases online coverage of the human and physical impact of this year's hurricanes, mudslides, tornadoes, earthquakes, and so on. Content, usability, and interactivity are key elements to the storytelling in this category.

A maximum of 2 entries per organization.
Entries will be divided into the three classifications:
- Affiliated Over
- Affiliated Under
- Independent

Amateur Photo Blogs

Personal photo sites of amateur photographers that carry on in the tradition of Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Dr. Erich Salomon of using photography to document our personal lives.

Pictures can be entered in the following 3 categories and must have been organized in a group (like a “flickr” photo set) and shot and posted on the web in calendar year 2006.

1 photo set per category can be entered by a photo blog, with a maximum of 30 pictures per set.

Special Awards

Once the judging for the Photo Gallery, Audio Slideshow, and Multimedia categories is complete, the winners will go head-to-head to determine the absolute best of web photojournalism.

Best Photo Gallery

The top two winners in each Photo Gallery category will be judged in the category of Best Photo Gallery.

As with all the Photo Gallery categories, these web sites will feature photo stories presented on the web in gallery or slide show format. The story-telling ability of the photograph is key and they should be presented in the most direct and easily accessible way possible. Animation can be used only to advance from one photograph to another, and there is no audio or video allowed in this category.

Entries will be divided into the three classifications:

Affiliated Over
Affiliated Under
Independent

Best Audio Slideshow

The top two winners in each Audio Slideshow category will be judged in the category of Best Audio Slideshow.

As with all the Audio Slideshow categories, these web sites will feature audio-enhanced photographic story-telling presented in a gallery or slideshow format. Animation can be used only to advance from one photograph to another; the emphasis here is on presenting great News, Sports and Feature photographs with the additional level of detail that audio can provide.

Entries will be divided into the three classifications:

Affiliated Over
Affiliated Under
Independent

Best Use of the Web

Winners from all the other categories will compete for the overall Best Use of the Web title.

The winning entry must demonstrate a mastery of photographic storytelling in an online environment over a variety of subjects. Content, interface, navigation, and interactivity will all be evaluated to find the site that best furthers the evolution of web-based photojournalism.

Winners will be divided into the three classifications:

Affiliated Over
Affiliated Under
Independent

How to Submit Entries

All entrants must fill out the online Contest Registration Form to get their Contest ID Code. The Contest ID Code is used to identify your entries in the contest judging database.

Website entrants must submit a working URL for each entry. Entries must be submitted via the online, interactive Web entry form.

URLs that are not active during the judging will be disqualified.

All entrants will receive a confirmation email after entering. If you do not receive a response, please email NPPA or call 919-383-7246 ext. 16.

The Best of Photojournalism 2007: Web Site Rules