2023 MRE Annual Journalism Contest is now open

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 — The annual MRE Journalism Contest and Awards recognize outstanding military reporting in several categories. Highlight your work that was published or broadcasted from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022.

The contest deadline is 5 p.m. EDT, March 31, 2023.

The Joe Galloway Award
There is a $500 prize for the winner of the The Joe Galloway Award. Named after UPI combat correspondent and McClatchy Newspapers columnist, Joe Galloway. This is for the Best of Show as determined by the judges.

The James Crawley Award
There is a $100 prize for the winner of the James Crawley Award. This is restricted to Print Category entries. This is in remembrance of Jim Crawley, one of the founders of MRE. Crawley was the chief military reporter at the San Diego Union-Tribune. He later covered national security and veterans affairs for Media General News Service.

The winners will be announced in September.

Official Rules

Who can enter?
Print, visual, television, radio Web journalists covering U.S. and non-U.S. military, veteran affairs, homeland defense. MRE officers and board of directors are not eligible.

Student Eligibility

There is a single category for student work. To be eligible in the student-specific category, the entire project must have been produced only by enrolled students receiving academic credit for the work being entered, or must be work created for a student publication. Students can be full- or part-time; graduate, undergraduate or high school students. Work produced for pay is not eligible for a student award (that is, freelance work, etc. Receipt of student aid is not a disqualifier). Work that was created by a student for credit but then made available to a commercial publication is allowed but should be explained in the entry.

General rules (all categories):

Entries must be originally published, broadcast or posted in the English language during the calendar year 2022. Each entry must have a publication, broadcast or posting date listed on the article(s).

All entries must be accompanied by an entry fee (unless waived for MRE members), an entry form, and a one-paragraph bio of the entering journalist(s).

All decisions by the judges are final.

Winners will be notified at the conclusion of judging, which will be done by a panel independent of MRE, its officers and board of directors. The winning entry in each category will be posted on the MRE Web site (militaryreporters.org). By submitting this entry form all contestants agree to allow their work to be displayed on the MRE website free of any obligations to the individual entrant or parent company.

Categories

Print:
1. Overseas coverage – large newspapers/magazines (more than 100,000)
2. Overseas coverage – small newspapers/magazines (less than 100,000)
3. Domestic coverage – large newspapers/magazines (more than 100,000)
4. Domestic coverage – small newspapers/magazines (less than 100,000)

Print rules:
Contestants may submit no more than four stories per entry. They must be in PDF format with the publication or wire service name and date listed. If linking to an online story write the link in a document.

Television:
1. Network/Large Market – Networks (Broadcast and cable) and Top 10 local TV markets
2. Small Market – All other television markets

Television rules:
Include cover letters listing air date(s), reporter, producer, camera and sound personnel. Entry can be either a link in a document or upload an MP4 file.

Radio rules:
Include cover letters listing air date(s), reporter and producer and sound personnel. Entry can either be a link in a document, or upload an MP3 file.

Commentary

This award recognizes a columnist who writes about topics covering the military or homeland security on a regular basis. Entry must consist of five different columns in PDF format.

Entrants must submit links to the columns online or PDFs of the newspaper or magazine page on which the columns appeared. The dates of publication should be visible.

Student Project

This category recognizes a student package or project that expertly uses print or digital storytelling to inform its audience regarding a specific story or topic. Judges will consider the quality of the journalism, design, creative and appropriate uses of media, and the ways in which print, digital and mobile platforms are maximized to engage and inform audiences.


No entries will be returned.

Entry Fee:
$50 (U.S. only) per entry per category. MRE members are entitled to one FREE entry.

Additional entries in a category are $25 each for MRE members and non-members.

Any questions can be sent to admin@militaryreporters.org.

The Contest form is located here. (The contest is now closed.)